Jeffrey says, “Consolidation is a key trend in the retail sector. We are seeing an increase in international partnerships, aimed in part at achieving economies of scale and improved efficiency.” Vincent adds, “Several garden centre chains are transitioning from decentralised to centralised management structures. This shift enables earlier and more forwardlooking planning, which is becoming increasingly important. At Royal Lemkes, our internal organisation is structured into specialised units for supermarkets, garden centres, DIY stores and home furnishing shops. These distinct customer groups require a tailored approached, and our dedicated units are perfectly aligned to meet their needs.” Marjolein remarks that in 2024 Royal Lemkes established a sales support department to ensure scalability for both existing and prospective customers: “This was achieved through a Lean24 project, which provided deeper insight into our end-to-end operational process, including customer expectations and what we need to make the process as efficient as possible. With a centrally coordinated sales support department, we can now make informed choices between customisation and standardisation. Where possible, we harmonise processes to ensure consistency while also accommodating customerspecific needs as required. Simplifying processes also reduces errors. Thanks to these developments, we can act more decisively and serve our customers even better.” Why? • Successful implementation of new processes • Pleasant collaboration • Problem solving without wasting time How? • Clear transfer agreements • Right attitude and behaviour What? Collaborating according to the error-free by me principle NOT accepting errors/deviations NOT making errors/deviations NOT passing on errors/deviations The colleague before me Me The colleague after me Ideal: design a process so that making and passing on errors is almost impossible Together, we make work manageable, efficient and inspiring
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