Jobs to be Done (JTBD)
for Manufacture of refined petroleum products (ISIC 1920)
The JTBD framework is highly relevant for the 'Manufacture of refined petroleum products' industry, which is facing severe market obsolescence (MD01) and strong social/environmental pressures (CS06). By understanding the core 'jobs' that consumers and industries 'hire' petroleum products to do...
Why This Strategy Applies
A methodology for understanding the functional, emotional, and social 'job' a customer is truly trying to get done, which leads to innovation opportunities.
GTIAS pillars this strategy draws on — and this industry's average score per pillar
These pillar scores reflect Manufacture of refined petroleum products's structural characteristics. Higher scores indicate greater complexity or risk — see the full scorecard for all 81 attributes.
What this industry needs to get done
When operating complex refining assets, I want to ensure continuous, safe, and efficient production, so I can meet market demand and optimize profitability.
Managing aging infrastructure and volatile input costs (MD03: 4/5) presents continuous operational challenges, requiring robust maintenance and process optimization.
- Uptime percentage
- Safety incident rate (TRIR)
When facing declining demand for traditional products and increasing pressure for sustainability, I want to identify and develop commercially viable low-carbon alternatives, so I can secure long-term relevance and new revenue streams.
The high market obsolescence and substitution risk (MD01: 4/5) for existing products requires significant R&D investment and a fundamental business model pivot without clear immediate returns.
- Percentage of revenue from sustainable products
- R&D investment in low-carbon technologies
When operating in an industry facing high structural toxicity and public scrutiny, I want to effectively communicate our efforts towards decarbonization and environmental protection, so I can build and maintain public trust and regulatory favorability.
High structural toxicity (CS06: 5/5) creates a constant challenge in managing public perception and navigating social activism (CS03: 4/5) that can severely impact reputation.
- ESG rating improvement
- Public perception index score
When needing raw materials for refining processes, I want to ensure a stable, cost-effective, and increasingly sustainable supply of feedstocks, so I can maintain production continuity and meet sustainability targets.
Reliance on traditional crude oil sources carries geopolitical risks, while securing alternative bio-feedstocks involves complex new value chains (MD05: 4/5) and distribution challenges (MD06: 5/5).
- Feedstock supply chain diversity index
- Bio-feedstock sourcing percentage
When allocating capital for long-term projects in a volatile and transitioning market, I want to have a clear understanding of future market dynamics and regulatory landscapes, so I can make strategic investment decisions that ensure long-term shareholder value and business resilience.
The high market obsolescence risk (MD01: 4/5) and shifting societal expectations (CS06: 5/5) make long-term capital planning incredibly uncertain, leading to investor hesitation.
- Investment hurdle rate achievement
- Project portfolio success rate
When serving industrial, aviation, or chemical manufacturing customers, I want to consistently deliver products that precisely meet their operational and performance specifications, so I can maintain strong customer relationships and secure long-term contracts.
Customers often require very specific product formulations with strict quality controls and reliable just-in-time delivery (MD04: 3/5), which alternative solutions might not yet consistently provide.
- Customer retention rate
- On-spec product delivery percentage
When seeking to attract and retain skilled talent (engineers, scientists, operators), I want to showcase our industry as innovative, critical, and committed to a sustainable future, so I can maintain a high-performing workforce amidst negative public perception.
Negative societal perceptions (CS03: 4/5) due to environmental concerns (CS06: 5/5) make it challenging to attract top talent who may prefer 'greener' industries.
- Employee turnover rate
- Job application conversion rate
When managing day-to-day operations with inherently hazardous materials and processes, I want to know that all safety protocols and environmental safeguards are robust and functioning, so I can avoid catastrophic incidents, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage, ensuring peace of mind.
The inherent structural toxicity (CS06: 5/5) of refined products means even minor failures can have severe and lasting consequences, requiring constant vigilance and robust preventative measures.
- Environmental compliance violations
- Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR)
When operating under a complex and increasingly stringent regulatory framework, I want to proactively meet all legal and environmental requirements, so I can avoid fines, operational shutdowns, and legal liabilities.
The industry is heavily regulated, with continuous updates to environmental and safety standards (CS06: 5/5), requiring significant resources to track, interpret, and implement.
- Regulatory fine count
- Audit non-conformance rate
When needing to transport vast quantities of various refined products to different customer segments, I want to optimize logistical routes and methods to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery, so I can maintain market competitiveness and customer satisfaction.
The highly complex and critical distribution channel architecture (MD06: 5/5) requires sophisticated logistical planning and infrastructure, with high costs and potential for disruption.
