Case Study — Basell

A CROSS CULTURAL ADVANTAGE

For a global polyolefins company such as Basell, having a common training tool throughout the world is an important tool for improving communication and expanding employees’ capabilities.

Basell, Pasadena, TX USA
Key Contact: Ted Marker, Expert — Extrusion & Solids Handling

About Basell

Basell is the world’s largest producer of polypropylene and the leading producer of polyethylene in Europe. The company is also a leading supplier of advanced polyolefin products, a global leader in the development and licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes and a leader in the development and marketing of polyolefin catalysts.

The company has three divisions:

  • Polyolefins
  • Advanced Polyolefins
  • Technology

Basell’s products are sold in more than 120 countries and are used in countless consumer and industrial goods — from food and drink packaging to car components, and from household products to underground piping. Basell is also an industry leader in selling polyolefins online.

Managing the information and knowledge base that exists in a company with the size and breadth of Basell is an important aspect of success. Ted Marker is an expert in extrusion and solids handling and is responsible for training internal customers such asoperators, engineers and maintenance personnel.  His internal customers are located at five Basell sites in North America as well as the company’s joint ventures in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand and its wholly owned operations in Australia. Marker purchased the Paulson training programs for Basell because he believed they give he information needed to improve employees’ capabilities.  To develop a comparable program himself, he said, would require too much time and effort. 

Marker helped to pioneer and implement the Basell Intranet, which serves as an intra-company knowledge base of experts.  Employees can access help and advice on a wide range of technical and mechanical subjects. The challenge for employees, however, is to know where on the Intranet they should go to for the help they are seeking. According to Marker, Paulson training has helped Basell employees make better use of this Intranet by giving them a better understanding of the extrusion process and materials.
Some of the advantages of using the Paulson programs, according to Marker, include:

Common Language Worldwide — “One of the biggest benefits to the Paulson programs is their value as a communication tool,” Marker said. “The training gives people a common language to help them to attack problems.  Employees have a better understanding of whether problems are material or process related.  This empowers them with the knowledge of who they should contact within our company when they need help.”

Opening doors worldwide — Marker said that he had noticed that in some parts of Basell he there was a reluctance to admit there was a problem.  He said the Paulson programs provide an entry point for building his internal customer base, allowing him to discuss concepts and solutions.

Training Welcomed — “These tools are invaluable around the Basell world,” Marker said. “ The reaction to the programs was very positive.”

Excellent visuals — For most of Marker’s students in the Asia/Pacific region, English is their second language.  “The visuals in Paulson’s programs are excellent, which makes training so much easier in this situation,” he said. “One of the Japanese students was so impressed, he purchased a copy for his plant.”

Improved efficiency & communication — Marker said feedback from his internal customers indicates they have reduced their downtime and improved their quality as a result of the training.

Cost savings — Marker travels internationally with the Paulson programs.  To date, he has trained nearly 200 people without any of them having to go offsite for courses, saving Basell costs of airfare, meals, hotel, etc. for approximately three days per employee.

Continuous learning — “From a teaching standpoint, I feel I am always learning something new each time I use the Paulson software,” Marker said.“Certain points in the training will trigger discussion by the operators regarding their experiences. Their better understanding of why they experienced what they did always gets a two way communication going and will open up doors to continued communication long after the training is over.”

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