Start Here: Who’s in the Room and What’s Their Job?

• Who is the primary contact driving this storage/transport need? Options: Marketing Manager, Supply Director, Commodity Trader, Asset/Production Manager, Commercial VP, Other
• Which internal teams must sign off before a commercial commitment is executed? Options: Marketing, Supply/Logistics, Commercial/Trading, Operations/Terminal, Legal/Compliance, Finance/Credit
• What is your typical internal approval timeline from initial ask to signature? Options: <1 week, 1–4 weeks, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, >6 months
• Who has day-to-day nomination authority for the volumes involved? Options: Marketing, Trading Desk, Supply/Operations, Third-party scheduler, Other
• Are there non-negotiable approval criteria (e.g., minimum capacity guarantee, contamination indemnity, rate caps)? If so, list them.

Is Capacity Actually Holding You Back—or Are We Treating Symptoms?

• If you could remove the single biggest constraint on moving barrels today, what would it be and why?
• Which capacity issues are you most often wrestling with? Options: Excess production vs takeaway, Seasonal positioning needs, Trading/contango storage, Unexpected production spikes, Maintenance or outage backlogs
• Approximately how many barrels per month do you need to place above your current takeaway capacity (choose the closest)? Options: <10,000 bbl, 10,000–50,000 bbl, 50,000–200,000 bbl, 200,000–500,000 bbl, >500,000 bbl
• Which products are driving the need for storage or alternate transport? Options: Crude oil (heavy), Crude oil (light/condensate), NGLs (ethane/propane/butane), Refined products (diesel/gasoline), Other
• How long do you expect this elevated need to persist? Options: Short-term (weeks), Seasonal (months), Medium (6–12 months), Long-term (>12 months), Unsure
• How long has this capacity shortfall been affecting your operations?

When Deliveries Fail: Where Does the Pain Land?

• Think of the worst delivery failure you've experienced—what happened and what was the real business impact?
• Which failure modes occur most often for you? Options: Pipeline apportionment, Terminal truck/rail bottlenecks, Product contamination or off-spec, Documentation/EDI errors, SCADA/data mismatches, Other
• How frequently do quality or contamination issues lead to rejected receipts or rejections downstream? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely, Never
• What are the typical commercial or operational consequences when a delivery fails (select all that apply)? Options: Demurrage costs, Make-good/penalties, Lost sales/hedge mismatches, Operational downtime, Reputational impact
• How quickly can your team detect and escalate a delivery or quality failure today? Options: Real-time (minutes), Within a few hours, Same day, Next day, Longer
• Who on your team leads incident response and who has final say on remediation decisions?

What Would Breathing Room Actually Let You Do?

• If storage/transport became a strategic lever rather than a stopgap, what new actions would you take?
• Which outcomes matter most to you from a solution? Options: Guaranteed offtake, Market optionality for highest netback, Flexible heel and drawdown, Trading/contango capture, Supply continuity for refineries
• Which success metrics should we use to judge the service? Options: On-time delivery %, Average drawdown time (days), Contamination incidents per year, Cost per bbl-month, Nomination acceptance rate, SCADA data accuracy
• What delivery windows and heel flexibility would be acceptable for your operations? Options: Tight windows (±4 hours), Daily windows (±24 hours), Rolling 48–72 hour flexibility, Week-level flexibility, Need custom agreement
• What minimum days-of-cover (inventory buffer) would make you comfortable? Options: <7 days, 7–14 days, 15–30 days, >30 days
• Are there specific quality or regulatory specs we must guarantee?

What Trade-offs Are You Willing to Make?

• Would you prioritize price, capacity certainty, or operational flexibility if you could only have two? Options: Price + Certainty, Price + Flexibility, Certainty + Flexibility, Undecided
• Would interruptible capacity at lower cost be acceptable for some portion of needs? Options: Yes — for a portion, Yes — for most needs, No — need firm capacity, Unsure
• Are you open to longer contract terms in exchange for rate discounts or priority nominations? Options: Yes — multi-year, Yes — 1 year, Prefer short-term/spot, Depends on penalties/exit
• Is product commingling in shared tanks acceptable, or do you require dedicated segregation? Options: Commingling OK with controls, Prefer dedicated segregation, Must be dedicated — zero-risk, Depends on product
• Who on your team is authorized to negotiate trade-offs (commercial vs operational)?

