SUPPLY CHAIN UNDER PRESSURE: HOW HIGH-IMPACT PROCUREMENT LEADERS DRIVE SUCCESS

SUPPLY CHAIN UNDER PRESSURE:

SUPPLY CHAIN UNDER PRESSURE: HOW HIGH-IMPACT

HOW HIGH-IMPACT

PROCUREMENT LEADERS DRIVE

PROCUREMENT LEADERS DRIVE

SUCCESS IN THE GLOBAL OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

SUCCESS IN THE GLOBAL OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

SUPPLY CHAIN UNDER PRESSURE: HOW HIGHIMPACT PROCUREMENT LEADERS DRIVE SUCCESS IN THE GLOBAL OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

SUPPLY CHAIN UNDER PRESSURE: HOW HIGHIMPACT PROCUREMENT LEADERS DRIVE SUCCESS IN THE GLOBAL OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

As part of Human Capital’s ongoing series on executive leadership and industry transformation, Ana Paula Montanha, Editor-in-Chief of Human Capital Career Trends Magazine, interviewed the guest expert, Suely Castilho Costa Grassine, a Senior Supply Chain Procurement Specialist whose career spans more than two decades across the global oil & gas, offshore engineering, naval construction, and petrochemical industries In this conversation, Ms. Grassine offers an inside look at the complex world of high-stakes procurement, sharing insights from her leadership in multimillion-dollar projects, her mastery of international supplier networks, and her pivotal role in ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of some of the most demanding energy-infrastructure operations in the modern industrial landscape.

INTRODUCTION—THESTRATEGICROLEOF PROCUREMENTINENERGYINFRASTRUCTURE

Inthemodernenergysector,procurementprofessionals operateatthecenterofindustrialreliabilityandlargescaleinfrastructuredevelopment ReportsfromtheUS DepartmentofEnergyemphasizethattheperformanceof offshoreplatforms,refinerymodernizationprojects,and LNGterminalexpansionsdependsonwell-coordinated supplychainscapableofmanagingtechnicalmaterials, documentation,andriskmitigationstrategiesacross domesticandinternationalmarkets(US Departmentof Energy[DOE],2024)

TheUS EnergyInformationAdministrationsimilarly notesthatoffshoreoilandgasassetsincreasinglyrequire advanced,globallysourcedequipmentwhosetimelyand compliantdeliveryisessentialtosafety,scheduleintegrity, andoperationalperformance(U.S.EnergyInformation Administration[EIA],2024)

Thelabormarketreflectsthisshift AccordingtotheUS BureauofLaborStatistics,procurementandsupplychain managersremainessentialprofessionalswhose responsibilitieshaveexpandedalongsideindustry complexity Theyoverseesuppliernegotiations,assess compliancerequirements,andensureaccurate documentation,activitiesthathelppreventschedule disruptionsandcostincreasesinhigh-valueindustrial sectors(US BureauofLaborStatistics[BLS],2024a) The BLSalsoprojectssteadydemandforprocurement managersthroughthecomingdecadeasorganizations continuetoglobalizetheirsourcingnetworksand integrateadvancedtechnologysystems(BLS,2024b).

INDUSTRYTRENDS&MARKETANALYSIS

EnergyinfrastructureintheUnitedStatesandinternationallyis undergoingrapidtransformation,markedbyincreasedproject scale,stricterregulatoryframeworks,andglobalizedsupply networks.AccordingtoDOEassessments,modernoffshore andpetrochemicalprojectsrequirecoordinatedacquisitionof highlyspecializedequipment,rangingfromcompressorsand electricalsystemstoinstrumentationandsafetydevices,allof whichmustmeetstringenttechnicalandoperational standards(DOE,2024).Thesecomponentsoftencomefrom vendorslocatedacrossmultiplecontinents,makingtimelyand accuratesupply-chainintegrationessential

TheEIAemphasizesthatsupply-chainrisks,includingdelaysin thedeliveryoflong-leadmaterialsorerrorsincertification documentation,cansignificantlyaffectprojectschedulesand costperformanceinenergyinfrastructure(EIA,2024) Asa result,demandhasgrownforprocurementprofessionalswho canoverseecross-bordersuppliernetworks,performdetailed complianceverification,andprovidereal-timecoordination betweenengineering,logistics,andqualitycontrol

BLSfindingsconfirmthatprocurementmanagersplaya centralroleinfacilitatingthisalignment Theyareresponsible fornegotiatingsupplierterms,validatingtechnical requirements,andpreventingsupplydisruptionsinindustries wherecontinuityofequipmentdeliveryisessential(BLS, 2024a) Thisisparticularlyrelevantforoffshoreengineering projects,whereextendedequipmentdelayscanaffectvessel availability,constructiontimelines,andcommissioning activities

