Cases - AkzoNobel - YaWorks

AkzoNobel is a global leader in paints and coatings, operating in over 150 countries with approximately 33,000 employees worldwide. The company is driven by its commitment to innovation and sustainability. Serving diverse industries, including automotive, construction, and marine, AkzoNobel owns renowned brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, and Interpon. The company maintains a strong focus on sustainability, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 while continuing to deliver high-quality products.

The IT department, just as many others, faces the challenge to operate under tighter budgets, with heightened responsibilities and increasing complexities, all while maintaining high service levels.

YaWorks successfully introduced a standardized network architecture, enabling AkzoNobel to modernize its IT/OT operations, enhance security, and reduce operational costs. By integrating an offshore team and implementing zero-trust principles, AkzoNobel achieved greater scalability and efficiency while maintaining its high service levels.

For market leaders in the industry, standing still is not an option. Innovation is essential to meet evolving market demands, stricter regulations, and a growing need for sustainability. However, beyond investing in new technologies and research, a robust IT infrastructure is just as crucial.
Competition is fierce, and profit margins are under pressure. In non-growth markets, success depends on efficiency, cost savings, and flexibility. Yet, IT is often overlooked, despite being the foundation of a future-proof and competitive organization.

To support the Next Generation Connectivity (NGC) program, AkzoNobel sought to develop a standardized infrastructure architecture. A well-designed network is not just a supporting factor—it is a strategic pillar that drives growth, innovation, and competitive advantage.

Why did it matter?
To strengthen its competitive position, AkzoNobel initiated plans to modernize its infrastructure. The urgency of this process increased with the introduction of new, stricter European regulations. By addressing these challenges within the digital foundation early on, the IT department enhanced its ability to meet the evolving needs of modern users and business partners.

How did we do it?

To support this transition, YaWorks provided strategic and technical expertise to tackle AkzoNobel’s’ core challenges. We assisted with:

A standardized network architecture with clearly defined standards.
The transition to a zero-trust network model. Shifting from a traditional IP-based security policy to an identity-based approach required a service-oriented architecture with a new framework for managing access requests and application administration.
Seamless IT-OT integration. YaWorks played a crucial role in bridging IT and OT operations by understanding the needs of OT stakeholders and guiding IT in refining its processes. This allowed the board to assess and expand IT’s responsibilities within the OT domain, consolidating security and compliance risk management into a single, streamlined approach.
Ongoing alignment with managed services partners to ensure seamless integration of the new architecture into the operational framework.
Sustainable cost optimization. YaWorks trained and integrated a new offshore network operations team, ensuring structured knowledge transfer and enabling the team to build expertise while maintaining operational continuity.

The Ya-Factor: We've got your back!
With a tailor-made, multidisciplinary team, we ensure that legacy systems are responsibly replaced, networks are thoroughly assessed and redesigned, and the latest technologies are implemented—setting up our clients for long-term success.

For this engagement, YaWorks deployed two senior architects who worked directly with AkzoNobel’s teams, fully embedding themselves into the organization to ensure sustainable success. This team was actively supported by experts in management consulting, presentation development, and quality control. Together, they aligned strategy with engineering, facilitated clear communication between management and IT, and ensured a seamless transition.

The Digital Backbone is Industry specific What businesses need from their IT differs significantly across industries. While compliancy is a major differentiator in Financial Services, it isn’t a priority in manufacturing. It’s why the digital backbone isn’t a universal commodity but a fit for purpose architecture. Because IT requirements within an industry often do have strong similarities,

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AkzoNobel

A modern Digital Backbons as a strategic pillar for growth, innovation, and competitive advantage.

The challenge

Modernization without stagnation

The problem

The realization of a digital backbone

Importance of solution

YaWorks & AkzoNobel

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