mt.
Rabo
band Issue 21/September 20, 1993
Rutten - learning from clients
products developed here by the product
management section by making clients
aware of them.'
Training One of the ways the lATs pro-
mote not only IBS's products, but also the
bank's image as a truly international part
ner is the provision of training courses for
member banks' clients. 'Participants are
usuaily managers of companies which are
about to begin or expand their international
activities,' says advisor Luud Rutten. 'The
training program covers three evening ses-
sions and our goal is not simply providing
information on and promoting our products,
although that is important. We actually get
down to brass tacks and ask the companies
a whole range of questions, including
whether the time is right for them to enter
foreign markets. No one is upset by this
kind of question because we are, in fact,
asking them to reexamine what they are
doing, why they are doing it at that particu-
lar point in time, what their potential market
abroad is. Our input is showing how they
can organize and keep on top of all the ele-
ments that are involved in going inter
national, and by that I don't only mean fi-
nancial-related aspects. We also discuss po
tential problems with national import regu-
lations and that kind of thing. It has proved
a very useful exercise for all concerned as,
in our turn, we also learn from the partici
pants.'
Support As Rabobank's primary aim
is to build and maintain long-term relation-
ships with its clients, the development, mar
keting and sales of products is clearly not
the end of the story. After-sales support
plays an essential role in the whole pack-
age. 'You could perhaps compare us to a
back office in a bank,' says commercial in-
ternal services (CIS) chief Roel Vreeman.
'What we do in this section can be split into
three main activities: the infoline, the help
desk and trade mediation. Our infoline is
open to all the member banks who need in
formation on anything to do with interna
tional banking. Our eight-person team takes
about 80 to 100 calls a day. Although we
have a lot of knowledge on hand through our
proximity - both physically and structurally -
to the lATs, the main requirement for this job
is having the creativity and insight to know
where to find the information you don't
have!'
Systems The help desk evolved from
a need to respond to questions from users
of the systems designed and developed by
the product management section. 'All sys-
tem users have questions at one time or
another,' Vreeman believes, 'and especially
when a new system has been introduced.
The way it works is that the people in the
product management section design a spec-
ific system and our team participates in the
pre-launch testing. That means we get to
Vreeman - taking care of after-sales
service
know it intimately and are therefore able to
provide immediate solutions to any problem
that may arise.'
Mediation The third component of
CIS's activities is trade mediation. 'We are
often asked for assistance in seeking ex
port, import or merger and acquisitions
partners, either for member banks' clients
or for foreign companies looking for an open
ing in the Netherlands. When a request like
this comes in, we decide how best to ap-
proach the problem. In some cases, we know
where that particular company should be
looking and, in the case of a foreign request,
we may then call a member bank we think
may have an interested cliënt. Alternatively,
we could also put a notice in the Import Ex
port newsletter we publish once a month. It
has proved very effective for all concerned.'
Efficiënt For IBS, 'all concerned' means
a seemingly disparate group of people with a
variety of very different specializations. Yet,
they have managed to forge an efficiënt team
to spearhead the international payments prod
uct development program, while providing
clients with the kind of service that reflects
Rabobank's image as a partner, rather than
just a bank.
All together now? Not quite - the other half of IBS were on the road