Suely’scareerreflectsthesenationaltrends Herexperience coordinatingsuppliersinEurope,Asia,Africa,SouthAmerica, andNorthAmerica,alongwithhermasteryofBrazil’s demandingimportationandcertificationprocesses, demonstratesahighleveloftechnicalandregulatoryfluency Thesecompetenciesalignpreciselywiththeworkforce capacitythatDOE,EIA,andBLSanalysesdescribeas increasinglyvitaltomaintainingindustrialcompetitivenessand infrastructureresilience

CAREERPROFILE&MEASURABLEIMPACT

Overmorethantwodecadesatgloballyrecognized engineeringandoffshoreconstructionfirms,Suely CastilhoCostaGrassinehasdevelopeddeepexpertisein procurement,expediting,logistics,andcontract administration Herroleshaveencompassedthefull procurementlifecycle,fromvendorqualificationand contractnegotiationtodocumentationmanagement, deliverycoordination,andregulatorycompliance

Hercontributionsspansomeofthemostcomplexand high-valueindustrialassetsintheBrazilianoffshoreand petrochemicalsectors Shehassupportedprocurement operationsinplatforms;multipleFPSOmodulesystems; refinerymodernizationinitiatives;andmulti-unitdrillship programs Eachoftheseprojectsrequiredprecisionin managinglong-leadequipment,aligningsupplier documentationwithengineeringspecifications,and ensuringregulatorycomplianceacrossinternational borders

Industryanalysesshowthatoffshoreengineeringdelays cangeneratesubstantialcostimpactsduetoidlelabor, postponedcommissioning,andvesselunavailability, makingdocumentationaccuracyandtimelyequipment deliverycentraltoprojectsuccess

Throughherwork,Suelyconsistentlyprevented procurement-relateddisruptionsbyensuringthat certificates,manuals,inspections,andcompliancefiles metstringenttechnicalandregulatoryrequirements.

Herexperienceextendsacrosscomplexregulatory environments,includingBrazil’srigorousimportation framework,whichrequirescarefulcoordinationoftax documentation,freightclearance,andtechnical certification.

Managingtheserequirementswithprecisionhasmadehera trustedspecialistcapableofensuringthatmultimilliondollarequipmentflowsefficientlyintoshipyardsandproject sites

CASESTUDIES&EXECUTIVEINSIGHTS

FPSOANDOFFSHOREPLATFORMPROCUREMENT

Oncertainplatformprojects,Suelyplayedapivotalrolein coordinatingtheprocurementofcriticalequipmentand systems Theseplatformsrequiredstrictadherenceto engineeringspecifications,qualityassurancestandards,and safetydocumentation Suelyworkedcloselywith engineeringandqualityteamstoverifysuppliercertificates, trackdeliveryschedules,andmaintainaccurate documentation,effortsessentialtomeetingfabrication timelinesandensuringcompliancewithoperational standards Herworkonthesemultibillion-dollarassets highlightstheimportanceofprocurementprofessionalsin safeguardingprojectcontinuity.

DRILLSHIPPROGRAM:MANAGINGHIGH-VOLUME,HIGHRISKPROCUREMENT

Suelyactedinconnectionwiththedrillshipprogram,which representedoneofthemostambitiousoffshore constructioneffortsinthecountry’shistory Suelyoversaw procurementforthousandsofmechanical,electrical, telecommunications,andsafetycomponents,each requiringprecisedocumentationandadherenceto classificationstandards Sheensuredthatsuppliersmet strictcompliancerequirementsandthatmaterialswere deliveredontimetosupportshipyardactivities Her contributionswereessentialtosustainingprogressacross multipledrillshipunitsduringachallengingperiodforthe nationalenergysector.

