„We'll be even more efficient"

Board Member Hubert Fink visited the PLA site in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA, which the Operational Excellence team is currently analyzing for optimization potential.

Board Member Hubert Fink is banking on the bromine plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA: “Following our pilot project in Mannheim, the Operational Excellence team is now in El Dorado. Our goal there is the same: to optimize the plant and elevate it to a new level of efficiency, professional production, and competitiveness.”

The MEX initiative back in 2014/2015 already showed that data analysis leads to more efficient production processes. “Thanks to AI, today we have new analytical tools available that will further increase productivity and energy efficiency. We will also be able to reduce production costs with these new technologies, says Fink, who is responsible for the Operational Excellence Stream in addition to Procurement. He used his visit to the US in October to fly to El Dorado with his fellow Board Member Frederique van Baarle and selected PTSE representatives. The group met with site management and other staff to tour the facility and discuss the planned measures.

All in all, the Operational Excellence team is focusing on ten sites. At each location, the team will develop initiatives to increase competitiveness and reduce costs. The approach is based on the core principles of manufacturing excellence and is complemented by artificial intelligence, network analyses, and long-term master plans for each site. At the same time, the team also reviews and optimizes the site structure in the various business areas or plants.