emu in brief 1999 - the cost of consolidation Testing convictions IT considerations MamaRabo Hockey triple triumph What'sNewS Issue 12 December 1998 I Q something altogether different to "walk through" and see what they actually mean. We learned a lot. We were able to fine-tune the sequencing of various tasks, and more clearly appreciate the need to maintain continuity and to give everyone clearly defined roles. There were other lessons too - some of them surprisingly simple; for instance, with lots of people running around, you've got to make sure your computer terminals are physically placed in an open space, so that everybody can easily access them without causing a bottleneck in the room.' Having weighed the results of the Utrecht test, and having judged it to be 'very ■fciseful and necessary,' euro coördinator Afflans Reusch transmitted a high priority message to all European offices urging them to conduct dress rehearsals of their own. 'Some offices are convinced that they have everything under control, but how will they really know unless they put this conviction to the test?' he asks. 'Since the answer will determine whether they're still in business on the first day of next year, a failure to conduct rehearsals is both unacceptable and very risky. Every individual office has obligations to the entire network.' It is also important that we not take our 1T systems for granted. Robert Pronk, of cash management services, cautions that 'we're dealing with many complex ^«/sterns and procedures. The fact that ^tour Atlas simulation ultimately performed well doesn't automatically mean that interfaces between Atlas and a lot of other systems will be equally smooth at handling the conversion. Between now and the start of next year, we are going to be very actively and continuously testing as many of these interfaces as possible. We cannot afford to let up our guard.' To help ensure that the conversion goes as smoothly as possible from the human standpoint, extraordinary efforts are being made on the logistics side. In October, a new team called 'MamaRabo' began essential preparations to cope with all of the additional logistics requirements associated with so many Rabobankers working irregular hours. Says Els Elbertse of management multi project office (MPO), a member of the MamaRabo core team, 'a large number of people are going to be making some extraordinary efforts during the preparatory weekends and the conversion weekend - all working overtime under terribly hectic circumstances - and we have to support them in every possible way. Our job is to make sure they can concentrate - without having to worry about whether they can get into the building, whether there will be sufficiënt parking, and whether they can get transport and accommodation and food. We'11 look after all of this and more. Also, we're not forgetting that this is the holiday season. We're going to make a special effort in keeping with this spirit.' The Dutch men's hockey team have done it again. The most recent triumph, winning the internationally prestigious Champions Trophy against Pakistan, earns them triple honours - the other two victories were an Olympic gold and the World Cup title. The teams triple triumph is further proof that we, as main sponsor of the Dutch Hockey Federation, made the right choice. In fact, so valuable are the sponsorship opportunities, that a contract has recently been signed to renew the partnership with our bank until July 2001. Victory again for the Ftl sponsored men's Dutch hockey team ...continued from page 5 investment banking products and advice - that all goes to RN. If you look at the domestic competition, you see they have all kinds of expertise in their regional offices. I'm a real advocate of that kind of access to expertise. 1PB will also become a separate entity. We are then going to focus on what we are supposed to focus on. Once again, F&A, health care and financial institutions and in the Netherlands the large corporates. We have one of the largest institutional investor markets here in the domestic market - there are 1,200 of the most reputable pension funds in the world here. Then there is the US of Europe - we are going to streamline our operation in the region - pretty much what we already have in North America. What is to stop us doing that in Europe? These are all new challenges for us, especially in Utrecht. And the rest of the world? I think we're seeing the emergence of four clear bloes. Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. I think you'11 see similar developments, rationalizations around the world. Next year will be very much a year of consolidation. We are not going to increase the number of our products, we are going to focus on servicing our customers, and that's easier said than done. It will be a year of rationalizing and streamlining Europe and sorting out Utrecht. If we do that well and profitably - and 1 think that looking at the budgets now, we can be profitable, not in heaven, even taking into account that we are still being bitten by some country risk - it's still a very volatile world. Next year will not be a spectacular one, but if we can get things to work the way they should, if we can get the infrastructure to tick along and the front and back offices synergized, then I think you'11 see more clarity, more transparency. Then the millennium should be a lot more comfortable and a superb year for a very successful Rabobank International. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a merry Christmas and a very good 1999.

Rabobank Bronnenarchief

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