MASTERINGBRAZILIANCUSTOMSAND DOCUMENTATIONREQUIREMENTS

Brazil’simportationprocessesrequiremeticulous oversightduetostrictdocumentation,taxclassification, andcertificationrulesgoverningindustrialequipment Suely’smasteryoftheseprocesseshasbeenrepeatedly recognizedbysupervisorsandengineeringmanagers whocreditherwithpreventingdelayslinkedtocustoms clearanceordocumentationdiscrepancies Herability tonavigateregulatorycomplexitiesensuredthesmooth transferofinternationallysourcedequipmentinto projectsites,demonstratingthecriticalroleof documentationaccuracyinlarge-scaleengineering

EXPERTQ&AWITHSUELYCASTILHOCOSTA GRASSINE

AspartofHumanCapital’songoingseriesonexecutive leadershipandindustrytransformation,Editor-in-Chief AnaPaulaMontanhaspeakswithexpertswhoare redefiningthefutureoftheirprofessions Inthisedition, AnaPaulainterviewsSuelyCastilhoCostaGrassine With extensiveexperiencemanaginginternationalsuppliers, navigatingcompliance-intensivelogistics,and supportingtheconstructionofmajoroffshoreplatforms andrefinerysystems,Ms Grassineoffersarare,inside perspectiveonhowdisciplinedprocurement, documentationaccuracy,andglobalcoordinationcan strengthenenergyinfrastructureandelevateindustry performance

InterviewbyAnaPaulaMontanha,Editor-in-Chief

1.Whatarethemostcriticalriskpointsinprocurement foroffshoreengineeringprojects?

Themostcriticalriskpointsarealwaystiedto documentationaccuracyandalignmentbetweenwhat engineeringspecifiesandwhatthesupplierdelivers In offshoreenvironments,everyitem,whetheritisavalve,a safetysystem,oraninstrumentationcomponent,must complywithstricttechnical,operational,andcertification requirements Asinglediscrepancyinmaterial certificates,qualityrecords,manuals,orcompliance documentationcanhaltfabrication,delaymodule integration,orpreventaplatformfromprogressingtothe nextconstructionphase Frommyexperienceon platforms,proactiveriskidentificationisessential.This meansvalidatingdocumentationearly,confirming compliancebeforeshipment,andmaintainingconstant communicationwithengineeringandqualityteams In offshoreprocurement,problemsdonotbeginatdelivery, theybeginwhenpaperworkisincompleteor specificationswerenotproperlyunderstoodatthe purchasestage Preventingthoseearlymisalignmentsis thedifferencebetweenasmoothprojectandacostly delay

2.Howdoglobalsuppliersdifferincomplianceculture, andhowdoyoubridgethosegaps?

Complianceculturevariesgreatlyacrossregions Some suppliers,especiallyinEuropeandpartsofAsia,have highlystructureddocumentationprocessesandare accustomedtoworkingwithoffshoreclassification societies Othersrelymoreheavilyoninformal communication,partialdocumentation,orlocal standardsthatdonotimmediatelyalignwithinternational offshorerequirements.

Tobridgethesegaps,thekeyisearlyengagement I alwaysinitiatecompliancealignmentbeforefabrication evenbegins,providingsupplierswithdetailed documentationchecklists,qualityrequirements,and certificationexpectations.Whennecessary,Ihold technicalclarificationmeetingstoensurethatthe supplierfullyunderstandsthestandardsrequiredfor offshoredelivery

Anothereffectivestrategyisconsistentfollow-up Ratherthanwaitinguntiltheendofproductiontoreview documentation,Imonitoritinparallelwithfabricationso thatanymissingcertificates,inspectionreports,ordata sheetscanbecorrectedinrealtime Thispreventslastminutesurprisesandensuresthatmaterialscanbe releasedandshippedwithoutjeopardizingtheschedule

3.Whatstrategiespreventscheduleoverrunsin complexnavalandpetrochemicalconstruction?

Inprocurement,scheduleprotectioncomesfrom anticipation Onlarge-scaleprojects,suchdrillshipsor majorrefinerymodules,themajorityofoverrunshappen becauseproblemsweredetectedtoolate Themost effectivestrategyisintegratedcommunication: procurement,engineering,logistics,andqualityteams mustoperateasasingleunitwithsharedvisibilityinto risks Fromaprocurementstandpoint,Iprioritizethree strategies First,real-timeexpediting:continuously trackingfabricationprogressandidentifying bottlenecksearly Second,documentationsurveillance: ensuringthatcompliancerecordsarecorrectlong beforeshipment,sincedocumentationdelaysareoften moredisruptivethanequipmentdelays Third,escalation discipline:ifasupplierisfallingbehindornotmeeting requirements,theissuemustbeescalatedimmediately, notweekslater Whenthesethreeelementswork together,procurementbecomesastabilizingforce, preventingdelaysratherthanreactingtothem.

4.Howcansupplychainteamsprepareforthenext decadeofdigitaltransformationinenergy infrastructure?

