Business Chief APAC+ANZ Magazine August 2017 | Page 43

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT COVESTRO
SUPPLY CHAIN

15,600

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT COVESTRO
Outlining the importance of the company ’ s supply chain operations , Jens Kaatze , SVP , Head of Global Product Management , Polycarbonates , says : “ Supply chain is hugely important in our business , you need to provide the lowest cost of service to be competitive . Streamlining the supply chain with a reliable global network that we can tap into is crucial . This advantage enables us to serve our customers to the best of our ability wherever they are located while at the same time maintaining cost and carbon footprint as low as possible .
“ Think of a scenario where a customer of ours releases a phone case in blue but realises they actually need it a shade darker . We are able to match that request within 24 hours and provide a colour sample to them within three days , which we can then run and produce , if approved . The fact that Covestro can combine low cost with agility makes it stand out from the rest of its competitors in the market .”
Some could say being present everywhere and highly reactive is energy intensive , but Kaatze says that sustainability is one of the central pillars of Covestro . “ We have significantly improved our specific carbon footprint , previously setting target to reduce our energy consumption by 25 % by 2025 , which we have actually already achieved . Instead of sitting back and congratulating ourselves on hitting this milestone we set a higher target of 50 %. Consuming less energy helps both the planet and our profit ,” he says .
This is consistent with the company ’ s PPP – people , planet and profit – philosophy , which Covestro adheres to when developing new
www . covestro . com 43