Strategie implementation at work
1 kVf
Product-centric
Bottom up
Clear goals
Over 60 relationship managers, product specialists and support staff from all over
the world gathered in the last week of June to take our food and agribusiness
focus to the next level. The notion of an F&A focus is anything but new. However,
this extended workshop and action program recognizes that different locations
and regions have different needs. This is the first in a series of articles on the
workshop and especially on its results.
14 What's NewS Issue 4 June/ July 2000 F&A
cific products specialists. Rather, rhe
idea was to make sure that everyone ul-
rimately involved in delivering the RI
franchise would learn and contribute.
I he brainstorming exercise produced a
number of key messages. Historically, eer-
tain parts of Rabobank have created a
cliënt perception of an F&A focus. We
have also been successful in some parts of
the world in delivery that lias met cliënt
needs. At the sarne time, the workshop
concluded, this is not broad enough and
we are still lacking a comprehensive (ie.
organization wide and infrastructural)
best practice environment, such as the
Management Information System
(MlS)and Client Relationship Manage
ment (CRM). The fact that the clear F&A
focus has not been embedded throughout
the network is cause for concern. In some
parts of the world, focus has shifted away
from F&A, resulting in a partly product-
centric institution which tends to leverage
internal resources, like our triple-A and
balance sheet, rather than the deep knowl-
edge-driven approach to our priority sec
tor.
No punches were pulled by participants
working in smaller groups but bringing
W r
and regional sector, with some global
players. So you have to implement your
service policy very close to the customer.
We have to be able to deliver what differ
ent geographic markets need while at the
sarne time building an F&A value propo-
sition. That's what we've been working on
this week.'
The initial results of the workshop have
been translated into a cluster of action
programs which have been deadlined for
September delivery. The coordination
uch of the six-day event was about
brainstorming. The idea hehind the
workshop had been to bring together key
people from the various components
that allow us to offer service to cus-
tomers in local, regional and global
F&A markets. This meant that
knowhow exchange was not limited
exclusively to people in the sarne field,
such as relationship managers or spe-
together results on a daily basis. And
that's what the organizers were looking
for. 'This is the first time we've ap-
proached our food and agribusiness from
a truly bottom up perspective,' explains
Hans Megens, managing director of
global F&A and a member of the project's
steering committee comprised of regional
F&A and product specialist heads. 'The
presence of people from all sides
of the business will allow us to
build a real F&A implementation
plan that we believe will allow us
to build our focus and delivery.'
Delivery is a crucial issue. Ac-
Six days in Scheveningen: Brainstorming, iistening,
networking and exchanging ideas to take the
food and agribusiness to the next level
cording to Megens, we're often working
far too far from the customer. 'I think
everyone accepts that F&A is not a busi
ness you can steer centrally,' he says. 'Ba-
sically, we're talking about a very local