Operational Reality: How Will This Work Day-to-Day?

• How confident are you that nominations, physical flows, and SCADA will align on day one of a new connection? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Skeptical, Not confident
• What SCADA/data integration do you require (select all required data points)? Options: Real-time tank levels, Flow rates, Temperature/SG, Product IDs/lot tracking, Historical reconciliation data, Alarm/events
• What nomination windows and cutoffs does your operation currently run on? Options: Intraday with multiple cutoffs, Single daily nomination, 48-hour notice, Weekly batching, Other
• Do you require EDI/API integration for nominations and confirmations or is manual submission acceptable? Options: Full EDI/API required, Prefer EDI/API but can do manual, Manual acceptable, Unsure
• What internal resources will you dedicate to onboarding and ongoing ops (people, hours per week)?
• Who is the day-to-day ops owner and who is the escalation contact on your side?

Money, Risk, and Decision Triggers

• What single commercial term would make you greenlight a deal today?
• What target rate ranges do you have in mind (per bbl per month / per bbl lift)? Options: <$0.10/bbl-mo, $0.10–$0.50/bbl-mo, $0.50–$1.00/bbl-mo, >$1.00/bbl-mo, Prefer to discuss
• Which commercial protections are essential to you? Options: Apportionment clauses, Make-whole/compensation, Force majeure clarity, Quality indemnity, Priority nominations
• What payment terms and credit structures are acceptable? Options: Net 30, Prepay, Letter of Credit, Credit lines with guarantees, Other
• What internal decision milestones determine go/no-go (e.g., budget approval, board signoff, counterparty credit)?

Would a Pilot Win You Over—or Raise New Questions?

• If we proposed a pilot, what minimum duration would demonstrate value to you? Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, Seasonal trial, Unsure
• Which KPIs must a pilot hit to be considered successful? Options: Nomination acceptance rate, On-time delivery %, No contamination incidents, Cost per bbl threshold, SCADA/data accuracy
• What operational or commercial risks during a pilot would be deal-breakers? Options: Quality breaches, Missed nominations, Billing disputes, Insufficient connectivity, Other
• What internal resources could you commit to run a pilot (schedulers, ops, trading desk)?
• Would you prefer a scoped pilot on interruptible capacity first, or a small firm commitment pilot? Options: Interruptible first, Small firm commitment, Depends on economics, Not interested in pilot

How This Feels for Your Team: The Human Side

• How much cognitive load does managing constrained logistics add to your team’s week? Options: Significant — distracts from core work, Moderate — manageable, Low — not a major burden, Varies by season
• When logistics fail, which emotion best describes your team's reaction? Options: Frustration/anger, Anxiety about market exposure, Indifference, Urgent problem-solving
• How does delivery uncertainty affect commercial choices like hedging, bidding, or contracting?
• If a partner provided predictable delivery and transparent reporting, what would that free your team to focus on? Options: Market optimization/trading, Production planning, Customer relationships, Strategic projects, Other
• What worries would you want addressed first to feel comfortable moving ahead?

Tell Us How It Really Runs Today

• In one sentence, how would you describe your current takeaway and storage situation?
• Which storage and handling types are you actively using today? Options: Above-ground tanks, Salt cavern, Pipeline-only (no storage), Rail/loadout pads, Truck terminal, Third-party tankage
• What is your typical monthly throughput (in barrels) into and out of the facility footprint we’d be working with? Options: < 50k bbl, 50k–200k bbl, 200k–1M bbl, > 1M bbl, Unsure / varies seasonally
• What are the primary reasons you use external storage or transport today (select all that apply)? Options: Takeaway constraints, Seasonal inventory positioning, Trading/contango plays, Overflow from field production, Quality segregation requirements, Regulatory or safety constraints
• Which market hubs do you most frequently move product toward from these assets? Options: Gulf Coast (e.g., LOOP, Houston), Midcontinent (Cushing), PADD 2/3 regional refineries, Export terminals, Other / multiple hubs

Why Do Deliveries Miss the Plan?