- Logistics cost per unit
- On-time delivery percentage
When working in an industry undergoing significant transformation and facing public criticism, I want to believe my work contributes positively to society, even as the industry evolves, so I can remain engaged, motivated, and proud of my profession.
The negative perception and 'de-platforming risk' (CS03: 4/5) can erode employee morale and lead to a lack of purpose, especially when work involves products with high structural toxicity (CS06: 5/5).
- Employee engagement scores
- Internal satisfaction surveys
When operating in a global market with fluctuating crude prices and refined product demand, I want to mitigate financial risks associated with price swings and market saturation, so I can ensure stable revenue streams and profitability for the business.
The price formation architecture (MD03: 4/5) is highly complex and volatile, making financial forecasting and risk management challenging, compounded by market saturation (MD08: 3/5).
- Gross profit margin stability
- Hedging effectiveness
Strategic Overview
The 'Manufacture of refined petroleum products' industry is at a critical juncture, facing declining market demand and significant societal pressures to decarbonize (MD01, CS06). The Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework offers a powerful lens to navigate this transition by shifting focus from 'what products we sell' to 'what problems our customers are trying to solve.' This customer-centric approach helps refiners understand the fundamental functional, emotional, and social 'jobs' that refined products fulfill.
By deeply understanding these underlying jobs, the industry can identify novel ways to innovate, develop, and deliver solutions that may not necessarily involve fossil fuels but still meet the core customer need. For instance, the 'job' of rapid, long-distance mobility might eventually be 'hired' by sustainable aviation fuel, electric vehicles, or hydrogen, rather than traditional jet fuel or gasoline. This strategic shift is crucial for identifying new growth avenues, repurposing assets, and maintaining relevance in a rapidly evolving energy landscape, proactively addressing market obsolescence and asset stranding risks (MD01).
Applying JTBD enables refiners to move beyond incremental product improvements and embrace disruptive innovation. It informs decisions on R&D investment (IN05), new business model development, and strategic partnerships, ultimately guiding the industry towards a more sustainable and customer-value-driven future. It's particularly vital for an industry grappling with a declining core business and high structural toxicity (CS06), as it paves the way for market-aligned decarbonization efforts.
4 strategic insights for this industry
Reframing Core Business from Products to Solutions
The 'job' of transportation fuels isn't merely to provide energy, but to enable 'rapid, reliable, long-distance mobility' or 'on-demand power for heavy machinery.' Understanding this shifts focus from gasoline or diesel to solutions like Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), hydrogen fuel cells, or advanced electrification, opening pathways to new low-carbon offerings that fulfill the same core job.
Identifying Untapped Opportunities in Petrochemicals
For petrochemicals, the 'job' might be 'creating durable, lightweight, cost-effective materials for packaging' or 'enabling high-performance engineering applications.' JTBD can reveal opportunities to fulfill these jobs through bio-based plastics, advanced recycling technologies, or new material chemistries, addressing structural toxicity (CS06) and fostering circular economy models.
Uncovering 'Jobs' for Industrial Process Heat
Industrial customers 'hire' fuels like heavy fuel oil or natural gas for 'consistent, high-temperature process heat' or 'reliable energy for steam generation.' JTBD helps identify how these jobs can be met by lower-carbon alternatives such as industrial heat pumps, geothermal energy, or hydrogen combustion, enabling refiners to diversify their energy service offerings.
Leveraging Emotional and Social Jobs for Brand Repositioning
Beyond functional jobs, there are emotional and social jobs, such as 'feeling environmentally responsible' or 'contributing to a sustainable future.' Understanding these can help reposition a company's brand, improve its social license to operate (CS01), and attract ESG investment by offering products that satisfy both functional needs and societal values, mitigating reputational damage (CS01).
Prioritized actions for this industry
Conduct comprehensive 'Jobs to be Done' research with key customer segments (e.g., airlines, logistics companies, industrial manufacturers) to deeply understand their underlying functional, emotional, and social needs.
This research is foundational to identifying true innovation opportunities beyond current products. It reveals what customers *really* value and 'hire' products for, enabling refiners to pivot to new, relevant solutions (MD01, MD08).
Map existing product and service portfolios against identified 'jobs' to pinpoint where current offerings excel and where significant gaps or obsolescence risks exist, particularly for low-carbon alternatives.
This mapping will highlight areas where traditional refined products are becoming irrelevant (MD01) and where new, sustainable solutions are urgently needed. It guides resource allocation for R&D (IN05) and investment.
