The Leader - September/October 2008 - (Page 72) cr ea tIN G com petItIve a Dva NtaG e : tho mas G latte aND re al e s tate ’ s maNDate at Ba s f sustaINaBle DevelopmeNt at Basf BASF and its CRE function are committed to sustainability across the company’s expansive supply chain. Integrating social and ecological responsibility into business activities is the main focus. For example, BASF has developed a ‘oneliter house’ that uses only one liter of energy per square meter per year. On a broader scale, eco-efficiency – defined by BASF as the harmony of economy and ecology - is one way that it’s leading the chemical industry in terms of the triple bottom line. Eco-Efficiency Analysis The aim of the eco-efficiency analysis is to compare similar products or processes. This involves carrying out an overall study of alternative solutions to include a total cost determination and the calculation of ecological impact over the entire lifecycle. The results are used for the comparison with competitors. They may increase market opportunities or assist product improvement. They also provide arguments for the sales department. it goes over €€10-million, the BASF board of executive directors reviews the request, but the company still “requires corporate real estate to be involved,” according to Glatte. The same mentality is applied to mergers and acquisitions. “Our markets are changing,” Glatte offers. “BASF is buying and selling businesses. We have to adapt consistently.” coNsIsteNt aDaptatIoN Graphic and text via BASF.com Considering the company has made three significant acquisitions in the past year alone, Glatte’s comment on ‘consistent adaptation’ speaks volumes about the need for the enterprise – and CRE – to be more agile. Like sustainability, agility provides a competitive advantage for companies on a global scale. BASF is gaining that edge, in part, by increasing space efficiency, even inside heritage assets like Ludwigshafen, which was first developed 143 years ago when BASF was founded in 1865. In addition to almost 1,200 properties, CRE supports BASF’s 93,000 employees and a variety of work environments that comes with integrated manufacturing. These include production but extend to corporate and regional headquarters, R&D, field offices, warehouses and distribution centers, and even some of the residential housing for BASF people. Glatte addresses the question of how innovation is promoted across an industrial company by tying productivity to the quality of the work environment and experience – one that differs from financial institutions, technology companies or service groups but where one basic tenet remains universal. “Although we have production facili- ties and close to 100,000 people around the world, we have to have a workplace that makes employees enjoy every day they come to the office, plant or warehouse,” he responds. In other words, real estate and workplace enable a culture of innovation. It’s a statement consistent with the company Verbund. Like raw materials and commercial products, logistics and infrastructure, innovation intersects with the people who create it - and the places or ways in which it’s accomplished. That gives Thomas Glatte the ability to claim a visible success from CRE’s otherwise invisible contribution. EDITOR’S NOTE: The interview of Thomas Glatte was conducted by LEADER Editor Tim Venable. For more information on this topic, go to CoreNet Global’s Knowledge Center Online. BASF - Global Industrial Site Selection http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/ kcoAsset?assetInode=2594704 2 0 0 8 th e le aDe r 72 septemBer / octoBer http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=2594704 http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=2594704 http://www.BASF.com
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