• When you think about missed nominations or short deliveries, what single assumption do you catch your team making most often?
• How frequently do you experience apportionment, curtailed nominations, or force-majeure impacts that change expected deliveries? Options: Daily/weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely/never
• Tell us about a recent example when deliveries deviated significantly—what happened, and what was the downstream impact?
• Which of these contributes most to unpredictable deliveries on your side? Options: Pipeline apportionment, Tank/berth capacity constraints, Loading equipment failures, Scheduling/nominations misalignment, Quality rejection/contamination
• How does unpredictability feel for your team—frustrating, financially painful, reputationally risky, or something else? Options: Operational frustration, Material financial loss, Customer/partner strain, Regulatory exposure, Other / mixed

Where Are The Invisible Bottlenecks Hiding?

• What small restriction in the network today do you suspect is silently capping your deliverable volume?
• Which physical limits create the tightest pinch points for you right now? Options: Tank working/heel requirements, Pump/pipeline horsepower, Rail/truck loading capacity, Berth or meter availability, Interconnect valve restrictions
• Are there contractual or commercial limits (e.g., minimum dwell, nomination windows, reserved capacity) that effectively reduce usable capacity? Options: Yes—contracted minima, Yes—operational constraints, No, Unsure
• How often do operational hours (e.g., 24/7 vs business hours) or turn times force you to leave product on the table? Options: Occasionally, Frequently, Rarely, Never
• If you had one telemetry or measurement you didn’t have today that would instantly reveal a bottleneck, what would it be?

Do You Really See Your Flows in Real Time?

• How confident are you in the accuracy and timeliness of your flow and inventory data today? Options: Highly confident, Moderately confident, Low confidence, We don’t have live data
• What systems currently provide your operational visibility (select all that apply)? Options: In-house SCADA, Operator-provided SCADA, Manual logs / Excel, E-mail/phone nomination confirmations, Third-party portal/API
• Do you have automated feeds for nominations, confirmations, and actuals into your planning systems? If not, where does the handoff break down? Options: Fully automated, Partially automated, Manual handoffs, No formal handoff
• How long does it typically take to reconcile a discrepancy between nominated and actual volumes? Options: Same day, 1–3 days, 1 week, Longer than a week
• Who on your team is responsible for resolving data mismatches, and what is the escalation path?

Is Your 'Available' Capacity Practically Usable?

• What percentage of nominal storage capacity do you treat as usable versus reserved (heel, quality buffer, operational buffer)? Options: < 50%, 50–70%, 71–90%, > 90%, Unsure
• Do you have fixed heel or segregation requirements that reduce advertised capacity? Please describe.
• How often do contamination concerns (mixing grades, water, H2S, etc.) force you to reject or rework loads? Options: Frequently, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Which of these best describes the split between committed (firm) and interruptible volumes in your current agreements? Options: Mostly committed, Balanced mix, Mostly interruptible, Not applicable / spot only
• Have past operational practices or site rules created patterns you now accept but would change if given the choice? If so, what are they?

Who Really Makes the Call When The Window Is Tight?

• Who has final authority to change nominations, re-route volumes, or release inventory on your side during an operational incident? Options: Commercial/Trading desk, Supply/Logistics lead, Operations/On-call engineer, Joint decision
• When an urgent decision is needed, what is the typical decision timeline and who must be looped in?
• How aligned are commercial and operational teams on acceptable delivery windows and penalties? Options: Highly aligned, Generally aligned, Occasional conflicts, Significant misalignment
• Do you have pre-agreed escalation paths or war-room procedures with your storage/transport providers? If yes, how often are they used? Options: Yes—regularly, Yes—rarely, No
• Which internal stakeholder will most feel the pain if delivery risk materializes (select one)? Options: Marketing/Trading, Supply/Refinery, Commercial/Finance, Operations/Health & Safety

Tell Us About Your Worst Breakdowns—We Learn Faster That Way

• Describe the worst delivery or storage failure you've experienced in the last 24 months and what caused it.
• How long did it take to fully recover normal operations after that event? Options: Hours, 1–3 days, 1 week, Longer than a week
• What contingency playbook did you use, and what part of it failed or succeeded?
• What were the top direct costs from that failure (select all that apply)? Options: Demurrage/detention, Quality rework/cuts, Market losses (missed trades), Customer penalties, Operational repair costs
• Since that event, what changes did you put in place—and what unresolved gaps remain?

Is Your Network As Flexible As Your Org Thinks?