Develop and pilot new low-carbon solutions and business models specifically designed to fulfill identified 'jobs' more effectively and sustainably than traditional petroleum products.
This recommendation directly translates JTBD insights into actionable product and service development, such as creating 'Sustainable Mobility-as-a-Service' packages using SAF or hydrogen, instead of just selling fuel. This addresses CS06 and MD01.
Reposition marketing and communication strategies to emphasize the 'jobs' fulfilled by new sustainable offerings, rather than solely focusing on product features, to resonate with evolving customer and societal values.
Communicating value in terms of 'jobs done' helps overcome cultural friction (CS01) and shifts perception towards the company as a provider of sustainable solutions, attracting new customer segments and improving brand perception. It helps manage 'Social Activism & De-platforming Risk' (CS03).
From quick wins to long-term transformation
- Conduct internal workshops to introduce the JTBD concept and reframe thinking around existing products and customer interactions.
- Perform rapid qualitative JTBD interviews with a diverse set of 5-10 key customers or end-users in a specific segment (e.g., commercial airlines).
- Map 1-2 core refined products (e.g., jet fuel, polyethylene) to their fundamental functional, emotional, and social 'jobs'.
- Integrate JTBD insights into early-stage R&D and innovation pipeline development for low-carbon solutions.
- Develop initial concepts or prototypes for new 'job-fulfilling' sustainable products or services (e.g., a sustainable fuel as a service offering).
- Refine customer segmentation based on 'jobs to be done' rather than traditional demographic or industry classifications.
- Begin strategic partnerships with technology providers or complementary service companies to fulfill identified jobs.
- Restructure business units or product development teams around specific 'jobs to be done' rather than commodity product lines.
- Achieve a significant portion of revenue from new sustainable 'job-fulfilling' solutions.
- Establish a continuous JTBD research program to monitor evolving customer needs and market dynamics.
- Transform corporate identity and brand messaging to reflect the shift from a 'product provider' to a 'solution enabler' for fundamental jobs.
- Confusing 'wants' or 'solutions' with true 'jobs to be done' (e.g., 'I want a Tesla' vs. 'I need to feel sustainable and have reliable transport').
- Lack of organizational buy-in for a fundamental shift in customer understanding, leading to superficial application.
- Inability to translate JTBD insights into viable, scalable, and profitable new products or services due to capital constraints (IN05) or technological barriers.
- Underestimating the complexity of changing existing infrastructure and supply chains to deliver new job-fulfilling solutions.
- Focusing too heavily on functional jobs and neglecting the powerful emotional and social 'jobs' that influence purchasing decisions.
Measuring strategic progress
| Metric | Description | Target Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Number of New Low-Carbon 'Job-Fulfilling' Solutions | Count of new sustainable products or services launched that address specific identified customer 'jobs'. | Launch 3 new solutions by 2028. |
| Revenue from New 'Job-Fulfilling' Solutions | Percentage of total revenue generated from products/services designed to meet newly identified 'jobs' or low-carbon alternatives. | Achieve 15% of revenue from new solutions by 2030. |
| Customer Satisfaction for New Solutions | Customer satisfaction scores (e.g., NPS) specifically for newly launched job-fulfilling sustainable offerings. | Maintain NPS >50 for new offerings. |
| R&D Investment Aligned to 'Jobs' | Percentage of R&D budget allocated to projects directly addressing identified customer 'jobs' with sustainable solutions. | Allocate >60% of R&D to job-aligned projects by 2027. |
| Carbon Footprint Reduction per 'Job' Delivered | Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with delivering a specific customer 'job' (e.g., per mile flown, per unit of material produced). | Reduce carbon footprint per job by 25% by 2030. |
Software to support this strategy
These tools are recommended across the strategic actions above. Each has been matched based on the attributes and challenges relevant to Manufacture of refined petroleum products.
Capsule CRM
10,000+ customers worldwide • Includes Transpond marketing platform
CRM contact and interaction tracking gives growing teams visibility into customer sentiment and service history — reducing the risk of complaints escalating through missed follow-ups or inconsistent handling
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HubSpot
Free forever plan • 288,700+ customers in 135+ countries
CRM and NPS/CSAT tooling gives companies visibility into customer sentiment before it becomes a reputation event — and the infrastructure to respond with targeted, personalised messaging at scale
All-in-one CRM and go-to-market platform used by 288,700+ businesses across 135+ countries. Connects marketing, sales, service, content, and operations in one system — free forever plan to start, paid tiers to scale.
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Other strategy analyses for Manufacture of refined petroleum products
Also see: Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Framework