THE FUTURE, - Solvay

Performance
improvement
40
Performance improvement > INNOVATIONS 09
210107 210203 210235
TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT FOR PRIMOSPIRE ®
Portable PCs in all situations
thanks to a Solvay polymer
THE PROJECT. PrimoSpire ® self-reinforced
polyphenylene from Solvay Advanced Polymers
is recognized as the world’s strongest and stiffest
unreinforced thermoplastic polymer. However, its
toughness and processibility were less than ideal.
Signifi cant improvements to the basic
polyphenylene technology at the molecular level
have resulted in a new, improved product that
boasts an unmatched strength-to-weight ratio,
now with signifi cantly enhanced toughness and
improved processibility. The result has been
welcomed by the market, as evidenced by the
adoption of PrimoSpire ® by one of the world’s
leading manufacturers of IT equipment for rugged
laptops. This application confi rms the intrinsic
value of PrimoSpire ® as an exceptionally strong,
light and tough leading-edge material. New
outlets are already coming into sight in the
aerospace, consumer goods and medical implants
sectors.
SBU SPECIALTY POLYMERS
> Satchit Srinivasan; Bruce Clark; Mahendra Dosi;
Scott Harding; Greg Plithides; Suresh Sriram;
David B. Thomas.
3S SOLVAY SHARED SERVICES DRIVES
INNOVATION WITH GLOBAL PROCESS
REDESIGN, BREAKTHROUGH CHANGE
MANAGEMENT AND NEW COMPANY START-UP.
3S in three dimensions
THE PROJECT. The implementation of Solvay
Shared Services (3S) in the Group has proved its
worth in reducing costs and increasing process
effi ciency through partnership and centralization
of ‘back offi ce’ functions. Over the past three
years, 3S has been successfully deployed in three
dimensions: a global redefi nition of HR and
fi nance processes (with IMAGINE and
RENAISSANCE), pioneering change management
(SHAPE 3S-SIS) and the launch of a real start-up
in Lisbon, Portugal (Solvay 3S, supported by
Solvay Portugal).
3S also contributes signifi cantly to the Group’s
strategy, with a 43% reduction in the cost of
fi nancial processes, thanks to increased SAP
standardization, scale economies, optimal
organization and location and operating
excellence, as recognized by the recent ISO
9001-2008 certifi cation. The 2010 target will be
continuous process improvement, to ensure
business continuity and customer satisfaction.
CC FINANCE, CC SIS
> Guy Mercier; Pierre Boyer; Mario Branco;
Éric Degroote; Euripe des Marques dos Santos;
Jean-Pierre Devooght; Patrick Ewbank;
Maxime Fages; Annie Gaudy; Arturo Gutierrez;
Thierry Henaut; Cornella Holt; Michele Laemont;
Gilles Madjarian; Luc Moentack;
Étienne Moncomble; Luis Paiva; Luis Pedro;
Guy Peeters; Bruno Pluchet; Gérard Van Roye.
ELECTRICAL FITTINGS SUPPLY
When our supplier turns
‘buyer’
THE PROJECT. The NOH (Belgium) site, which
is major consumer of electrical materials of all
kinds, gave SPIE Belgium, until then subcontractor
for electricity-related work, the task of taking over,
on behalf of Solvay, the supply of all electrical and
related material. The originality of the approach is
that this mission is not confi ned only to the
equipment used by SPIE itself. It also covers
the needs of other companies operating on
the site and all Solvay technical services.
This specialist electricity company knows all
the players in this fi eld, all products and all
alternatives. Hence the idea of benefi ting from
the strength of its procurement department.
The formula was tested in 2007 and confi rmed in
2008 with an extension of the terms that bind us
to SPIE. For fair but controlled remuneration of
services provided, and a regular audit of the
benefi t of the commercial terms obtained (open
book mandate), an additional ‘purchasing’
function has been introduced into the service
contract. Results have not been long in coming.
SPIE’s bargaining power and its product
knowledge produced a signifi cant reduction in the
number of suppliers and an approximately 20%
decrease in costs in the fi rst year. In short, we buy
better and smarter. Not to mention administrative
simplifi cations such as the drastic reduction in the
number of bills from over 450 a year to around
one per month and the easier management of
stores.
This new formula of ‘turning our supplier into
our buyer’ has demonstrated its immediate
effectiveness: no investment is required and the
formula is easily transferable to other sites and
other activities.
BSC BELGIUM
> José Thomas; Mario Cocco; Jean-Marc Genot;
Jean-Luc Neumann.