“Things are only impossible until they’re not.” Star Trek’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard,

Many downstream oil and gas companies are finding it increasingly difficult to compete solely on a product and price basis. Customers—and increasingly end consumers—have more control than ever for how they search for, select, and ultimately buy products. Disruptive technologies, increasing access to data, and new ways of engaging with suppliers are changing the essence of relationship between the parties. Additional forces are further influencing these relationships including:

Digital natives: More and more customers have grown up during the digital age and expect to do business online or in-app at their convenience. They expect to interact with digitally mature organizations.

Omni-channel consistency: Customers want the same experience across all the channels and devices they interact with. This increases the importance of oil and gas company partners and distributors collaborating on channels and content.

Self-service journeys: There is overwhelming evidence that buyers manage their exploration and purchase journeys on their own terms via channels and platforms that are convenient for them.

New players in the ecosystem: Start-ups are providing value-added services to customers that allow them to consume, buy, and manage consumables more efficiently

A new generation of tech-savvy customers and consumers with different buying experiences and expectations is ascending into key decision-making roles. They seek simple, effortless, technology-enabled solutions and interactions—traditional oil and gas supplier sales models and channels can seem archaic and inefficient by comparison. As oil and gas customers increasingly seek an enhanced, digital experience, how should suppliers respond?