‘Hands off the hand soap!’ and ‘Liquid soap a source of allergy!’ – these were headlines from Danish daily papers in the summer of 2004 when new surveys indicated that an allergy could be caused by one of the most widely used preservatives in soaps. Berendsen Textil Service, which develops and markets soaps for corporate and institutional use, among other things, however, is calm about the issue. Its long-term collaboration with FORCE Technology has made Berendsen’s foam soaps gentle to the skin and free of allergy-causing ingredients.
Health and environmentally important parameters
When Berendsen wanted to develop a new soap, FORCE Technology’s consulting made up a key ingredient. The requirement was that the soap should fulfil customer needs for a healthy and gentle soap that was environmentally friendly too. The solution is a soap without perfume and colouring and with a gentle preservative that makes the soap gentle on the skin and easy to wash off.
At the same time, the new foam soap is more environmentally friendly than e.g. lotion soaps. When you wash your hands with foam soap, fewer tensides are used, which usually presents the biggest environmental problem.
What is more, a foam soap may reduce water consumption because it is already foaming when it exits the dispenser as opposed to lotion soaps.
Collaboration strengthens Berendsens competitive edge
By consulting FORCE Technology, Berendsen Textil Service has gained a number of competitive advantages. Most of its customers and potential customers want to use health and environmentally correct products. Our consulting services thus help transform customer preferences and values into usable solutions.
Full-year agreement with daily access to all competence areas
Berendsen and FORCE Technology have taken one step further and established a full-year agreement on environmental consulting. Under the agreement, Berendsen purchases a set number of consulting hours each year, and when it needs environmental consulting services, FORCE Technology will be at its disposal.
Berendsen, for example, has used this scheme in conjunction with relevant legislation issues in Europe and the US, and FORCE Technology replies to product inquiries from Berendsen customers on an ongoing basis.
In addition, Berendsen’s purchasing department has invested in Supplier-evaluation, FORCE Technology’s internetbased system, and consulting, which enables the department to compare price, delivery security, quality and environmental issues etc. The system has enabled Berendsen’s sub-suppliers to meet the requirements set and motivate them to continuous improvement in all areas.
Berendsen is very satisfied with the collaboration, notably because FORCE Technology is at disposal whenever the need arises. Hence, Berendsen is able to have a task solved or questions quickly and efficiently answered, and thus uphold a high level of service.
Concept gains increasing popularity
FORCE Technology is experiencing increasing demand for the concept with a set number of consulting hours, which means greater flexibility, better use of resources and a razor-sharp focus on a customer’s own core competences while we act as the external department for corporate environmental affairs with the added advantage that we can regularly adjust the capacity and competences actually needed by the customer.
