At LogiChem 2026 in Rotterdam, Christian Backaert, Global Supply Chain Transformation & Excellence Manager at Solvay, shared the story behind the company's ambitious supply chain transformation and the lessons learned along the way.

Solvay's session covered three principles that are already delivering results: starting focused to accelerate value, integrating planning end-to-end, and building the visibility needed before layering in AI.

Planning under pressure, closing the gap

Solvay's starting point will be familiar to many chemical supply chain leaders. Planning was heavily manual, visibility was limited, and tactical planning ran disconnected from operational scheduling, often across separate spreadsheets. When disruption hit, the tools to respond quickly and confidently simply weren't there.

The ambition: a supply chain model that is data-driven, impact-driven, automated, and built to scale.

From reactive to proactive, intelligent planning

Solvay's transformation focused on integrating planning across all horizons, connecting demand, tactical, operational, and scheduling into a single coherent model while building visibility up to raw materials. Statistical forecasting replaced manual processes, reducing human bias and freeing up significant planning capacity. It already delivers similar or higher accuracy in more than 50% of the product combinations tested.

But Backaert was clear that technology alone isn't enough. Planners need to drive the plan, not just execute it. New skills, cleaner data, and a genuine cultural shift toward data-backed decision-making are what turn a platform into a competitive advantage.

Delivering value fast: the case for focus and simplicity