How Messer Navigated the Software Maze: A Strategic Approach to Selecting the Right Business Planning Tool

About Messer SE & Co. KGaA

Messer is the world’s largest privately held specialist in industrial, medical, and specialty gases. Operating under the brand “Messer – Gases for Life,” the company provides gases and services across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Based in Bad Soden, Germany, the holding company, Messer SE & Co. KGaA, faced a significant challenge. It needed to select the right corporate performance management (CPM) tool from a complex market to handle its specific planning, consolidation and reporting needs.

The project in detail

The Challenge

Before engaging BARC, Messer knew of various software vendors, some from recommendations and others from their marketing efforts. However, the company struggled to evaluate which software offered real value for their specific operational context. They needed to move beyond vendor promises and develop a clear, unbiased understanding of the market.

The aim

The objective was to navigate the variety of available applications and the complex decision-making process. Messer needed a solution that met its current requirements and could scale for the future. This would ensure a sustainable and strategic investment.

Project phase 1

BARC began by helping Messer analyze its requirements. A detailed, collaborative workshop provided the framework to structure and discuss the company’s needs. This approach produced a tailored shortlist of corporate performance management products that were a strong fit for Messer’s use case.

Project phase 2

The project then focused on understanding Messer’s current system landscape and aligning it with their business objectives. BARC provided a clear market overview and a detailed comparison of the shortlisted vendors, shifting the process from a broad search to a focused evaluation.

The result

By working with BARC, Messer found the clarity it needed. The partnership provided a structured evaluation, detailing the advantages and disadvantages of each product.
BARC’s independence from software vendors, combined with the deep expertise and experience of its consultants, gave Messer the assurance to proceed. The company is now proceeding with the selection process, supported by a clear, research-driven foundation.