Setting benchmarks in the market

We are the leading company in the area of C4 chemistry in Europe. For more than 50 years we have been operating two world-scale integrated production sites in Marl (Germany) and Antwerp (Belgium) in which we process about two million tons of input materials each year for our customers all over the world. “To fulfill their needs and requirements in the best possible way, we continuously work to improve not only our products but also our processes,” says Dr. Rainer Fretzen, the head of Performance Intermediates. “Our aim is to set benchmarks in our markets and to shape our chemicals business intelligently and forward-looking.”

Consequently, over the last two years we put our processes in procurement, production, sales, and logistics under the microscope and identified and implemented improvements. With a great deal of success: By implementing a new software that maps all the processes of the complete supply chain, the two integrated C4-based production sites can now be steered even better and more efficiently. For example, in regards to the logistics of incoming and outgoing product flows. The new software does not only provide accurate forecasts of delivery dates, it also predicts customers’ demands and raw material qualities.

In a second step, we modified our internal workflows. As a result, effective January 1, 2017, Performance Intermediates bundled all activities, processes, and responsibilities associated with the supply chain in one department. “This also allows us to respond more flexible to changes in the raw materials and sales markets and further increases customer satisfaction,” says Fretzen.