Why digitization in the chemical industry often fail

The paradox of chemistry: technically strong, digitally sluggish

Chemical companies are among the most advanced manufacturers in the world. Yet, digital transformation often stalls on the production floor. While IT Directors invest millions in systems, the operator prefers Excel or paper forms. Not because they’re against change, but because the new tools simply don’t align with their daily reality.

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The cause? A disconnect between IT and production. IT thinks in architectures and governance, production in safety and continuity. Two worlds, each with their own language, rhythm and priorities. And as long as that gap remains, digitalization will continue to be something “from the top down” instead of something that grows together.

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What’s missing: collaboration

Low-code platforms offer a different approach. Instead of months-long IT projects where requirements bounce back and forth, you can build working applications in days or weeks. Together with the people who will actually use them.

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When a process operator says, “If malfunction X occurs, I want to immediately send a notification to maintenance”, together with a business consultant, it can be translated into a working prototype right away. Not on paper, but directly on the screen. That creates ownership (and that just happens to be one of the core values of Squad Apps). And ownership is exactly what many digitalization projects lack.

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Low-code acts as a shared language between IT and production: fast, visual and iterative. No endless meetings, but on-hands collaboration.

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Why adoption is the real game changer

Digitalization isn’t just about developing software; it requires significant behavioral change. And behavioral change requires trust and engagement.

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As a plant manager or change manager, you may have the best business case in the world, but without buy-in on the shop floor, nothing changes. People don’t want to be digitalized; they want to participate and see that their expertise matters.

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That’s where the power of low-code lies: it makes digitalization tangible, approachable and humane. It lowers the barrier to experiment, make mistakes and improve.

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How to create buy-in for innovation in your organization

• Start small, but make it visible. Build one concrete app that removes a workplace irritation.
• Involve users from day one. Not as testers, but as co-designers.
• Celebrate early successes. Show that digitalization isn’t threatening, but makes work easier.
• Make IT and production one team. Low-code can be the shared workspace where ideas become reality.

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Digitalization in the chemical industry does not fail because of a lack of technology, but because of a lack of connection. Those who understand that, discover that innovation comes from collaboration, not the technology itself.

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Ready to discover what low-code can do for you?

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Contact Squad Apps for an inspiration session or an App in a Day in your production environment. Together we don’t just build apps, we create buy-in for the future.

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