Chemicals
Expertise for an industry in transition
As chemical substances are required for the manufacture of almost all products, the chemical industry is an essential part of global value chains. Our world will continue to be increasingly shaped by chemical products in the future. This is because progress in future fields such as the circular economy, electromobility and sustainable energy supply is largely based on innovative chemical solutions.
At the same time, the chemical industry is particularly affected by social, political and economic challenges: geopolitical crises, wildly fluctuating energy prices and supply bottlenecks clash with the imperative of comprehensive sustainability and an intensifying demographic trend. The impact is particularly strong in Europe. In order to secure competitiveness and strengthen the industrial location, it is necessary to put processes and business models to the test. In this challenging environment, EFESO is your experienced and innovative implementation partner. We combine strategy, process and technology expertise with a deep understanding of the chemical industry. Take advantage of this know-how to successfully guide your company through change and position it optimally for the future.
Our expertise - your advantage
Today, sustainability and digitalization offer chemical companies unique opportunities to transform themselves and to strengthen and expand their position in global competition. Our globally positioned team of more than 100 experts and partners supports you in this process - including projects such as realigning production, optimizing the supply chain and production network, predictive maintenance, increasing sustainability and energy efficiency, establishing future-oriented organizational structures, and the efficient use of digital technologies.
Find out why the chemical industry is facing a profound change and which strategic levers are now crucial to ensure the long-term attractiveness of the location, investments and innovative strength.
Managers from the chemical industry describe solutions for recruiting and retaining employees.
Current industry study by EFESO and Chemical Week*: Chemical industry executives rank market challenges.
Article by Fernando Cruzado on success factors for industrial sustainability in the automotive and chemical industries.
Services for the chemical industry
CLIENTS
EFESO “BEST CONSULTANTS” IN “CHEMICALS & PHARMA”
For the twelfth time in a row, EFESO Management Consultants has been recognized by brand eins and Statista in the renowned industry study “Best Consultants” (formerly: ROI-EFESO). In 2025, EFESO is also positioning itself in the “Chemicals & Pharma” industry category of the ranking.
We would like to thank everyone involved for the trust they have placed in us and for all the recommendations that led to us being awarded the “Best Consultants” seal.
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CONTACT
CASE STUDIES & INSIGHTS - PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
Lean development in R&D
CASE STUDY:
Innovation impulses for lighting designers. The LED revolution has made many business models obsolete, while the wave of digitization and the associated technological change have increased the pace of change by a factor of X. To keep pace here, agile working methods are necessary not only in manufacturing, but also in R&D. Lean methods can prove particularly helpful - but can they be transferred 1:1 from manufacturing to development?
Digital Process Twin: Process optimization through Predictive Quality and Predictive Production
CASE STUDY:
An automotive supplier improved the transparency of work and organizational processes in a production plant for dashboards. With a "Digital Process Twin" from EFESO, the company reduced the reject rate and made improvement potentials in its value creation networks visible.
Lean Digital Manager
CASE STUDY:
Shaping the factory of the future with Lean 4.0. How can lean principles be combined with the technologies and possibilities of networked digitization in value creation networks? By further qualifying employees to become decision-makers. The EFESO certification program for "Lean Digital Manager" shows how digitalization of lean production works. To do this, it combines strategies with Industry 4.0 technologies.
![[Translate to English:] Warehouse 4.0, Intralogistik 4.0, Logistik](/fileadmin/user_upload/intralogistik-2030-roi-beratung.jpg)
Intralogistics: Outlook into 2030
CASE STUDY:
Technological landmarks for ideal logistics: Technological landmarks for ideal logistics. Does a data goggle speed up picking? Or is an investment in a pick by light system more worthwhile? Up to now, new technologies for intralogistics have not been high on the priority list of companies. This is because the cost share of logistics is lower than that of other work areas and their need for digitization is generally greater.
Smart Factory Planning: Smart Planning for smart Factories
CASE STUDY:
What does the ideal factory of the future look like? Do products there control their production completely independently? A pharmaceuticals and life sciences company plans the main directions for the smart factory transformation of four plants in just one month. Together with EFESO, the project team creates a "big picture" as a basis for planning and tests three prioritized technologies in pilot projects.
Business Operations Strategy: Re-start for production networks
CASE STUDY:
A market leader strengthens its Global Footprint structures. With a turnover of around EUR 10 billion, the company is one of the market leaders in the life science and chemicals sector. After a long period of successful global growth, developments such as tougher competition and shifts in demand between regions are jeopardizing the achievement of the ROCE (return on capital employed) targets.
Manufacturing Excellence: Optimizing instead of improvising
CASE STUDY:
The global demand for thermosets is increasing, as is the case in the energy industry. A manufacturer of thermosetting resins has positioned itself as a leader in the chemical industry by providing these customers with a variety of innovative technologies, solutions and specialty products. In order to be able to react even more efficiently to market changes and customer requirements in the future, the company is realigning its production network.
OPEX: Redesign of the organization
CASE STUDY:
The demand for high-performance plastics is increasing worldwide. A company in the chemical industry wants to increase the total capacity of its polymer production by more than 50% with a new plant complex. Together with EFESO, it is aligning its organizational structure to growth and profitability and is realizing an annually recurring benefit of more than EUR 1.5 million through process improvements.
Chemical company on the way to climate neutrality
CASE STUDY:
In order to achieve the self-imposed goal of being climate-neutral by 2050, a manufacturer of basic chemicals has to put its entire business model to the test. EFESO supported the client with robust scenario planning to develop a sustainability roadmap that enables sustainable growth in a challenging industry environment.
Sustainable Chem: New start for the organization
CASE STUDY:
In order to achieve the self-imposed goal of being climate-neutral by 2050, a manufacturer of basic chemicals has to put its entire business model to the test. EFESO supported the client with robust scenario planning to develop a sustainability roadmap that enables sustainable growth in a challenging industry environment.
One Operations Community: strong performance on every playground
CASE STUDY:
A chemical group realigns its global production organization following a joint venture. The aim: to increase performance and efficiency worldwide. EFESO creates a “One Operations Community” in twelve plants - and over 230 improvement projects already generate savings of over EUR 120 million in the implementation phase.
Flexible Factory Design
INSIGHT:
Discover the critical success factors: compatibility, modularity, mobility, scalability, and universality – and how these relate to the core action dimensions of production, logistics, infrastructure, and building design. Three real-world project examples further illustrate how companies bring flexibility to life in their factory designs.
Future of Distribution Center
INSIGHT:
Activate the potential of your distribution centers with our team and prepare them for future challenges. Our insight identifies initial questions and fields of action that need to be considered when developing a customer and service-oriented strategy for distribution centers.