On the enormous power of co-creation

For one, the supply chain knowledge from their studies is still fresh in the memory; the other knows from experience when to apply which knowledge. One can make slick PowerPoint presentations, the other can sell them convincingly to a board. An interview with Nick Jonkergouw and Peter Bol about co-creation at UC Group.

“It all started with a PUM project I did earlier this year at the company Pearlspot in Zimbabwe,” says senior consultant Peter Bol. “I visited them for a few weeks and advised them at the time to look for extra warehouse space, to start working with more clearly defined product groups and to introduce a process for cycle counting. The warehouse was packed to the rafters with goods and everything was mixed up. Stock changes were poorly recorded and, because of the poverty and corruption, things were regularly stolen. As a result, warehouse staff had to search endlessly and often came up empty-handed.”

After his visit he stayed in contact with the company and noticed that his advice was taken up enthusiastically but also quickly faded again. “During online conversations I noticed that they really were working on it, but that they were not following through,” Peter Bol continues. “For example, the managing director once proudly told me that they had carried out a stock count for the first time and that they were going to repeat it the following month. But you really have to do cycle counting much more often. The company has product groups that are so prone to theft that you might well have to take a sample every day.”

Second coaching visit

In consultation with the PUM organisation, it was decided that Peter Bol could honour the African company with a second coaching visit, so that he could explain his advice on site. “Of course I thought this was fantastic, but I did want to send the company a proposal in advance in which I had worked out my earlier advice in more depth. I wanted to lay a theoretical foundation that matches their maturity level and that we can get started with straight away.” That was the moment he brought in young professional Nick from the UC Engineering department. He had just joined UC Group.

“On Peter's instructions I worked out three logistics concepts,” says Nick. Besides cycle counting, these were the differentiation of logistics flows and a KPI dashboard for

the production department. “I dived into this and gathered all the knowledge there is to be found on it. You can go a very long way with that, but you also have to keep it simple. Otherwise you already know they will never use it. To find the right balance there, I needed Peter again. He knows how to translate it to a company like Pearlspot and how to balance the theory with the knowledge level of those who have to introduce it.” With this input he worked out the projects further and turned them into PowerPoint presentations.

More than PowerPoint

Both consultants know better than anyone that it takes more than a PowerPoint to convince someone. “Take that KPI dashboard for the production manager,” says Peter Bol. “According to the production manager himself, a dashboard like that is not needed at all. When I was there last time he conjured up all sorts of lists which, according to him, showed exactly how things stood. What I want to get across to him on my second visit is that his fellow managers and other stakeholders also need to see how he is performing. That also lets him sell himself much better.

“Another tip I am going to give him is that he should not build that dashboard himself, as he did with those lists, but leave that to a specialist. Those are the kinds of things you have to address with someone face to face, because otherwise it does not stick.”

Collaboration is the core

Doing what you are good at and seeking collaboration for other matters: that is the core message Peter Bol and Nick Jonkergouw want to convey. For one, the knowledge from their training is fresh in the memory; the other can judge perfectly which concepts can really work in a company. Nick: "In my department we do projects independently, but we also work together with the other UC consultants, for example on the design of a new warehouse. It happens the other way round too. Right now, for example, I am working on a warehouse design in which an outdoor area also has to be laid out. I have no experience with that, but one of our senior consultants does. We then bring them in and that is how we arrive at a result together."

Co-creation underestimated

According to the two consultants, the value of co-creation is still seriously underestimated. "There are a lot of individualists in our world," says Peter Bol. "People are experts in a particular field and would prefer to do everything themselves. That is a pitfall, not only for consultants but also for managers. They get round to their real work less and less. On top of that, other people can do those other things much better, which makes the end result better."

Finally, Nick mentions a third argument for co-creation. "As a young professional I can of course still learn a lot from Peter, but it works the other way round too. I contributed a specific KPI for the manufacturing dashboard that Peter did not yet know. You get better together because you learn from each other."