• How many distinct pipeline, rail, or truck routes do you realistically have access to from your production/storage footprint? Options: One dominant route, Two alternative routes, Three or more routes, Routes vary by season
• Are there routing constraints (batching, commingling rules, pump limitations) that make some connections unusable at scale? Options: Yes—often, Sometimes, Rarely, No
• Which downstream market moves are you unable to execute today due to connectivity or batching limits?
• If we could provide a new physical connection or guaranteed pump/slot, which market or operation would you prioritize?
• How quickly could you re-route volumes if an alternate connection were available (hours, days, weeks)? Options: Hours, 1–3 days, 1 week, Longer

What Quality Risks Are Lurking In Plain Sight?

• Have you experienced contamination or off‑spec deliveries in the last 12 months? Tell us what happened. Options: Yes—multiple times, Yes—once, No
• How are acceptance criteria and testing windows managed between your team and terminals or pipelines? Options: Standardized formal process, Ad-hoc with emails/calls, No formal criteria / case-by-case
• What laboratory or on-site test turnaround time do you typically face before a load is accepted or rejected? Options: Under 2 hours, 2–6 hours, 6–24 hours, Longer than 24 hours
• If contamination occurred, who pays for remediation and how quickly can the tank or batch be returned to service?
• How much operational uncertainty does the possibility of contamination introduce into your trading or supply plans? Options: Major uncertainty, Moderate, Minimal, None

What Small Changes Would Immediately Stop the Bleeding?

• If you could change one operational rule or contract term today to reduce missed deliveries, what would it be?
• Which of the following near-term fixes would deliver the most value to your team? Options: Guaranteed nomination windows, Improved live telemetry (SCADA/API), Dedicated pump/berth slots, Clear contamination acceptance criteria, Optimized heel policies
• How open is your organization to pilot-test a new operational approach (data sharing, slot reservations, or blended pricing) on a short-term basis? Options: Very open—ready now, Open—within a month, Open—in a few months, Not open right now
• What would success look like after a 90-day improvement run—specific metrics, not aspirations?
• Who on your side would need to sign off to run a short pilot and who would operate it day-to-day?

Quick Intro — Who You Are and What’s Pushing This Now

• Please share your role, team, and the company you represent (so we know who’s in the room).
• What product(s) are you focused on for this engagement? Options: Crude oil (WTI/Brent blends), Light/Heavy crude grades, NGLs (propane, butane, etc.), Refined products (diesel, gasoline), Other
• What is the primary business driver behind exploring storage/transport options today? Options: Excess production / takeaway constraint, Seasonal inventory positioning, Trading optionality / contango play, Supply assurance for refinery, Arbitrage to different market hub, Other
• How soon do you need a solution in place? Options: Immediately (weeks), Short term (1–3 months), Medium (3–6 months), Longer term (6+ months), Unsure
• What target volumes and duration are you considering (provide typical monthly bbls and expected months)?

If Your Takeaway Bottlenecks Had a Voice, What Would It Complain About?

• When deliveries get constrained, what single consequence hurts you most—lost sales, forced flaring, refinery underfeed, or margin compression? Options: Lost sales/market access, Forced flaring/shutdowns, Refinery supply shortfall, Margin compression from congestion, Increased logistical costs (trucking/rail), Other
• How frequently over the past 12 months have you experienced apportionment, tankage shortages, or pipeline constraints that changed your plans? Options: Monthly or more, Quarterly, Occasionally (a few times/year), Rarely, Never
• Can you describe one recent event where a capacity issue forced a last‑minute operational or commercial decision? What happened and what did it cost (time, $s, relationships)?
• Which of the following outcomes from a storage partner would reduce those pains most for you? Options: Guaranteed committed capacity, Flexible heel policy, SCADA-based visibility, Multiple outbound connectivity, Fast connection timelines, Contamination protection
• How does experiencing these constraints make you or your team feel—frustrated, risk-averse, reactive, or something else? Options: Frustrated, Risk-averse/cautious, Reactive/always firefighting, Motivated to innovate, Other

