THE POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS IMMENSE. HOWEVER, PEOPLE ARE AND WILL REMAIN THE KEY FACTOR.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT BOOSTS INNOVATION
As the Chief Digitalization Officer, Axel Vogelbruch spearheads the digital transformation at ALTANA AG. With a tenure dating back to 2010, he has occupied diverse management roles within the company. The primary emphasis throughout has been on streamlining processes, forming the bedrock for comprehensive knowledge management across the organization. To leverage the abundance of data, ALTANA actively assists its employees in adopting novel work methodologies.
DATA IS A TREASURE. And sometimes it is just as well hidden. However, unlike a traditional treasure hunt, the mere discovery of data is insufficient. Equally important is its proper storage. Why? To facilitate seamless utilization in the future, including for purely data-based applications, such as those grounded in artificial intelligence. This establishes a perpetual cycle: Data is sought for use as a foundation in research projects, and subsequently, the outcomes are meticulously stored for future retrieval. The challenge lies in ensuring swift accessibility for everyone to gain a comprehensive overview of the available data.
DIGITAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT is the solution. “We must assist colleagues in developing a deeper understanding of digital processes, empowering them to harness the potential of digital transformation in their daily tasks,” says Axel Vogelbruch. ALTANA has initiated the Digital Hero Program for this exact purpose. Within this framework, colleagues devise strategies for effectively integrating digital tools into their projects. “To ensure enduring learning outcomes, our focus is on crafting pragmatic solutions for digitalization projects – and implementing them. This approach allows us to witness firsthand how digital technologies streamline our work processes,” adds Vogelbruch.
How can the wealth of knowledge be digitalized? Together with his team, Axel Vogelbruch develops solutions.
A SUCCESSFUL MODEL includes the establishment of a central data hub in Purchasing, consolidating all the necessary data streams for procurement across the company. However, this example underscores the transformative impact of digitalization on our work processes. Axel Vogelbruch elaborates, “Previously, I might have sought additional information by going to a neighboring office, but now, the initial destination is the data hub. To harness this resource effectively, we must train our colleagues on data usage, retrieval, and storage.”
INNOVATIVE STRENGTH ALSO BENEFITS from digital knowledge management. We are striving to digitally make our decades of research results accessible across all divisions. The meticulous preparation of high-quality data is a time-intensive process, but it lays the foundation for offering our customers even better and faster product innovations and services.” In a broader context, ALTANA is committed to progressively building, expanding, and interconnecting databases. Yet, for Axel Vogelbruch, this is just the starting point: “To fully unlock the potential of digital transformation, we must reshape our work methodologies. The central element is, and remains, people.”
