01 — CHALLENGE

_{Resolving operational and IT complexities to focus on customers and sustainability}

With 106,000 jobs, catering to 550 companies, and 12.7 billion euros of added value, North Sea Port is a complex ecosystem. Spanning over 60 kilometres across Belgium and the Netherlands, the port is a critical node in global and European logistics networks, ranked third in Europe for added value and tenth for freight traffic.

After merging Belgian and Dutch port entities, North Sea Port set ambitious goals to differentiate itself by focusing on customer intimacy and leading the transition to a sustainable, circular economy. However, two main issues were holding them back:

• Operational disconnect: It was challenging to get an unambiguous view of how North Sea Port works and how their systems add value for customers due to siloed operations.‍
• Outdated IT infrastructure & knowledge management: The existing IT systems needed to be updated to enable a transition to a more resilient and agile organisation.

02 — SOLUTION

Crafting a digital strategy for a customer-centric organisation

The key objective was to support North Sea Port in navigating the "how" to execute its strategic vision of becoming more customer-intimate. We wanted to create guidelines that would enable - and empower - North Sea Port employees to execute their vision with focus and consistency. 

To start, we visually mapped out every step and activity necessary to create value for customers. For example, we plotted every step to guide a vessel through North Sea Port, from maritime access to docking, loading and back. We looked into where each department comes into play and which systems and data are used. 

With this exercise, we learned, to give an example, that the organisation was relying a lot on individual knowledge and expertise, but the advantage of tooling wasn’t utilised enough. This was due to a lack of a structured view of their IT landscape and the lack of a strategy to implement, manage, and improve systems in a coherent way. This also resulted in high-risk dependencies, such as losing information and knowledge within the organisation. Risks that are not sustainable with the rising digital ambitions of the port and its ecosystem. 

As another example, North Sea Port has a clear vision for the future and the role it aims to play. However, translating their strategic choice to focus on customer intimacy and helping clients with sustainable ambitions isn’t easy to integrate into daily operations from one day to the next.

So, with our strategic framework based upon capability mapping, we delivered a long-term vision that guides improvements in workflows and efficiency within every department of the organisation in line with the strategic choice. On top of that, it forms guard rails and guidance to build a more coherent IT landscape while giving each department more control over the systems & technology they use. 

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03 — APPROACH

Evaluating existing processes and systems to shape the future vision

In The Pocket did a comprehensive organisational analysis and a complete strategic overhaul. In close collaboration with the North Sea Port team, we identified which organisational capabilities were most critical and unique and which capabilities were more standard or easily replicable by competitors. 

The project involved multiple steps:

• Initial research, analysis and stakeholder interviews‍

We kicked off the project by conducting detailed interviews with various departments to understand current workflows, challenges, and the disconnection between operation and strategy. Then, we conducted system intakes, mapping all tools and data flows to evaluate the existing IT landscape and identify manual processes prone to errors.

• Plotting the value streams

After the initial phase, we were able to map out comprehensive value streams outlining key activities from ship entry to departure, as well as the development of infrastructure or supporting public relations and policy implementation. This stage helped us identify responsible departments for each stage of the value stream, ensuring clarity and accountability.

• Capability mapping workshops

Through workshops with stakeholders from different parts of the organisation, we defined the required capabilities to achieve strategic goals. These sessions resulted in a 'capability map' illustrating essential skills and operational capabilities needed to support the port's strategy.

These capabilities are a direct translation of the ambitions the port has. 

For example, through these sessions, we fine-tuned the role of North Sea Port in the nautical chain, from planning to chain management, and the way they manage partnerships into different capabilities. By defining what each capability entails and does NOT entail. It becomes clear how responsibilities are distributed in the organisation. 

• Creating alignment within the organisation

To create alignment, focus, and "common" language, we brought together people from different parts of the organisation to discuss future ambitions and how they translate into their way of working. As a last step, we validated and refined it with the management team and C-level to get an 'executive seal of approval', meaning different levels of the organisation commit to shared objectives. 

• Setting clear priorities

We distinguished critical and unique capabilities and which ones are more standard or easily replicable by competitors. This means we make a distinction between the capabilities that are closely related to executing the strategic ambitions of customer intimacy and those that are needed because of the industry. This strategic choice is the cornerstone of identifying the right solution for customers, operations, or systems that align with the company's strategic vision.

• IT and system overhaul

In the final stage, we outlined a future-oriented IT strategy supporting differentiated capabilities crucial for customer intimacy and operational effectiveness. Thanks to our recommendations, the port now has a clear vision and guidelines for adopting scalable and flexible IT solutions to support dynamic customer needs and operational demands.

04 — OUTCOME

Build for the future

By delivering a digital transformation roadmap detailing the required steps to implement change across the organisation, we enabled North Sea Port to take ownership of its operations and systems. This roadmap focuses on critical action points like change management, building modern IT infrastructure, and methodically strengthening its core capabilities over time to realise its customer intimacy vision.

As digital strategy advisors and trusted partners, we continue supporting North Sea Port on its journey to becoming a customer-intimate and future-proof organisation.

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