Digitaltransformationwillfundamentallychange procurement,butitwillnotreplacetheneedfor specializedexpertise.Overthenextdecade,supply chainteamsshouldfocusonmasteringtoolsthat improvevisibility,suchasdigitalcertificationsystems, supplieranalyticsplatforms,andautomatedcompliance workflows Thesetechnologiesreducemanualerrors, enhancetraceability,andallowteamstorespondtorisks morequickly.However,technologyisonlyeffective whenpairedwithprofessionaljudgment Offshoreand petrochemicalprocurementrequirestheabilityto interpretengineeringrequirements,evaluate documentationquality,andanticipaterisksthat algorithmscannotyetdetect

Forsupplychainteamstosucceed,theymustcombine digitalliteracywithtechnicalfluency,understandingnot justhowtousethetools,buthowtoapplythemin environmentswheresafety,compliance,andoperational continuityarenon-negotiable

5.Whatcompetenciesaremostlackingintoday’s globalprocurementworkforce?

Themostsignificantgapisindocumentationmastery Manyprofessionalsfocusonnegotiationandpricing, whichareimportant,butunderestimatehowcrucial documentationistothesuccessofoffshoreengineering projects Certificates,inspectionreports,manuals,coding documents,andregulatoryfilesarenotadministrative details;theydeterminewhetherequipmentcanbe released,shipped,installed,andultimatelyoperated safely

Anothergapisincomplianceinterpretation Global supplychainsrequireprocurementspecialistswhocan navigateclassificationrules,importationregulations,and technicalstandardsacrossdifferentcountries.Without thiscompetency,evenexperiencedbuyerscan inadvertentlyintroducedelaysorcompliancefailures

Finally,communicationagilityisbecomingincreasingly important Procurementprofessionalsmustadapttheir communicationtodifferentcultural,technical,and regulatoryenvironments Assupplychainsexpand globally,thosewhocanbridgecommunicationgapswill betheoneswhokeepprojectsontrack

FUTUREOUTLOOK&RECOMMENDATIONS

Lookingahead,federalprojectionsfromtheEIAandDOE indicatecontinuedinvestmentinoffshoreenergy development,petrochemicalmodernization,andLNG exportcapacity,areasthatwilldependheavilyon specializedprocurementexpertise(EIA,2024;DOE, 2024) Theseprojectsrequirecoordinationof internationalsuppliers,strictdocumentationverification, andregulatorycomplianceoversight,reinforcingthe needforhighlyexperiencedprocurementprofessionals

Atthesametime,theBLSprojectssustained employmentopportunitiesforprocurementmanagersas supplychainsbecomemoreglobalandtechnologically integrated(BLS,2024a) Thistrendunderscoresthe importanceofworkforcedevelopmentinitiativesfocused oninternationalcompliancetraining,digitalprocurement systems,supplierriskmanagement,anddocumentation qualitycontrol

Organizationscanenhancetheirsupply-chainresilience byinvestinginpredictiveanalytics,supplierperformance monitoring,anddigitaldocumentationtoolsthatimprove visibilityandreducetheriskofcompliancefailures. Strengtheningcross-functionalcollaborationamong procurement,engineering,logistics,andqualityteams willalsobeessential

ProfessionalslikeSuelyrepresentthecapabilitiesthat modernenergyinfrastructurerequires:acombinationof technicalexpertise,globalsuppliermanagement, rigorousdocumentationoversight,andtheleadership skillsneededtoensuresuccessfulexecutionofcomplex industrialprojects

Hercareerprovidesamodelforhowadvanced procurementexpertisecansupportnationalenergy objectivesanddrivelong-termindustrialreliability

REFERENCES

US BureauofLaborStatistics (2024a) Occupational outlookhandbook:Purchasingmanagers,buyers,and purchasingagents(SOC11-3061) US Departmentof Labor.https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

US BureauofLaborStatistics (2024b) Employment projections:2023–2033summary US Departmentof Labor.https://www.bls.gov/emp/

US DepartmentofEnergy (2024) Energyinfrastructure andsupplychainreport US GovernmentPublishing Office.https://www.energy.gov/

US EnergyInformationAdministration (2024) Annual energyoutlook2024 US DepartmentofEnergy https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/

US DepartmentofLabor (2024) Workforcetrendsand labormarketdataoverview US GovernmentPublishing Office.https://www.dol.gov/

US CitizenshipandImmigrationServices (2024) USCIS policymanual:Volume6 Immigrants US Department ofHomelandSecurity.https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual

HarvardBusinessReview (2023–2024) Articlesonsupply chainresilienceandglobaloperations https://hbrorg/

MITSloanManagementReview (2023–2024) Research ondigitaltransformationandsupplychainstrategy https://sloanreviewmitedu/