RABOBANK HISTORY
The bank with a difference'
Search and find
Maximizing accessibility
T~) abobank 's Company History Department proudly presents The bank with
-L\.a difference.' This special publication outlines the unique elements of the
company, its history and unusual co-operative structure. Written by Rabobank
employees, eacb an expert in their field, it tells the inside story of the bank; describing
how it started in 1 #98 as a domestic farmers' credit bank and evolved into a triple-A
rated international player.
With its accessible style, the book caters to a broad audience including economists,
business relations, students and the press. The Dutch edition, published last year, bas
sparked a great deal of interest and over 10,000 have been sold. 'It was a great cbal-
lenge,' Company Historian Stefan de Boer says. He bas heen actively involved in the
entire project and believes the book can provide people both inside and outside
Rabobank with a better insight into the company. 'Many people don't understand the
complicated internat structure of Rabobank,' De Boer explains.
The English language edition of 'The bank with a difference' features the latest 200d
figures and can be ordered in sets of five copies from the RaboShop (item number
13068) at 12.95 per copy. Rabobank International staff outside the Netherlands can
order the book via the RaboShop Customer Service Department. I'lease state the cost
center, the number of copies you wish to order and the delivery address. Customer
Service can be contacted by e-mail: fm.rf.fyd.klantenservice (in the Outlook address
book) or klantenservice.best@rf.rabobank.nl or by telephone: +31 (0)40-2195555.
a lot from past successes and failures
and use it to determine future policies.
It's a very good source of information.'
In addition, the department receives
requests from all parts of the organiza-
tion. These requests can be very diverse:
a memher of the Kxecutive Board may
want to review the minutes of a land
mark meeting, while a bank employee
could be looking for an early photo of a
colleague due to retire. The archive can
also prove useful for Dutch member
banks wanting to confirm certain facts
and figures. 'Many local Rabobanks
want to know when they were founded
so they can plan centenary celebrations.
Retrieval is an important aspect of our
work,' says De Boer.
Despite its inherent value, such an enor-
mous collection is virtually worthless
unless you can access the information
you need easily. Modern archiving sys-
tems are a godsend. The real challenge
lies in archiving the video material.
'Over the years, Rabobank has used four
or five systems but the old technology
has becorne obsolete. We're now con-
verting it all to DVD as the information
A selection of historie moneyboxes
I The Word I 25
