BrazilMöbius supports Belgian cooperative with redesign of core processes
Belgian consultancy firm Möbius has helped a major food cooperative make its core processes more streamlined and flexible. The firm provided Coöperatie Hoogstraten with process analysis and futureproof planning, enabling the group to drive improvements in efficiency, digitisation and service.
Based in the city of Hoogstraten (close to the Dutch border), Coöperatie Hoogstraten is a cooperative of growers of all kinds of fruit and vegetables. The company is one of the leaders in the Belgian market, with a revenue of around €363 million.
As part of its aim to optimise and digitalise its processes, which is deemed essential to maintain its market position, Coöperatie Hoogstraten launched a performance improvement program. Appointed the program’s consulting partner, Möbius helped the cooperative analyse its existing processes, identify areas for improvement and redesign processes. The consulting firm also helped develop a future-proof IT environment that supports its processes.
The project
The consultants started with a thorough analysis of the current situation. Interviews, desk research, site visits and employee workshops were used to thoroughly analyse the existing processes. This initial phase identified nine core processes that are essential to operations, including the delivery of fresh products, inspections and testing, packaging and aftercare.
These processes formed the scope of the project and were modelled in detailed process flows, according to BPMN conventions.
With a clear view of the current situation, Möbius was then able to turn its attention to the matter of futureproofing its client’s processes. Sore points, stakeholder ideas, industry best practices, new opportunities for automation and trends were discussed in depth, during workshops – all of which helped to design a more efficient process modelled around each core process.
The workshops further identified areas in which automation and IT developments could improve and streamline workflows.
With these insights, Coöperatie Hoogstraten needed a step-by-step approach to move from the current situation to the desired one – and so Möbius conducted a detailed gap analysis, examining the difference between the existing and future situation for each process step in terms of the process, roles and responsibilities at the firm, and its IT systems. Based on the insights this yielded, Möbius drew up a practical roadmap for each process, with clearly defined improvements, innovations, priorities, timelines and responsibilities.
The results
According to the two companies, the collaboration has provided the cooperative with the foundation for a successful execution phase.
“The collaboration led to detailed process modelling of the current situation, with a step-by-step description of all activities, roles and responsibilities, and insight into dependencies between improvements and their relative priorities, which ensured a coherent approach across the organisation. At the same time, with the high-level process map summarising the firm’s core activities, it became easier to futureproof IT solutions and wield automation where possible.”
“This structured approach is enabling Coöperatie Hoogstraten to further optimise and digitalise its core processes, ensuring that its focus on quality, freshness and food safety is maintained both now and in the future.”
