Digitalization made easy - C4Connect for customer-oriented C4 business

• At the 52nd annual meeting of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA), representatives of Evonik presented and discussed digitization Projects 
• Previous positive records: e.g. in areas such as automation and process optimization 
• Now consistent expansion toward customers, presentation of C4Connect online platform 
• New module C4Buy should enable best prices and best availabilities in a bidding process

Representatives of Performance Intermediates presented the outlook for C4 chemistry at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA). From October 7th to 10th, they introduced the new C4Connect platform. This platform extends the business model from a product-centered to a user-oriented approach. The idea: products alone do not offer any lasting competitive advantage. Price, quality, and availability are standard attributes. Additional services, efficient processes, and simplified communications, however, open up new opportunities in our business with customers.

“Digital offers are becoming an essential building block in our business.
For us, digitalization means more than just the introduction of new technologies,” says Dr. Dirk Höhler, head of Marketing & Sales in the Performance Intermediates Business Line. “With our digital solutions, we make collaboration with our customers more efficient and successful. We already have a good track record, for example in automation and process optimization. Now we transfer these approaches to the customer business.”

C4Connect unites online platforms, data interfaces, and bidding systems and is constantly being expanded in close cooperation with the customers. The C4Buy bidding platform was introduced at the EPCA. What’s new about the platform is the coordination of fluctuating production and demand quantities in an intuitive online tool. Customers can submit offers for quantities and thus benefit from a higher degree of transparency regarding availability.
C4Buy complements the existing C4Connect platform, which is available to customers 24/7. Here customers will find direct access to C4EDI and thus the direct connection via Elemica. You can view the status of the order through C4Orders. And through the recently introduced C4DRIVOSOL^® tuner, customers can formulate their individual DRIVOSOL^® mixture.

The special feature: the C4Connect platform was developed together with selected customers. It enriches the customer relationship. Not only in terms of accessibility, but also through a better understanding of the true customer needs. Through C4Connect, Performance Intermediates offers more than just products - additional services. And above all, this should lead to one thing: more customer satisfaction.

“The numerous discussions at the EPCA are a valuable input for us,” says Höhler. “Because now we can strategically develop our platform. So we got the hint to digitalize the entire value chain - and not just parts of it.
One insight, for example, was that we should do more to digitalize the entire supply chain - not just parts of it. In close collaboration with our customers and partners, we will face this challenge.”