Where Do Your Barrels Actually Live Today? A Map We Can Learn From

• What are the primary origin points (fields, terminals, hubs) and the usual flow paths to your buyers or terminals?
• Which physical storage types are you currently using and in what proportions? Options: Above‑ground tanks, Salt caverns, Rail cars, Truck staging yards, Pipeline linefill, Third‑party terminals
• Tell us about your connectivity needs — which market hubs or downstream interconnects are must-haves for your strategy? Options: Gulf Coast (Houston/Corpus), Midcontinent (Cushing/OKC), Houston Ship Channel, PADD 2/3 rail ramps, Export terminals, Other
• Do you currently have SCADA/data feeds into your storage or transportation partners? If so, what level of telemetry and latency do you receive? Options: Real-time telemetry (seconds/minutes), Near-real-time (hourly), Daily reports, No automated feeds, We receive manual updates
• How much heel (minimum inventory left in tank/cavern) flexibility do you need to support your operations or trading strategies? Options: No heel (zero acceptable), Low heel (<5%), Moderate heel (5–15%), High heel (>15%), Unsure / want to discuss
• Are there specific product quality specs or contamination sensitivities we must know up front (API gravity, sulfur, water, additives)? Please list critical thresholds.

When the System Breaks — The Real Failure Modes We Must Plan For

• Think of the worst delivery failure you've experienced—what was the root cause (logistics, quality, communication) and what stopped you from recovering faster?
• Which of these operational failures have you actually seen in the field? Options: Product contamination, SCADA/data feed gaps, Nomination mismatches, Tank integrity/maintenance outage, Loading equipment failure, Other
• When a quality or contamination issue arises, who within your organization leads remediation and what steps are expected before accepting product back into the supply chain?
• Have you had to pay demurrage, penalties, or make whole payments because of scheduling or connection failures? Describe the typical triggers and the financial impact range.
• What contingency behaviors have you used historically (e.g., truck out, reroute, soak storage) and how well did they mitigate cost/risk? Options: Truck out/expedited trucking, Rail shipment reallocation, Temporary storage at third party, Production curtailment, Short‑term swaps/barter, Other

What Would ‘Win’ Actually Look Like—Beyond a Low Rate

• If this engagement succeeds, what three measurable outcomes will tell you we achieved the goal (e.g., days of available storage, reduced apportionment, improved cash margin)?
• What are your acceptable delivery windows and tolerance for slippage on nominations (minutes/hours/days)? Options: Same day, Next day, Within 48 hours, Within a week, Varies by market
• How important is optionality to your strategy—do you need the ability to redirect barrels to different hubs on short notice? Options: Critical (must redirect freely), Important with notice, Nice to have, Not required
• Which operational KPIs matter most to you for ongoing success monitoring? Options: Tank utilization/available capacity, On-time nominations filled, Throughput reliability (%), Quality acceptance rate, Time-to-connect for new assets, Other
• How would a successful short pilot change the way your commercial or trading teams behave—more aggressive swaps, longer commitments, or different hedging?

Deal-Breakers Versus Nice-to-Haves — What We Must Nail Contractually

• Which contractual elements are non‑negotiable for you to sign (pick all that apply)? Options: Committed capacity volumes, Minimum heel flexibility, Liquidated damages/service credits, Contamination liability limits, Insurance requirements, Termination/renewal windows
• Do you prefer committed firm capacity, interruptible capacity, or a blended approach for this use case? Options: Firm / committed only, Interruptible only, Blend of committed + interruptible, Undecided
• What contract length and rate structure aligns with your risk appetite (term, CPI linkage, fixed vs indexed, per-barrel-per-month)? Options: Short term (1–6 months), Medium (6–24 months), Long term (>24 months), Indexed to commodity/market, Fixed rate, Performance-based credits
• What contamination acceptance criteria or testing protocols do you require before product is accepted or paid for?
• What level of insurance coverage and certificates of insurance does your organization require from a storage/transport provider? Options: Standard commercial general liability, Product contamination/recall insurance, Environmental liability coverage, Cargo insurance, Specific policy limits required

Integration & Go‑Live — Are Your Teams Ready to Move Fast?

• Do you have an internal technical owner for SCADA/data integration and what access level can they grant (read-only telemetry, write/controls, API access)? Options: Read-only telemetry, API integration with limited writes, Full SCADA control access, No SCADA access currently, Unsure / need to confirm
• What lead time do you realistically need for physical connections, permits, and safety reviews before first movements can begin? Options: <2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, 2–3 months, 3+ months
• Who will own day-to-day nomination alignment and who is the escalation contact if nominations are missed?
• Which training or enablement will your operations team need from us before go‑live (SCADA onboarding, nomination procedures, quality sampling, emergency response)? Options: SCADA onboarding, Nomination process walkthrough, Quality sampling & lab protocols, Emergency and spill response, Commercial billing & invoicing
• What milestones and owners would you expect on a go‑live timeline to feel confident about launch?

