About BP and Agentive
BP is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, operating in over 70 countries with a workforce of around 70,000 people. As part of BP's digital transformation initiatives, Agentive was developed as a joint venture between BP and Sumitomo Corporation to revolutionise supply chain management in industrial sectors.
Agentive is a digital platform designed to tackle value leakage in supply chains, addressing inefficiencies that can amount to up to 50% of total transaction costs. Initially focused on Oil and Gas Tubular applications, the platform connects businesses in real-time with trustworthy data, providing solutions for procurement, tracking, settlement, and analytics whilst seamlessly integrating with existing enterprise systems.
The Challenges for BP's Agentive Platform
Agentive faced several critical challenges as it prepared to launch as a standalone business entity:
- Manual Sales Process Management - Agentive's sales data and processes were managed through spreadsheets, making it difficult to track potential customers, opportunities, and pipeline progress efficiently.
- Complex Buyer Journey - As a B2B platform with a lengthy sales cycle spanning from awareness through to onboarding, Agentive needed a structured way to manage prospects through each lifecycle stage.
- Brand Identity Requirements - As a joint venture between BP and Sumitomo Corporation, Agentive needed to establish its own distinctive brand identity whilst adhering to BP's brand guidelines.
- Scaling Challenges - With plans to expand from BP's North Sea operations to global markets and beyond the Oil & Gas sector, Agentive needed a scalable CRM solution that could grow with the business.
- Sales Intelligence Limitations - Without a proper CRM system, Agentive lacked visibility into customer interactions, making it difficult to identify patterns and optimise the sales approach.
- Merger Clearance Constraints - Due to regulatory requirements, Agentive could only approach external customers after receiving international merger approvals, requiring careful management of the pre-launch sales pipeline.
The Solution by PYB
BP selected Plus Your Business (PYB) to implement a comprehensive HubSpot solution that would address Agentive's unique needs as an emerging B2B platform in the supply chain management space.
Requirements Analysis and System Design
PYB began with a thorough assessment of Agentive's existing processes and future requirements:
- Detailed analysis of current spreadsheet-based sales processes
- Mapping of the desired customer journey from lead through to customer
- Identification of key sales pipeline stages and transition criteria
- Documentation of reporting requirements for the joint venture
- Assessment of branding requirements to align with BP guidelines whilst establishing Agentive's distinct identity
HubSpot CRM Implementation
PYB implemented a customised HubSpot solution tailored to Agentive's business model:
- Lifecycle Stage Operationalisation - Converting Agentive's conceptual user journey (Lead → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Customer) into a functional HubSpot implementation with appropriate automation and workflows.
- Sales Pipeline Configuration - Creating customised deal pipelines that aligned with Agentive's sales process, from initial interest through to contract signing.
- Custom Properties - Developing industry-specific custom properties to track key information relevant to supply chain management platforms and Oil & Gas industry requirements.
- Lead Scoring System - Implementing an intelligent lead scoring mechanism to help identify the most promising prospects among the 550 high-value target customers identified in Agentive's growth plan.
- Automation Workflows - Building automated workflows to streamline follow-up processes and ensure consistent communication with prospects.
Brand Implementation
PYB's work extended beyond CRM implementation to help establish Agentive's brand identity:
- Applied BP's brand guidelines across Agentive's digital presence
- Created a distinctive brand identity for Agentive that positioned it as an innovative supply chain solution
- Designed and implemented branded email templates and marketing materials
- Ensured visual consistency across all customer touchpoints
Training and Onboarding
To ensure successful adoption of the new system, PYB provided:
- Comprehensive training sessions for the Agentive sales and marketing teams
- Custom documentation tailored to Agentive's specific use cases
- Ongoing support during the transition from spreadsheets to HubSpot
- Regular check-ins to address questions and optimise usage
The Remarkable Results
The implementation of HubSpot at Agentive transformed their approach to sales and customer relationship management, elevating them from spreadsheet-based tracking to a sophisticated, structured pipeline with clear visibility into their sales funnel. Where they once struggled to manage relationships with potential customers across BP, Sumitomo Corporation, and external organisations without a centralised system, they now benefit from a single source of truth for all prospect interactions, ensuring consistent communication and relationship building in both internal and external markets. The shift from manually compiling reports from multiple spreadsheets to accessing real-time dashboards has provided instant visibility into key metrics, enabling data-driven decision making as Agentive expands into new markets. Most significantly, this implementation has replaced manual processes that hindered scalability with a flexible foundation capable of supporting Agentive's ambitious growth plans—from managing BP's internal deployments to expanding their reach to 550 high-value customers across multiple industries.
Darren Meredith from the Agentive team has been impressed with the results of the implementation:
Outstanding support
PYB's HubSpot implementation has transformed how we manage our sales pipeline and customer relationships. The team took the time to understand our unique position as a joint venture between BP and Sumitomo Corporation, creating a solution that not only addresses our current needs but is also positioned to scale with us as we expand beyond Oil & Gas. The way they've operationalised our customer journey in HubSpot gives us complete visibility into our sales process, from initial awareness through to onboarding. Their work on our brand identity has helped establish Agentive as a distinctive brand whilst maintaining alignment with BP's guidelines.
The HubSpot Impact That Exceeded Expectations
The overall impact of HubSpot on Agentive's operations has gone beyond the initial expectations, providing benefits across multiple aspects of the business:
Improving Business Processes
The implementation has led to significant improvements in key processes:
- Lead management has become more structured and efficient
- The sales team can now prioritise prospects based on engagement and potential value
- Communication throughout the customer journey is more consistent and personalised
- The transition from opportunity to customer has been streamlined through automated onboarding processes
- Reporting capabilities have provided new insights into the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts
Opening Up New Possibilities
As the Agentive team has become more familiar with HubSpot's capabilities, they've identified new opportunities:
- Exploring more advanced marketing automation to nurture prospects through their lengthy B2B sales cycle
- Developing more sophisticated customer onboarding processes as they expand into new regions and sectors
- Creating targeted content strategies for different industrial verticals
- Implementing advanced analytics to optimise the sales approach for different market segments
- Leveraging HubSpot's capabilities to support their planned expansion from Oil & Gas into other industries
A Game Changer for Agentive
The implementation of HubSpot was transformative for Agentive, providing the digital infrastructure needed to support their ambitious growth plans. The system has enabled them to move from a spreadsheet-based approach to a sophisticated CRM platform that can scale with the business as it expands globally.
The platform now serves as a central hub for managing relationships with potential customers across BP, Sumitomo Corporation, and external organisations, providing the visibility and structure needed to maximise opportunities within their identified market of 550 high-value customers worth £50 billion in annual transactions.
Technologies Used:
- HubSpot CRM
- HubSpot Marketing Hub
- HubSpot Sales Hub
- Custom properties for industrial supply chain management
- Automated workflows for lead nurturing
- Integration with existing BP systems
- Custom reporting dashboards
Key Innovations:
- Operationalisation of Agentive's customer journey in HubSpot
- Seamless brand implementation aligned with BP guidelines
- Scalable CRM foundation supporting expansion from Oil & Gas to multiple industrial verticals
