How KESSEL is making digitalization fly with the Microsoft Power Platform

More clarity and speed

with over 12,000 approvals in the first 2 years

Cultural change

from participation to co-creation

“For us, it’s really getting started now.” – With this sentence , Ben Stauss, Head of IT and Digital Transformation Manager at KESSEL, describes the dynamics that have arisen in the company through the use of the Microsoft Power Platform.

At a time when companies are increasingly challenged to implement innovations faster and at the same time become more efficient, scalable and resilient, KESSEL shows how modern digitization can succeed. After all, if you want to remain fit for the future, you not only have to digitize processes, but also automate them intelligently and network them holistically.

With the aim of making internal processes more efficient and transparent, KESSEL began early on to identify potential for digital optimization. Two particularly effective examples are the digitization of application and form processes with the help of a Power App and the realignment of reporting with Power BI. Both projects are examples of the change that KESSEL is shaping together with itmX – technically, organizationally and culturally. At KESSEL, digitalization not only means increasing efficiency, but also empowerment: employees are empowered to actively shape things themselves and drive innovations.

Digital forms instead of paper chaos

A particularly effective digitization project at KESSEL was the introduction of digital forms with Microsoft Power Apps in combination with Power Automate. What previously wandered through various departments in the form of paper folders has been transferred to a central, digital solution – intuitive to use, transparent and available at all times.

“A few years ago, we still had a large number of paper-based forms in circulation – often no one knew where a document was or whether it had already been released. Today, all of this is done via a power app, which has not only quickly established itself, but is also constantly being expanded, thus offering a central, easily accessible solution that is being used in more and more areas.”
Ben Stauss, KESSEL SE + Co. KG

The new form app not only replaces manual processes, but also creates clarity and speed: Since the rollout, more than 12,000 approvals have already been processed via the platform in the first two years.
KESSEL deliberately opted for a pragmatic MVP approach – instead of a perfect solution, the focus was on fast, functional implementation that immediately creates real added value. In close cooperation with itmX, an application was created that was not only technically convincing, but also enthusiastically accepted by the employees.

“We deliberately didn’t start with a perfect solution, but deliberately followed an MVP approach. So we started with a 70% solution, but it immediately brought us real added value. Since then, we have been continuously developing the application – which is exactly what makes digitization successful for us.”
Ben Stauss, KESSEL SE + Co. KG

Another success story: Digitized approval processes with Microsoft Power Apps

In a separate success story, you can find out how KESSEL digitizes manual approval processes, accelerates processes and creates transparency in the company with Microsoft Power Apps.

👉To the success story

👉To the podcast

Rethinking Reporting: From Static Report to Interactive Dashboard

KESSEL has also set new standards in reporting – away from static Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides and towards dynamic dashboards with Microsoft Power BI. The aim was not only to collect data, but also to make it understandable, comparable and directly usable – both for management and for the specialist departments.

“We used to send static PDF reports by e-mail – today we use dynamic Power BI dashboards, which offer our employees significantly more flexibility and real added value.”
Ben Stauss, KESSEL SE + Co. KG

What used to be sent by e-mail in the form of PDF reports is now an interactive dashboard that provides up-to-date key figures – for example, on sales development, production key figures or the performance of individual companies. The benefits are particularly evident in shop floor management: In production, dashboards are displayed on monitors and serve as the basis for daily meetings and decisions.

A decisive success factor was the targeted training of employees with an affinity for data. So-called key users have been trained from various departments, who today independently create and develop reports. This resulted in a company-wide reporting community that regularly exchanges, learns from each other and contributes new ideas.

What began as a pilot project has now developed into a real movement – with a high level of personal responsibility, tangible added value and a new data culture in the company.

Digitization as a cultural change: From participation to co-creation

In summary, the introduction of the Microsoft Power Platform at KESSELhas not only digitized processes – it has also changed the way employees interact with technology. Instead of passively waiting for solutions, they are actively involved in the design. Thanks to the intuitive low-code environment, employees with a technical affinity can quickly implement their own ideas without needing in-depth programming knowledge. This not only creates speed, but also identification with the solutions.

This change is particularly evident in the emergence of internal communities: employees regularly exchange ideas, develop new applications together and support each other. The IT department takes on an accompanying role – as an enabler and sparring partner. This has created a culture in which digitization is not understood as a project, but as a continuous process .

KESSEL SE + Co. KG is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of drainage solutions that are used in over 60 countries. Since 1963, the company has been offering high-quality products such as backflow valves, lifting systems and separators. These serve to protect people and the environment from the dangers of wastewater and stand for outstanding safety and quality.