Thank you.
How do you take your coffee?
Black.
Really black?
That's right.
You like it strong.
Yes, as strong as possitble.
How may cups of coffee do you drink on a working day?
I really try to limit the amount.
I used to drink a lot, maybe 15 cups per day.
But now I try to stick to 4 or 5 per day.
What would you like to highlight in this RSM update?
I would like to focus on our integrated annual plan,
and to share it with all my colleagues.
Over the past period, we have heard a number of times
that communication in general should be a focal point.
But people would also like to hear more about our strategy..
And I get that.
So this year, we have chosen to set up an integrated annual plan,
based on our strategy,
made up of the annual plans of the service clients,
and the supporting departments.
We have created a concise summary of this in a document
that will be available to everyone.
So it's a translation of the strategy that's already known and clear,
and will remain unchanged...
That's right.
...into what are we going to do specifically, more or sometimes less,
and, most importantly, aligned.
Is that the most important thing that's going to happen, the alignment?
Yes. I think that's very important,
to work together across disciplines,
that people also know what everyone else's points of interest are,
so that these can be worked on with greater focus,
because, ultimately, we're doing it with the entire group of people.
So can you mention a few points that you'd like to stress and draw attention to?
What are they?
An important point that we see in all service lines,
and also to some extent in the support departments,
is data and data quality.
This is a very important point of attention,
both internally and towards the market and our customers.
It's a theme we will be investing a lot in during the upcoming period,
in terms of tools, resources, knowledge as well as money.
Okay, and does that apply to the service lines,
to the entire company?
What will that actually look like in concrete terms?
It applies to the entire company.
We're going to redesign AFAS, with a focus on data quality,
so that we're better able to work with the internal data.
At the same time, the service lines will also be actively working on this,
to add value externally to our customers as well.
And this applies to Business Consulting and to our M&A practice.
And it certainly also applies to our tax specialists and accountants.
Will the annual plans and translation of the strategy
eventually lead us to that big nine we are aiming for?
That figure seems to keep haunting us.
Well, yes, I hope it will,
That's what we assume.
As mentioned before, we have achieved a very good performance in recent years,
as far as I'm concerned.
But things can and should always get better,
so if you're getting an 8.5, the next step should be a big fat nine.