It is undeniable that technology has evolved dramatically from what it used to be only a few years ago. But is the petrochemical industry adequately embracing technology as it evolves faster and faster?
When Victor Ortega became vice president of technical site management for Covestro, he was impressed to have "the best technology" in his office: a laptop and a beeper.
"It was really cool," he recalled.
Several years later, Ortega said he now finds it interesting that "in the chemical business, in the downstream, we are reluctant to use new technology. Let's face it."
Participating in a panel discussion titled "The SME (Subject Matter Expert) Factor: Celebrating Excellence" at the Downstream 2019 Exhibition & Conference held recently in Houston, Ortega asked why the industry was not more readily embracing technology.
For maintenance, the panel noted, new technology has been a long time coming. As the industry embraces this technology, it should undergo a radical transformation within the next five or 10 years -- and that is going to affect SMEs. Because the role of SMEs may change significantly, companies that don't provide the technology to help that change happen are going to be left behind and struggle to recruit new talent.
One key tactic for companies seeking to attract and retain top talent is to develop a "challenge culture" in which workers provide feedback. This approach changes leaders into active listeners seeking advisement -- not in order to provoke argumentation, but rather to make every voice in the company feel heard and valuable. This way, veteran SMEs can develop the next generation of workers and help them grow their careers or gain more expertise in their fields.
SME as mentor
Industry's main challenge now and in the near future, panelists agreed, is to understand how to better use digitalization and technology to remove frustrations from communication in "some of those expert roles."
"There's always an opportunity to mentor others," added Miguel Hernandez, refinery maintenance field execution supervisor for Shell, observing that people often seek training and want to improve, but they expect their companies to provide that training.
"Personally, I don't like the company to provide the skills I need to acquire," Hernandez said. "You have to take the initiative to sharpen your tools on your own, because if you wait for the company to provide those skills, you might be waiting for a long time, and you're going to lose opportunities."
In the past, Hernandez said his focus was "a lot about me acquiring my skills, which is natural. But over the years, it's now more important what I do for others. I think that's one of the traits that we've got to have as leaders."
Leadership, however, is not for everybody, Hernandez advised .
"I've been committed to workforce development and recruiting at the colleges, because it's not about me anymore," he said. "It's about developing the people who work for you and work around you to make sure that everybody is successful. It's about having the opportunity to mentor people [and develop] the best of their abilities."