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Digitization of workplaces at Clariant

THE FUTURE IS MOBILE

With 13,235 employees at 85 sites on all continents, and more than CHF 3.8 billion in revenue, Clariant is one of the leading players in specialty chemicals. The long-standing partnership between Clariant and CHG-MERIDIAN has gained added momentum thanks to the digital workplace.

Taking care of IT-Management

The equipment needed to enable the digital workplace includes smartphones for 1,200 Clariant employees across Germany. The management of these assets has been reorganized in collaboration with CHG-MERIDIAN by using the TESMA® Portal. On this Portal, employees can select and manage their own IT equipment for their digital workplace, just as they would be used to doing on large, user-friendly online retail platforms. The assets and services can be selected from a predefined catalog. “All processes are completely automated. These range from selection and ordering, through delivery and configuration, to support during use, and finally replacement and return,” says Thorsten Staudenmaier-Föhr, a Solution Manager at CHG-MERIDIAN who shares responsibility for the Clariant project. This new and innovative way of equipping employees with IT devices particularly reduces the burden on the IT, procurement, and finance departments. Thanks to the integration of technical and commercial data into one system, all relevant information is available to the IT and finance departments at the click of a button. Employees can track the progress of their order at any time, see how soon a replacement device will be available in the event of a defect, and check when they will be able to order a new device. “CHG-MERIDIAN offers its customers a platform that covers the entire lifecycle of IT assets, an essential tool in the digital transformation of the workplace,” says Thorsten Staudenmaier-Föhr.

Clariant Expansive Atria

Real value for money

Sabine Tschöp
Sabine Tschöp,
Procurement Manager in Corporate Services at Clariant Germany

Back to the Clariant tender, which was processed and implemented completely online. “The smartphone market moves very quickly, which is why the time had come to bring ourselves up to date, especially with a view to the digital workplace,” says Sabine Tschöp. The list of potential suppliers was thoroughly checked during many hours of online research. In the end, CHG-MERIDIAN stood out.

CHG-MERIDIAN was also able to provide a detailed breakdown and pricing for each service. “The product was fully tailored to our requirements, so we could avoid purchasing packages with modules that we do not need.” The long-standing partnership with CHG-MERIDIAN was another argument in favor. “Our experience of working with them in other areas of IT has been very positive. And when you are running a tender entirely via video, knowing each other already is a plus,” says Tschöp.

Sabine Tschöp, Procurement Manager in Corporate Services at Clariant Germany

“We have chosen CHG-MERIDIAN, because they are able to transparently process everything via TESMA® Portal, and we were impressed by their returns process, which includes refurbishment for a second product life. That was particularly important to us, as it meets our own high sustainability standards.”

From planning to implementation

During the implementation of TESMA® Portal in autumn 2020, there were technical as well as legal aspects to consider, such as the new data protection regulation. “This rapidly increased the complexity of the project. But CHG-MERIDIAN reacted quickly to any changes,” says Björn Stange. “And a very fair working relationship made this rather complicated process a lot easier.” All authorized employees are now able to order their own smartphone. Predefined parameters, such as approved devices, accessories, and the next available opportunity to order – usually two years ahead – determine what options are open to employees. Once they reach the end of their use phase, at the latest, the smartphones are collected and delivered to CHG-MERIDIAN’s technology center in Gross-Gerau, where they are refurbished and given a second product life after the certified erasure of all data. Clariant is initially using TESMA® Portal as its national solution across Germany. “If the solution generates the added value we expect, we will consider rolling it out to other countries,” says Tschöp. Further IT equipment could also be handled via the platform in the future.