Keeping pace with global activities
international services
Foreign trade by Dutch-based clients, in particular small and medium sized
enterprises (SMEs) who are affiliated with the local bank network, has grown rapidly
in recent years, particularly in Europe. Moreover, the introduction of the euro, or
common European currency, is expected to quicken the pace of transnational
investment and business activity. Increasingly, the Rabobank International (Rl)
network will be called upon to work in conjunction with Rabobank Nederland to
make sure that the needs of this important dient base are served.
Assessing needs
Drawing plans
One window
6 What'sNewS Issue4-April 1999
Last year, an ambitious plan was
tabled under which all of our
international offices were to
develop a so-called 'Dutch Desk'
function. However, the Eindhoven-
based WAB (or local banks
division of Rabobank Nederland
(RN)), which was charged with
implementing the program, for
which it now has full
responsibility, quickly discovered a
need to establish basic first
principles before full
implementation could begin. 'Soon
after we started out, it became
clear that it would be impossible to
simultaneously implement a
unified Dutch Desk system
throughout the Rabobank
network,' says Frank Nagel, the
project manager of WAB's
international services operation.
'Each country presented its own
set of challenges so we needed to
better define our overall goals. We
decided we'd start with the
countries where the overwhelming
majority of our clients do business:
Germany, Belgium, and France.
Then, we'd apply our experience to other
countries later on. The key was to insure
the Dutch Desk function would work
consistently, wherever implemented.'
The project was divided into three phases.
The first was to take inventory of our
clients needs, the actual difficuIties that
we have experienced in fully serving
them, and the potential volume of
business involved. 'We found that the
Dutch market for SMEs consists of
roughly half a million companies, that
about a quarter of these are
internationally active, and of these three
out of four are working in one of the
countries mentioned above,' Nagel
reports. 'They might need to import or
export goods, or set up business abroad:
each activity implies different
informational and financial needs. For the
importers, the top priority is to make sure
they get swift and efficiënt payments
services. For exporters and for investors
abroad, it's a different story. We
discovered how much they value reliable
intelligence about doing business abroad:
about special legal requirements and local
practices, about the market and the
competition. Our ability to provide or
direct clients to reliable sources of
information and to the necessary finance
and investment-related services (such as
legal or natural help) - can really upgrade
our international image vis a vis other
Dutch banks.'
'We don't necessarily have to develop
new products: often we have something
already in hand that we can offer our
customers.' As an example, Nagel points
out that a high-profile FAR study
on the world wine industry can
actually be of great help to an
SME wine importer. Indeed, Nagel
continues, 'the Dutch Desks
program isn't really about crearing
new products or services as much
as better packaging and
coordinating the delivery of those
that already exist.' Having made
an inventory of general cliënt
requirements, WAB proceeded to
the second step: drawing up
specific plans for Dutch Desks in
each of the countries mentioned
above. 'We discovered some
countries are more amenable to
Dutch Desk solutions than others,'
Nagel remarks. 'For instance, in
France, where SME business
volume is limited, it will probably
be easier to create and implement
a simple solution. On the really
high-volume markets like Belgium
and Germany, the requirements
will be more complex.'
These plans will be implemented
coming month. One aspect common to
all will be the emphasis on the delivery
of reliable advice and services in the
field of payments traffic. At present there
are two windows through which SME
clients can obtain these services: one is
via the RI branch abroad, and another is
our strategie banking alliance partner in
the foreign country concerned. But there
is presently no general rule: local banks
are obliged to devote much time and
effort to find out which of the two
windows will deliver the service their
eustomer needs. 'This is unsatisfactory.
