^ew Mandate GMA
What's NewS Issue 4 April 1997
ri organization
13
The Global Management Team Administration (GMA) is now working under a
new mandate. It has become responsible for the coordination of OPEX. GMA is
one of seven policy committees and management teams launched in late 1996
to work out the details of our international cliënt focus strategy
remains to meet reporting requirements in
the most efficiënt and cost-effective way,
to provide customer value, to reduce
operational risk and of course to keep
costs at a minimum,' Van der Meer
continues. 'To meet these goals, it became
clear that we needed to establish a clear
distinction between strategie policy
making, on the one hand, and execution,
on the other.'
Hence the decision to centralize the
implementation of OPEX in the hands of
the GMA. This body is composed of
representatives from the offices, the
functional business lines, as well as the
head office. All parties concerned can now
directly take part in the definition of
priorities, the execution of policy, and the
absorption of associated costs at the
appropriate level.
rom left to right: Henk van der Stelt
(Managing Board, and chairman of the
team) and the other members Ruut Schalij
(Utrecht), Bert Bruggink (Control), Hanno
Riedlin (Managing Board), Bob Benoit (New
York), Cindy Kwong (Hong Rong) and
David Owen (Sydney).
The Team has a twofold task, explains its
secretary Douwe van der Meer. First, it
stimulates and enables information
exchange on administrative issues
throughout the Rabobank International
network. As such, it is an important
catalyst for our knowledge-driven
network organization. Secondly, its
responsibility includes both the facilities
and conditions under which the business
plans articulated by other management
^ams can be implemented.
ORGANIZATION DESIGN
The information-intensive nature of
banking, means that any strategy
implementation is inevitably tied up not
only with computer networks but the
design of the organization itself. Success
hinges on details. For example: Are the
lines of communication such that
information can reach the right people at
the right time? Are the systems and
processes themselves both secure and cost-
effective? Can they be used to meet
business requirements as they evolve - so
that products can be brought to market
fast?
With this fact in mind, it was decided last
month that the GMA will take on the task
of coordinating the OPEX (operational
■^.xellence) programme activities. (Until
recently, OPEX reported to the Business
and Operations Systems Steering
Committee, abbreviated BOSS.) 'Overall,
the goal of the GMA and of OPEX
BEST ANSWER
'Given the complex interaction between a
wide number of projects presently under
way, this seemed the best answer in terms
of available knowledge, priorities, and
cost control.'
Among the essential issues that figured
prominently in the Team meetings is
management information. The offices
have each installed information systems to
monitor local business. The OPEX
programme managers have investigated
the possibility of taking a common
approach to management information
systems - both locally and globally - in a
project known as known as RAMIS. A
dedicated task force, which cooperates
closely with a number of offices, is
considering this and more decentralized
alternatives.
Another important topic is security. The
Team has discussed the current status as
well as plans to increase the security level
and awareness within Rabobank
International. Other additional issues that
have been discussed in the GMA are
electronic banking and the selection of a
new trade risk system.
HONG KONG SYNERGY
'In electronic banking, Hong Kong is
enhancing our digital interfaces (or
connections) with clients,' remarks Cindy
Kwong. 'In cooperation with Global IT
we also held a small survey that showed
From left to right: Sjouke Postma (Hong
Kong), Len Steffen (Utrecht), Erni Kahle
(Global IT), Adrian Whiteman
(Luxembourg) and Douwe van der Meer
(team secretary).
that 8 offices already have a form of
electronic banking and another 15 see it as
a necessity. The GMA has agreed on a
local approach for Hong Kong but we will
try to maximize the synergy with other
offices, for example in possible functions
and applications.'
Hong Kong is also involved in the
selection of a new trade risk management
system. This project - which is called
Interdoc - is coordinated by Jos Hurks in
Utrecht. Hong Kong, Singapore, and New
York have been selected to participate in a
'test drive' of applications that have been
short-listed for selection. (Crucial issues
will be the quality of the client-bank
interface as well as the processing
functionality.) Our approach to the
Interdoc project is a good example of the
importance of cooperation between offices
- a teamwork that is essential if our
Customer Focus strategy is to succeed.
All of the issues mentioned above, as well
as the continuing plans of OPEX, will be
discussed at a forthcoming meeting in
New York, which will also consider a
three-year plan on the strategy of
administration in relation to other global
business plans. The GMA Team meets
once every two months in a different
office for two-day sessions.
GMA KRIJGT
NIEUWE ALGEMENE
OPDRACHT
Het Global Management
Team Administration (GMA) krijgt een
nieuwe algemene opdracht.GMA-secretaris
Douwe van der Meer legt uit dat zijn team
een tweeledige taak heeft: ten eerste het
stimuleren van informatie-uitwisseling over
administratieve zaken binnen RI en de
verantwoordelijkheid voor de faciliteiten en
ten tweede voorwaarden scheppen
waaronder plannen van andere
managementteams kunnen worden
geïmplementeerd.