STRONGER THAN EVER
Martin Provencher, OSIsoft, explains how digitalisation could help cement companies emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.
C
ement companies are facing a twofold crisis brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for cement and concrete is falling because of widespread economic disruption: according to an August report from the International Finance Corporation
(IFC), global demand for cement in 2020 is expected to be 3% less than in 2019. Excluding China, where more than half of the world’s cement is produced and consumed, the drop in demand is an even steeper 6.4%. For many plants, which were already operating at less than full capacity, the impact of sudden plunges in the market on slender profit margins is a lot to absorb. The second piece of the crisis is internal: the impact on people, processes, and workplace culture. While contending with disruptions in markets, cement companies are also facing the new pandemic realities that every business must now confront.
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