Decision Makers, Approvals, and Hidden Hurdles — Who Actually Signs Off?

• Who are the decision makers and approvers for commercial, legal, and operational sign-off (names and roles if possible)?
• What approval criteria will the commercial VP or procurement team use to say yes (rate benchmarks, strategic optionality, collateral requirements)?
• What typical internal review cycles or committees (finance, legal, safety) could delay approval and how long do they usually take? Options: Weekly procurement committee, Monthly finance review, Ad hoc legal review, Safety/operational audit
• Are there budget windows, hedge timelines, or node-specific considerations that constrain when you can commit? Options: Quarterly budget cycle, Annual capital planning, Hedge maturity dates, No specific windows
• What single obstacle, if not addressed now, would most likely stop this deal from moving forward?

A Small, Low-Risk First Step — What Would You Try First?

• If we proposed a pilot to prove capability, what minimal scope would convince you to expand (e.g., one terminal, X bbls for Y weeks)?
• What acceptance criteria would you use to judge pilot success (volume handled, nominations filled on-time, zero contamination events)? Options: On-time nomination fulfillment, Volume throughput target, Zero contamination incidents, SCADA visibility benchmarks, Cost within agreed tolerance
• How quickly could you mobilize test volumes if commercial terms and technical access were agreed? Options: Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, Over a month, Depends on approvals
• Who should be on the pilot steering team from your side (roles preferred, not necessarily names)? Options: Marketing/Trading lead, Supply/logistics manager, Operations/field lead, Commercial/contracts, IT/SCADA representative, Legal/compliance
• What would make you say ‘this pilot is worth scaling’—and what would make you stop it early?

Start with One Quick Confirmation

• Who is the primary day‑of contact we should reach for connectivity and access issues? Options: Operations Manager, Terminal Supervisor, Commercial Lead, IT/SCADA Lead, Third‑party Coordinator, Other
• Please provide that contact's name, role, phone, and email.
• Which channels should we use for urgent operational alerts (pick all that apply)? Options: Email, Phone/SMS, Slack/Teams, Pager/On‑call system, Automated SCADA alarms, Other
• What is your confidence level that the connection window and site access are cleared for the planned handover date? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Neutral, Somewhat doubtful, Not confident

Are We Truly Physically Connected?

• Tell us about any physical connection gaps you’re holding onto—are we missing flanges, meter runs, valves, or permits that block flow?
• Select the status that best describes each nominated interconnect point today. Options: Fully built and tested, Built but not pressure tested, Fittings present but compatibility unconfirmed, Not yet installed, Owned by third party / access pending
• If any connection is partial or pending, which specific sites or tie‑ins need vendor/contractor work and what is the estimated completion date?
• Are any third‑party operators or shippers required to enable physical flow through your network? If so, who and what approvals are outstanding? Options: No third parties required, Single third‑party operator, Multiple third‑party operators, Unsure—need help identifying
• How would you describe the biggest emotional or commercial concern about achieving physical connectivity on day one?

Is the Data Pipeline Honest?

• If your SCADA, EDI, or API feeds were suddenly unavailable for 24 hours, what would that reveal about our readiness?
• Which telemetry and data feeds do you require as minimum for go‑live? Options: SCADA tank levels, Flow/throughput meters, EDI nominations/confirmations, API volume & event feed, Quality lab results, Alarm/event logs, Other
• Have feeds been connected and authenticated to our test environment, and have you reviewed at least 48 hours of historical data? Options: Yes—fully validated, Partially—some tags missing, No—connections pending, Not sure
• When you reviewed historical data, did you see consistent timestamps, matching totals between meter and tank reads, or any obvious gaps? Options: No gaps, totals reconcile, Minor gaps but reconcilable, Significant gaps / mismatches, Haven't reviewed historical data
• Who owns data reconciliation and discrepancy resolution on your side (Ops, Commercial, IT, or third party)? Provide name/role if possible. Options: Operations, Commercial/Trading, IT/Data Team, Third‑party Meter Provider, Shared responsibility

Will First Nominations Land Where We Think?

