A tragedy occurred in the early spring of 2005 at a refinery in Texas City, Texas. Today marks the 17th year since a series of explosions killed 15 workers and injured nearly 200 more.

The old business adage to “under-promise,” so that you can “over-deliver” in order to delight your customers, is almost engrained in American culture. It’s the service that most of us expect when we are the customer. But unfortunately, it isn’t the service that is most often delivered.

Those who work in the oil and gas industry are often tasked with procuring blast-resistant buildings for turnarounds and protection. They often do so by comparing quotes and proposals from multiple vendors. This process is often referred to as RFP or RFQ.