Implementation and Transformation
A good strategy is one thing, actually implementing that strategy is quite another. Obviously, the parameters include good people, good leadership, a good HR system. But when it comes to the implementation itself, the past few decades have been a true roller coaster for the chief operating officer (COO) and his/her troops.
At the cradle of this roller coaster are some major trends. At an accelerating pace after the fall of the USSR, companies have started to look internationally for their purchasing and supply chains. Complex factors affect those decisions. Price matters, but so does quality of production, availability of raw materials, other production, and so on. For a few years now, however, the trend of internationalization has been halted: the trade relationship between China, the United States, European countries and Russia has come under increasing pressure.
Both this earlier expansion of the supply chain and the recent setback present COOs with major challenges. First it was ‘am I on the right track?’ Now it is also ‘what if the course I took no longer exists?’ Since 2020 this trend has been reinforced by the threat of pandemics, which can simply endanger companies' access to certain countries: a logistical nightmare.
The second major trend is that of digitalization. That is nothing new, of course. The letter was followed by the wire transfer and then by the fax and telephone. But with the arrival of the Internet combined with fast computers, this evolution has accelerated. ‘Digitalization’ is what we call it, and disruption: business models are changing so fast through digitalization and the rise of artificial intelligence that it is no longer a question of evolution but rather of revolution. It is up to the COO to keep up with this pace in the process of implementation.
This is a hell of a job because it means that such an implementation requires not only its own implementation strategy but also a great deal of entrepreneurship. After all, which IT infrastructure do you choose, does it have to be top of the line or perhaps cheaper than that used by the competition? Do you develop it yourself or do you outsource? Does the same hold for technological progress in production? What about marketing automation, robotization, warehousing, fulfilment and other logistics? How sustainable should your transport be? How local will production need to be?
The COO position may still be a position that, in the hierarchy, is just below the executive board, frequently in the executive committee (the ExCo), but, in terms of responsibilities, the position is not inferior to the top jobs of CEO and CFO.
Paul de Krom (Louwman Group): ‘Mobility Services Are the Future’
The Louwman group is transitioning from car importer to mobility provider. Paul de Krom has been the new CEO of the family-owned company since spring 2023. ‘Our automotive activities are at the essence of this company, but our ambition is mobility for life. We want to offer appropriate mobility solutions to our customers in all stages of life.’
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How intelligent will the future be? This question is both complex and fascinating as it relates to technological progress and, in particular, artificial intelligence (AI). As computer scientist Alan Kay noted: ‘The best way to predict the future is to invent it.’ In this piece, Rudy Kuhn and Michiel Pieters from data processing company Celonis explore the three possible forms of partnerships when AI is equipped with process-specific knowledge and deployed in decision-making.
The Dutch Climate Act requires the Netherlands to have reduced CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. That goal is jeopardized by the barriers industrial companies experience in reducing their emissions. Hans Grünfeld of the Association for Energy, Environment, and Water, and Frank Meens of energy company Vattenfall, discuss the turning point we are facing and whether it is still possible to make the transition in time. ‘The situation is worrying, but the path is clear: it is vital for the government to remove existing bottlenecks.
From Human to Hybrid Decision-Making
How intelligent will the future be? This question is both complex and fascinating as it relates to technological progress and, in particular, artificial intelligence (AI). As computer scientist Alan Kay noted: ‘The best way to predict the future is to invent it.’ In this piece, Rudy Kuhn and Michiel Pieters from data processing company Celonis explore the three possible forms of partnerships when AI is equipped with process-specific knowledge and deployed in decision-making.
Hans Grünfeld and Frank Means on barriers in the energy transition
The Dutch Climate Act requires the Netherlands to have reduced CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. That goal is jeopardized by the barriers industrial companies experience in reducing their emissions. Hans Grünfeld of the Association for Energy, Environment, and Water, and Frank Meens of energy company Vattenfall, discuss the turning point we are facing and whether it is still possible to make the transition in time. ‘The situation is worrying, but the path is clear: it is vital for the government to remove existing bottlenecks.
UWV, the public service provider assisting job seekers, is currently seeking new employees. The core of the recruitment campaign revolves around the idea that professionals at UWV get to do meaningful work with substantive challenges. ‘I recommend every company to explicitly mention significance,’ says HR Director Madeline Dessing, who is also an enthusiastic advocate for enhancing the well-being of colleagues.
Trust and cooperation are the real success factors of the energy transition – and perhaps even more decisive than technology or money. So argues Marco Bosman, Director of Public and Regulatory Affairs Netherlands at Vattenfall.
