Uniqema launched in 2004 a project to reshape it’s Supply Chain. The objective of the project was to increase the customer service levels to best in class, by making the supply chain both more simple and more effective. It was also seen as crucially important to create a more disciplined approach and focus in the supply chain organisation.

Key components of the design were:

• Adoption of an “available to promise” (ATP) concept in customer service, allowing, on first contact, an up-to-date response on earliest delivery date.
• Installing the underlying structure to make sure that ATP promises are kept, and that only those promises are made that can be kept, • A clear division of the product portfolio in service levels and ways of working: Make to forecast, make to stock, and make to order,
• A clear distinction in planning regime for these portfolio divisions,
• A disciplined way of working, making sure that all customers are serviced according to the agreed service level,
• A new Sales and Operations planning methodology, working with the new planning regimes. Voorne Partners played a number of key roles in this project: • Part of design team in order to design the new business processes and the training modules to educate these new business processes,
• Part of change management & education team,
• Part of a central team responsible for education sessions for the supply chain teams from all 8 locations in Europe,
• Supported the introduction of the new ways of working in Italy and Spain for supply chain planning disciplines (planning, allocation, transport, manufacturing),
• Part of training team, giving extensive training sessions for all disciplines and site management teams.

Simon Alban, Program Manager Europe for Uniqema, said: “Voorne Partners was a valuable part of a very successful project team, and their role, both in the central team and in supporting the Spanish and Italian sites, made a key contribution to the success of the project”.

Uniqema is a member of the ICI group of companies offering a unique range of oleochemicals, surfactants and functional ingredients for use in everyday products to improve the quality of life. Uniqema ingredients are used in a wide range of applications such as in creams and lotions, paints, tires, 4 stroke oils, crop protection products and many more. It has 14 manufacturing sites around the world and a presence in over 50 countries through own sales offices and a network of distributors.Uniqema employs around 3,000 people worldwide. Uniqema enables customers to meet their market and product challenges by providing a wide range of effects and applications, innovative products, wider applications expertise, world-class technical support and a reliable, flexible supply network.