RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 146
The 5 principles
Owner
ship
Leader
ship
Every project has
The project leader
Every team member
Every project
one project leader and
is the catalyst
has a distinct contribution
has a clear goal
of the project is clear
of the project.
to the project.
and result.
in relation to the plan.
one project owner.
Team
work
Goal
Progress
oriented
Effects of growth on the organisation
launched to improve project management at Rijk
‘We’ve grown tremendously, but I still feel very
Zwaan. ‘We’ve made great progress with this,’ says
much at home. The distance between colleagues
Hubertien Doldersum. This project goes hand
and managers and how we treat each other hasn’t
in hand with giving employees a great deal of
changed. I think that’s very special, while at the
personal responsibility. ‘That’s what we believe
same time you sometimes have to make more of
in,’ Hubertien Doldersum explains. After all, it has
an effort to get in touch with other departments
been shown to work time and again.
The status
because they are physically further away, for
example.’ This is the answer of Anneke van de
Automation
Kamp, Group Manager Communication & Public
A challenge many departments struggle with
Affairs, who has now been with Rijk Zwaan for
is how to continue growing at a time of labour
almost twelve years, when asked which effects
scarcity and then also without an unacceptable
Rijk Zwaan’s growth has had on the organisation.
growth in costs. Rijk Zwaan is constantly looking
However big the company becomes, the horizontal
for smart ways to automate labour-intensive
organisational structure and unique corporate
processes, especially repetitive monotonous
culture remain guaranteed.
operations. This not just facilitates growth – it also
increases job satisfaction among employees.
Yet growth also brings challenges. For a company
One example of this is the ‘germination robot’,
that is continuing to grow and is therefore
which has officially been in use from the end of
becoming increasingly complex, some organi-
2022. As part of seed quality control, many germi-
sational restructuring is inevitable. Growth has
nation tests are carried out daily. This is a very
necessitated adjustments in the organisation so
simple test where seeds are placed in a tray of
that the company can continue to be efficient
filter paper with a little water. After a few days, the
and effective. Steps have therefore been taken in
number of seeds with visible root tips is counted.
recent years towards more project-based working
With the germination robot developed by
and putting more structure behind processes.
Rijk Zwaan, seed germination testing has been
In 2018, for example, the GOAL! programme is
fully automated and can now be carried out 24/7.
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Rijk Zwaan | Moving forward together
