Title: Optimising turnaround projects: a case study of an Indonesian oil refinery

Authors: Rima Andari Putri; Liane Okdinawati

Addresses: School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung, TK Low Center for Executive Education Gedung Graha Irama (Indorama), 12th Floor, Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said No. Kav. 1, Jakarta 12950, Indonesia ' School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung, TK Low Center for Executive Education Gedung Graha Irama (Indorama), 12th Floor, Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said No. Kav. 1, Jakarta 12950, Indonesia

Abstract: Turnaround projects in oil refineries are large-scale and crucial for maintaining refinery reliability. During these projects, the entire refinery is shut down (planned shutdown), necessitating meticulous project management. Delays can result in significant financial losses, while poorly executed turnaround projects can lead to unplanned shutdowns, causing even greater financial repercussions. An Indonesian oil refinery, which supplies 26% of the nation's fuel needs, recognises the importance of turnaround project efficiency. With four unplanned shutdowns between 2015 and 2017 and a 115% surge in turnaround budget requirements in 2020, there is ample room for improvement in project management at this unit. This study aims to provide recommendations for effective turnaround project management by analysing the root causes of issues using the Ishikawa diagram on post-turnaround report documentation. Employing PMBOK and the SMART method, the study identifies critical factors for turnaround project success and recommendations to serve as guidelines for efficient turnaround project execution in the future.

Keywords: turnaround project; Ishikawa diagram; project management body of knowledge; PMBOK; simple multi-attribute rating technique; SMART; Indonesia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPIM.2025.148367

International Journal of Business Process Integration and Management, 2025 Vol.12 No.3, pp.239 - 249

Received: 02 Jul 2024
Accepted: 26 Nov 2024
Published online: 02 Sep 2025 *

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