Mark van Kruijsbergen of construction company Royal BAM Group and Douglas Lamont of chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely have completely different challenges in making the value chain more sustainable and socially accountable. What they share is their intention not only to do better themselves, but also to get the rest of the industry moving. By being transparent about their starting point and steps yet to be taken, for example. And also: ‘By proving that you can do the right thing and still make a good profit margin.’
Madeline Dessing (UWV): ‘Meaningful Work Contributes to Employee Well-being’
UWV, the public service provider assisting job seekers, is currently seeking new employees. The core of the recruitment campaign revolves around the idea that professionals at UWV get to do meaningful work with substantive challenges. ‘I recommend every company to explicitly mention significance,’ says HR Director Madeline Dessing, who is also an enthusiastic advocate for enhancing the well-being of colleagues.
Trust And Cooperation As Building Blocks Of The Energy Transition
Trust and cooperation are the real success factors of the energy transition – and perhaps even more decisive than technology or money. So argues Marco Bosman, Director of Public and Regulatory Affairs Netherlands at Vattenfall.
The Challenges in Making the Value Chain More Sustainable
Mark van Kruijsbergen of construction company Royal BAM Group and Douglas Lamont of chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely have completely different challenges in making the value chain more sustainable and socially accountable. What they share is their intention not only to do better themselves, but also to get the rest of the industry moving. By being transparent about their starting point and steps yet to be taken, for example. And also: ‘By proving that you can do the right thing and still make a good profit margin.’
Sustainable Design: Eight Phases and a Different Mindset
For a product to be sustainable from cradle to grave, eight phases of the life cycle must be considered during design. However, a strategic plan to integrate design for sustainability into the entire business operation is often lacking. Designing with prolonging of use and end of life in mind is therefore a complex operation that requires strong leadership, argue Remko de Bruijn and Pim Rossen.
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Paul de Krom (Louwman Group): ‘Mobility Services Are the Future’
The Louwman group is transitioning from car importer to mobility provider. Paul de Krom has been the new CEO of the family-owned company since spring 2023. ‘Our automotive activities are at the essence of this company, but our ambition is mobility for life.'
Marnix van Stiphout: 'ING is Not Your Usual Company'
Marnix van Stiphout has been COO and member of the management Board of banking group ING for a year and a half. During this time, he mainly worked on the realization that operations form an extremely important part of the bank.
Take Responsibility Of The Chain And Accelerate Progress Together
Transformation Requires Choices
Gerrit Buitenhuis (Sligro): ‘Our Logistics Challenge Is Quite Simple’
Pieter Heij (HEMA) on an Efficient Logistics Chain
The COO Operates Innovatively And Beyond Established Frameworks
Brian Tjemkes on Public-Private Collaboration: ‘Everyone Is Focused on Their Own Piece of the Puzzle’
Annemarie van Doorn en Elisabeth Post: ‘Direction Needed In Sustainability Efforts’
Companies will soon be allowed to choose whether to ‘opt in’ when the WTP is introduced. There is something to be said for both opting in but also for not doing so. But, says Daan Kleinloog, actuary at Sprenkels and chairman of the Royal Actuarial Society: ‘Not to opt in means that the compensation costs will have to come from the premiums and premiums will go up, or accrual will go down.’
With the introduction of the Future Pensions Act (WTP), the pension system is being addressed - and it was inevitable. Pension lawyer Theo Gommer comments on the new scheme. ‘There is still too little freedom of choice. We need to move on to a WTP 2.0.’
Daan Kleinloog: 'New Pension System is Not Getting Any Simpler'
Companies will soon be allowed to choose whether to ‘opt in’ when the WTP is introduced. There is something to be said for both opting in but also for not doing so. But, says Daan Kleinloog, actuary at Sprenkels and chairman of the Royal Actuarial Society: ‘Not to opt in means that the compensation costs will have to come from the premiums and premiums will go up, or accrual will go down.’
Theo Gommer on the New Pension System: ‘It Is Still Too Impersonal’
With the introduction of the Future Pensions Act (WTP), the pension system is being addressed - and it was inevitable. Pension lawyer Theo Gommer comments on the new scheme. ‘There is still too little freedom of choice. We need to move on to a WTP 2.0.’
Saskia Klep (Saxo Bank): ‘An Intense Migration’
Marnix van Stiphout: 'ING is Not Your Usual Company'
Arjen Linders (Mediq): 'Focus on Daily Operations'
Time for an Electrification Revolution
Ahmed El-Hoshy (OCI): 'Sustainability is Not a Zero-Sum Game'
