(Administration 2000
- LONG-TERM VISION
Stof- jfAAsH
WHAT'S NewS Issue 8 August 1996
Rl organization
5
The strategie evolution of Rabobank International has entered a decisive new
phase. For most of this decade, the bank has put highest priority on increasing
business volume and its global market presence while at the same time
reducing costs and improving productivity.
DEMANDING CLIENTS
The fruits of success can already be seen.
In 1995, for the first time, half the banks'
gross profits were realized outside of the
Netherlands. But competitive pressure and
regulatory demands have since
dynamically shifted as well. The common
^Huropean currency will further open
domestic banking markets to powerful
competitors. And, as the competitive
winds stiffen, Rabobank clients will
demand much more than mere access to
cheap loans. Already, they have come to
expect a relationship in which their
banking counterparty can demonstrate a
high level of expertise in the businesses in
which they operate. They are, moreover,
demanding ever more finely tailored
products and services. New and more
stringent solvency requirements mean the
bank will soon have to track and manage
its assets with greater precision than ever
before. 'As banking products become
Rabobank International is the new name for
CBS - that much is clear. And it is the name
under which the whole of the international
network will ultimately operate - but not
yet. Answer the phone with: Rabobank
International, legal wheels grind slowly.
As yet, we are not legally Rabobank
International worldwide.Transforming the
legal structures of each international
operation will take some time - so people,
remember, we're still officially Rabobank
Nederland, at least for the time being.
more complex,' says Carin Gorter of the
Administration Division's management
team, 'it becomes increasingly important
to develop effective systems for measuring
market and credit risk.'
OUR RESPONSE
Pfhese facts of banking life dictate a
radical reconfiguration of the way we do
business. A lot of initiatives at different
locations around the world have been
started to address these issues. However, if
these new challenges are to be met
effectively and efficiently, efforts and
knowledge must be combined. A year ago,
the International Division began to focus
on changes and combine projects. The
new Administration Division will
elaborate to enable the implementation of
the customer focus strategy. 'As reference
point, a long-term vision called
Administration 2000 is
being defined,' says
Douwe van der Meer,
who is advising the
division's management
team.
INTERNATIONAL
NETWORKS
At the centre of
Administration 2000
lies a recognition that
effective information
management (a sharp
customer focus) and
will determine the
success with which the
bank adapts to the
emerging ecology of
global competition. The
initial focus of this vision is both the
construction of an international
communication network as well as the
development of common information
management systems, such as Atlas,
Eximbills, and Devon which all will have
interfaces that are uniform worldwide.
CRUCIAL INFORMATION
The target is to have the communication
infrastructure in place by years' end. 'By
improving both the reliability of
information, the bank can manage its
assets with greater precision. By
mobilizing systems that insure that the
right data reaches the right Rabobankers
in good time, we can help to insure that
we better meet our customers' ever more
sophisticated needs,' says Gorter. 'This
new infrastructure will make it much
easier for Rabobankers to exchange
essential information quickly and
securely throughout the global network.
FOCUS OP
OPERATIONS
Veranderende
omstandigheden zoals
klanten met steeds hogere eisen.de
valutaire eenwording van Europa, grotere
concurrentie en onze focusstrategie, vragen
om nieuwe technische oplossingen.
Management informatie systemen zoals
Atlas, Eximbills en Devon moeten
wereldwijd toepasbaar zijn. Ook een
communicatienetwerk heeft hoge prioriteit
om afstand en tijdsverschillen te
overbruggen en beschikbare informatie
voor het internationale netwerk
toegankelijk te maken. Het systeem
'Intranet'moet eind dit jaar gereed zijn.
Remember - it's not enough merely to
do business - you have to be doing the
right business. Good information
management is crucial.'
Combining know-how - Carin Gorter and Douwe van der Meer.
COORDINATING TALENT
'Rabobank is filled with talent and know
how,' adds Van der Meer. 'One of the
main issues has been how to put all it
together in a coordinated way. The
branches have been and continue to be
invaluable in contributing their
operational expertise to help highlight and
define the way these systems should best
be run. You may find people saying:
'Administration 2000 - what's it all
about? Nothing seems to be happening.'
The reality is that a lot of people wait
until a project has been fully definedby
others. But that is not how this works.
Administration 2000, as its name suggests,
is a longer-term vision. It is a reference
point, for everything we are doing. And if
you look more closely, you'11 find that all
the seemingly small steps we are taking at
present to achieve the kind of worldwide
consistency mentioned above are all in line
with this vision.'
