New platform: First quantities of MTBE, n-Butane and butadiene sold via the digital platform C4Buy
Performance Intermediates (PI) manufactures C4-based materials for the rubber, plastics and specialty chemicals market.
As a key part of Evonik Performance Materials GmbH, the business line brings together excellent products, strong market positions, integrated process management and operative excellence.
Complementary services keep gaining relevance in addition to product offerings. Working together with customers, experts from PI are developing digital solutions to make the collaboration even more efficient and successful. Under the slogan “We make digitalization simple,” they transform conceptual ideas into workable solutions. These include various online services to enable interaction with customers. Customers now have 24/7 access to offers, purchase orders and invoices, and they can submit bids for spot quantities of specific PI products via C4Buy. This is the C4Connect® online platform.
The C4Buy module is the latest piece of PI’s growing online world. With C4Buy, customers stay informed about available spot quantities of various products. They can participate in a bidding process and know if their bids succeeded within a defined period. Products they can bid on include, e.g., MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether, an anti-knocking agent for gasoline production), n-Butane and butadiene.
Building on initial positive experience: The first quantity of MTBE was sold via C4Buy in late 2018, followed by the first n-Butane and Butadiene quantities in early 2019. Since then, larger numbers of customers have been accessing the C4Buy platform. Plans call for additional products offerings in 2019 and further –enhancement of the platform.
As next step, PI will launch C4Business. There, customers will have an overview of their business relationship with PI, they will have access to contract documents, and can participate in an interactive planning process. The first pilot customers are already testing the system and a formal roll-out is planned for this year.
Digitalization is thus fostering the interaction with customers and is enabling PI to offer more than simply intermediates, but also additional services, contact points, and sales channels. The desired effect: increased customer satisfaction.
For further information about the growing number of PI’s digital offerings, visit
About Evonik
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-orientated innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2017, the enterprise generated sales of €14.4 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.36 billion.
About Performance Materials
The Performance Materials Segment is managed by Evonik Performance Materials GmbH. The segment focuses its global activities on developing and manufacturing polymer materials and intermediates, especially for use in agriculture and in the rubber and plastics industry. In 2017, the segment’s roughly 4,400 employees generated sales about €3.8 billion.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.