A Nobian Case Study: Rapid Adoption of Digital Tools to Drive Sustainability

Nobian, a leading chemical manufacturer, launched a user-centric, sustainability-focused initiative to accelerate digital tool adoption across multiple sites. The project focused on involving frontline workers from the outset, empowering them to take ownership of processes and embedding sustainability into everyday operations.

The Challenge

Nobian needed to adopt digital tools across seven sites in three countries, but faced several hurdles:

• Frontline workers were unfamiliar with new digital tools and required a clear, user-friendly approach to adoption

• Standardisation across multiple sites risked slowing engagement if autonomy wasn’t preserved

• Ensuring sustainability objectives were embedded in everyday operations required operators to act on real-time insights

• Accelerated digitalisation post-pandemic meant the organisation needed a rapid, scalable rollout without disrupting ongoing production

The initiative needed a strategy that combined technology, culture, and process alignment to empower operators, engage them, and enable them to achieve measurable impact.

The Solution

Taking a user-centric approach involving frontline workers in the tool’s development was crucial. Instead of instructing workers on how to use a tool, involving them from the beginning leads to increased engagement and ownership, making the adoption faster and the benefits more sustainable.

Through implementing the Cyzag platform in Nobian manufacturing sites, three powerful statements emerged as guiding principles for the change: Flexibility, Enablement, and Trust:

• Flexibility: Balanced standardisation with autonomy, enabling rapid adoption across multiple sites

• Enablement: Frontline workers explored the platform and built tailored use cases, increasing engagement and ownership

• Trust: Central teams supported users, encouraged collaboration, and simplified processes

The Cyzag platform provided real-time process data, a single source of truth, and contextual information, allowing operators to spot issues immediately and act with engineering support.

The Results

• €220,000 saved in fixed costs

• €980,000/year in variable cost avoidance through early detection of process disturbances

• Reduced waste and energy consumption

• Improved data quality and decision-making

• Increased employee engagement and ownership

• Enabled Short Interval Control (SIC) for proactive process management

Read the full in-depth case study here.

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About Nobian

Nobian is a leading European producer of essential chemicals, specialising in chlorine, caustic soda, and salt products. The company focuses on sustainable chemical manufacturing, providing solutions for industries ranging from water treatment to consumer goods, while driving innovation and efficiency in its production processes.