FLORAHOLLAND – FloraHolland changes its organization toward simpler and unambiguous services, and ‘client dedicated’ for growers and buyers. From January 2012 the organization provides centrally driven services, through central managed departments.
FloraHolland will organize its activities for growers and buyers in a more customer-oriented way. Several important factors underlie the proposed changes. First of all, there is the demand by growers and buyers for unambiguous and simplified service provision. Secondly, members want to be more closely involved in their cooperative. Finally, globalization is becoming increasingly important.
FloraHolland is opting for a functional organization where responsibilities are shared out unambiguously, abandoning its location-based structure in the process. Because of these organizational changes, a number of issues is going to be addressed in a different way:
• All auction clocks at the export locations will be controlled centrally, with the aim of sustainably developing these as a sales instrument.
• The logistics and facilities services at the export locations will also come under central control, in order to create an unambiguous operational service provision.
• A new Retail Services department will be set up to create more value for buyers and growers in the retail segment.
• A single entity will assume responsibility for the domestic market.
• Member involvement will be the responsibility of the new Cooperative, Product & Market department, in line with the plan to attach more importance to the product line.
Dirk Hogervorst, concern manager Auctioning and Quality
This department will be responsible for the auction processes at the three export locations Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg. Its four main departments will be:
1) Operational auction processes and quality control.
2) Auction and commerce – here we take care for the existing and the future clock policies.
3) Quality and development – The know-how center, and the product code system. This section develops a market-driven quality policy, which will include reliability, regularity of supply and other requirements from different market segments.
4) Auctioning and quality systems – these are clock-supporting technical and IT-systems which will be innovated.
We will react to signals from the market, think in opportunities, and learn by doing. The market is very fragmented and divers. You cannot do everything for everybody. We will make the difference starting from market demands.
Marcel Claessen, concern manager Logistic and Facilities (L&F)
All operational activities at the three export auctions will be the responsibility of L&F. This includes Flower Handling Services (currently Import Handling), Logistics, Facility Management (FM), Customer Service, and Relations management buyers(currently Buyers Account Management). Central management will lead to uniform services. We will harmonize services at the various auctions and will take care for uniform approach and contact points, ways of working and protocols.
The three logistic managers at the export auctions will be responsible as well for innovation and harmonization programs on concern level. This will lead to uniform and recognizable services at all export locations. The various Facilities Management departments will be integrated during 2012.
Aad van den Enden, concern manager Domestic Market
The department Domestic market is focused on the specialized florists in Holland. The domestic market has a market share of about 15%. Specialized florists are responsible for purchasing some 60% of the local market. We want to boost the sales at Dutch market by strengthening this channel. We want to adapt and improve our services for these florists, as well as for the wholesalers, and the Cash & Carry centers where they buy their supplies. Think for instance about adapting the auctioning process, the remote buying, and Web shops to the needs of those buyers and on information exchange between growers and florists and garden centers; but also on promoting special products and florist-labels. By strengthening this sales channel of independent florists in Holland we want to keep and develop this market segment in the benefit of our growers.
Servaas van der Ven, concern manager FloraHolland Connect
The new organization will bring FloraHolland Connect closer to growers and buyers by working in a clearer-organized and simpler way. The focus remains on the market demands, but improving on the connection with growers and buyers.
FloraHolland e-Trade is going to be a part of Connect. The activities for retail chains will be organized in the new Retail Services section. A special ‘International Sales’ team will boost the internationalization process.
We need to raise the customer’s satisfaction rate. Currently we activate focus groups to identify the needs. We aim also for higher employees’ satisfaction. We hope to see the first results in the first quarter of 2012.
Mark Jan Terwindt, concern manager Retail Services
By assisting retailers in improving the profitability of the shelves, we create value for our growers. We use our know-how to improve the trading of flowers and plants trough the big retail chains. We are not going to replace anybody’s role in the value-chain, but will support the stakeholders in creating better and more effective collaboration, for better results. The connection between grower and retailer is most important. We work with those retailers that like to improve their concept. We believe that participating growers and traders will see the impact of our knowledge on their profits.
Floris Olthof, concern manager Cooperative, Product & Market (CPM)
CPM will be responsible for connections with local and international growers and big exporters. Member’s involvement along the product line is of utmost importance, with a strong marketing function as the basis.
CPM is divided to the following departments:
• Account management for Dutch growers, including national and international service-desk, and support to the Product Committees (FPCs) for members’ involvement.
• International account management for international growers in Africa, Israel, South America, Europe and other parts of the world.
• Buyers’ Account management, for strategic relations with big exporters.
• Marketing – for products and services.
We believe that by this central account management we can improve the services and adapting them to the users’ wishes.
Source: FloraHolland
