Case Study: Murphy Oil Turnaround Project

The Challenge

Murphy’s turnaround team approached us with a sense of urgency and concern. Based on past experiences, they saw significant risk—both in terms of lost revenue and project performance. Turnarounds had historically been plagued by cost overruns, delays, and communication breakdowns that impacted efficiency and outcomes. We were brought in to help change that trajectory.

The Solution

Before the project began, we engaged every contractor involved, aligning them around a shared standard of execution. Each crew was expected to bring a clear, actionable process to every worker on the ground. From there, we introduced a system of collaborative interaction across the entire workforce and management team, creating consistent, structured communication throughout the day:

• Morning: Start with SMART goals.
• Midday: Reflect on what’s different, what’s working.
• End of Day: Capture what should be repeated or improved.

This daily cadence was reinforced with:

• Daily check-ins and reviews
• Weekly summary reports and recognitions
• A continuous cycle-time learning system

To support this rhythm, we equipped each team with field guide materials—designed to reduce cognitive overload and give workers a practical way to capture feedback, opportunities, and lessons learned. This also provided leadership with a real-time feedback loop from the field.

Achievements

The outcome surpassed expectations:

• The project broke 40 years of performance records

• Achieved the lowest turnover rate in the history of Murphy’s turnaround projects

• Had the fastest startup, with fewer defective wells

• Came in under budget and ahead of schedule, breaking a long-standing pattern of 20%+ schedule overruns
  
  
• Received two awards from the Construction Business Roundtable for performance excellence

This project showed what’s possible when you embed collaborative systems, activate worker insight, and replace uncertainty with daily clarity.