• What single assumption about your nominations process would you be most worried about being wrong on day one?
• Describe the end‑to‑end flow for your first nomination: who prepares it, who approves, who transmits, and which system confirms it?
• Which nomination windows and cadences must we support for the first 30 days? Options: Day‑ahead (D‑1), Intraday updates, On‑demand / ad hoc, Weekly/Monthly planning only, Other
• Do you expect any priority rules, apportionment risk, or scheduled outage conflicts that could force delivered volumes below your nominations? Options: High risk — likely apportionment, Moderate risk — possible constraints, Low risk — unlikely, Unknown
• Who on your team will own nomination exceptions and communications during week‑one (name, role, preferred contact)?

Do Product Specs Feel Like a Safe Bet?

• If a load arrives and fails product acceptance, what single outcome would be worst for you (rejection, reblend, additional testing delay, commercial penalty)? Options: Rejection & return, Reblend at cost, Extended testing / quarantine, Commercial claim/demurrage, Other
• Are final product specs, contamination limits, and testing methods mutually agreed and documented? Options: Yes—documented and signed, Drafted but not signed, Under discussion, Not agreed
• Do you require onsite sampling and third‑party lab analysis, or will COAs/rapid field tests suffice for initial acceptance? Options: Onsite sampling & third‑party lab, COA accepted, Rapid field testing only, Combination / conditional
• If an inbound shipment fails spec, what remediation path and cost allocation do you expect (e.g., reblend, return at shipper cost, keep with discount)?
• How comfortable are you with the current contamination‑control procedures at our facility (sampling frequency, tank cleaning, segregation)? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Neutral, Somewhat uncomfortable, Not comfortable

Who’s Really Taking the Baton?

• If we handed over full operations tomorrow, what single operational responsibility would you still expect our team to perform? Options: SCADA monitoring, Quality testing, Scheduling & nominations, Tank maintenance, Billing & invoicing, None—fully transferred
• Who is your named operations lead for custody transfers and first‑line troubleshooting (name, role, 24/7 contact)?
• Which responsibilities should remain shared vs owned by us after formal handover? (choose all that apply) Options: Scheduling & nominations, Metering & reconciliation, Quality testing & acceptance, Security & site access, Maintenance & cleaning, Billing/Invoice dispute
• What objective acceptance criteria should we hit before declaring final operational handover (examples: X consecutive successful nominations, 0 quality rejections, T+Y reconciliation accuracy)?
• How would you like the first 30–90 day operational governance to be structured (meeting cadence, reporting format, KPIs)? Options: Weekly ops review + KPI dashboard, Bi‑weekly issues only, Monthly formal review, Ad‑hoc as issues arise

If the System Trips, Do We Have a Playbook?

• Name the top three failure scenarios you fear most during the first 90 days (e.g., SCADA outage, contamination, pipeline apportionment). Options: SCADA/telemetry outage, Meter/tank reconciliation errors, Tank contamination, Pipeline apportionment, Contractor/permit delays, Force majeure/weather, Other
• For each failure above, what immediate mitigation steps do you expect and who is authorized to execute them?
• Do you have alternate offload or storage routes available if primary delivery is blocked? Options: Secondary pipeline, Truck/rail transload, Alternate terminal nearby, No backup in place, Unsure
• What maximum time‑to‑recover (TTR) would trigger commercial remedies or reroute decisions for you? Options: Under 4 hours, 4–24 hours, 1–3 days, Longer than 3 days, Depends on event
• Would you like us to run a pre‑go‑live tabletop or live drill to exercise these failure modes, and if so which format? Options: Live on‑site drill, Tabletop remote session, Both, Not at this time

Confirming Next Steps — Close the Loop

• Looking at all of the above, what single unresolved item would prevent you from signing off on go‑live?
• Which of the following deliverables would make you feel most confident that we're ready to proceed (pick top two)? Options: Signed connectivity checklist, 48‑hour validated telemetry log, Successful first‑nomination proof, Signed product spec & acceptance test, Completed tabletop/live drill, Other
• Who needs to sign the final validation checklist on your side (name, role) and what is the internal timeframe to secure that approval?
• Set a proposed date for a joint validation call or site walk — when can your full team be available? Options: Within 48 hours, This week, Next week, Within 2–4 weeks, Flexible / TBD
• How would you rate your overall emotional readiness for go‑live on a scale from 1 (apprehensive) to 5 (confident), and what would move you one point higher? Options: 1 - Apprehensive, 2 - Cautious, 3 - Neutral, 4 - Comfortable, 5 - Confident