Pertamina Prepare Hundreds Intelligence Officer

By: Freddy Ilhamsyah PA

Pertamina has now been set up hundreds more officers even "intelligence" to monitor the movements of its competitors with Intelligent Marketing applications (smart marketing system), because since the Crash of Law No. 5 Year 1999 concerning Prohibition of Monopolistic Practices and Unfair Business Competition which is then followed by the emergence of Act No.22 of 2001 on Oil and Gas which has been dismantle monopoly Pertamina's upstream and downstream sector, Pertamina has been sniffing going to happen exciting business competition in oil and gas sector.

Especially when it stated that since 1 January 2010, foreigners or non-government stations are allowed to distribute or sell subsidized fuel in Indonesia, for example, PT Aneka Kimia Raya Corporindo Tbk (AKR), PT Elnusa Tbk, PT Petronas Niaga Indonesia, PT Shell Indonesia, and PT Total Oil Indonesia.

However, Pertamina, especially Pertamina Retail Fuel Marketing Region-I does not flinch in the face of their competitors because Pertamina was already preparing a number of strategies to maintain the predicate market leader in retail fuel business.

But the existence of the Petronas gas station on Juanda street, near Medan's Polonia Airport, has provoked the Hiswana Gas (National Entrepreneurs Association of Oil and Gas) in this area so upset including the Parliament and the Government of North Sumatera Province who deplored, why foreign companies are given the opportunity to sell fuel subsidized.

To deal with its competitors, Pertamina act seriously, it proved that the company has prepared a hundred or even over a thousand retail intelligent marketing officer to observe every movement of the rival business activity, particularly in oil and gas downstream sector. This is done considering that oil and gas downstream business competition which in 2001 became the talk of new predictions that warm, has now felt real. For example with the emergence of several competitors in the retail sector (gas stations) such as in Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan are not impossible will be extended to other areas.

There is now felt that the supply of fuel and lubricants to industries such as mining, energy, hospitality and even, increasingly tight gnaw competitors market share. Both in terms of volume, number of customers (subscribers) as well as geographical distribution.

Therefore, each activity will affect the movement of a competitor on it, so please note, evaluated and followed up early with a proper strategy and program. But to get the data / information regarding competitors and field conditions quickly, is not easy.

On that basis, then Pertamina, through its Division of Strategic Planning M&T good cooperation with the CSS (Corporate Shared Sercive) has formed a kind of central control of communication by developing a system designed to handle the delivery process, validation, processing until the distribution of the data or information quickly and easily rivals through sms and internet broadcast facilities.

According to the CSS, such as Media Pertamina published on June 28, 2010, through the system, communication between the parties relating to marketing strategy and execution of the Sales Representative, Sales Area Manager, Vice President through the Deputy Director to be done quickly and easily.

All competitor activity data across Indonesia that has been collected from the field, such as pricing strategy, marketing, terms of payment etc.. stored in the database, so that every moment can be used for evaluation and reference material.

Officers "intelligence" is the sales representative and the Sales Area Manager because they are the sales forces in the field, making it easy to monitor activities of competitors.

Worries Pertamina against business competitors, it is natural. Because in the business world there is a beautiful play (fair business) and some are playing "dirty". But according to the opinion of the writer, Pertamina should not have too much to fear "fight" with its competitors.

The author agrees with the Pertamina fuel Retail Marketing Region-I, Medan, to what we are daunted by the competition, in addition has received support from Hiswana Migas, Parliament, KNPI and North Sumatera provincial government, isn’t Pertamina has many advantages. For example, for the umpteenth time Mesran (Pertamina's oil output) has several times won the award, such award of "Living Legend Brands" publicly recognized as a local brand that managed to beat foreign brands in various categories.

Not only that, superior lubricating oil, Pertamina (Indonesia, pen), namely Fastron and Enduro also has received awards and has been on record MURI (Indonesian Museum of World Records) that both types of lubricants that have proven performance and durability that exceed the quality in its class which has been tested on 10 engine variants of cars and motorcycles, when successfully completed a prestigious event "Touring for the Nation 2010” with a distance of 5300 km starting from Medan on to the island of Java and Bali, with no significant obstacles.

In addition, since July, Pertamina also has marketed Biodiesel B-5 (Bio Fuel) are environmentally friendly since exhaust emissions Biodiesel is more perfect, so as to reduce air pollution. While the selling price is equivalent to the price of subsidized diesel fuel.

Meanwhile in August, Pertamina back pamper their customers with transaction services online I-Serv in the hope to provide ease of transaction services to customers in the Aviation business, & Industrial Marine, Lubricants and Commerce Pertrokimia. Web-based online service that gives convenience in terms of invoicing (billing), reporting (report transaction), and ordering (marketing).

So why should be afraid to foreign competitors? Pertamina's move on, make yours company to be the best oil and gas company in Indonesia, so that eventually can taken your ambition to become a world class company. Hope fully successful.

Note: Already published in Harian Global, Medan daily newspaper in rubric Ideas on October 5, 2010 edition.