When the Japanese chemicals giant KAO Corporation (with over 33,000 employees worldwide) turned to Econocom in Spain last November, it wanted more than just a change of supplier. KAO is involved in the production of cosmetics and needed a full digital transformation. The Japanese chemicals flagship was putting out a call for tenders to help it adopt a digital transformation of its hardware as well as its uses.
Jorge Osorio, who joined the company in 2006 acting as account manager at Econocom since 2024, recalls this period with a smile. “It was an unprecedented opportunity,” he says. “We saw beyond the initial challenges and were able to convince KAO to appreciate our service offering.”
The final response was a remarkable success, incorporating not only the Services offering but also a full range of IT solutions (including Lenovo desktops and laptops) as well as an innovative financial model through the use of TRO (Technology Refresh Option) technology.
One of the highlights of this collaboration was the way in which the Econocom teams worked hand in hand. “We were totally aligned on communication and strategy with my colleagues Eduardo Segura (P&S) et Joël Valtierra (TMF),” explains Jorge. “We acted as a single point of contact, a one stop shop for KAO, ensuring that every step was shared and validated internally before being presented to the client.”
But the real challenge was in fact the change itself! In order to meet this major challenge seamlessly, the Econocom teams involved in the project put in place a robust change management program including webinars, videos, training and even an internal marketing campaign to inform KAO employees of the need to move to Windows 11 and the rest of full Microsoft Office package. Twenty-five pioneer KAO employees were selected to test the project, forming a community of ambassadors ready to drive and support the transition.
“It was a very rewarding experience,” says Jorge. “We successfully deployed the new platform and it strengthened our position to win a new tender for a helpdesk service.”
The collaboration paid off, with an initial success in January and a solid position to win a second tender. “We don’t think in terms of isolated individuals,” concludes Jorge. “We’re so much more powerful together.”
And so the success of this collaboration with KAO Corporation perfectly illustrates Econocom’s vision: the “One Econocom” model, where each element (whether people, services or technologies) is more than just the sum of its parts.