RESOURCING WITH ACO BELGIUM

In a world full of sustainability goals, the collection, purification and reuse of (rain) water is emerging as an indispensable link. ACO is one of the world market leaders in drainage technology and manages the Belgian market from its office in Merchtem. From the gutters found in DIY stores to grease traps for commercial kitchens, ACO Belgium distributes it all. In order to also grow in project sales for heavier industrial applications, a change process was necessary. And that's how Rezolv came to the surface.

Double leading position as goal

Being part of a multinational company, but working from a solid SME structure. It was immediately the first challenge for Managing Director Nico De Broyer three years ago. "In 20 years the company grew from 10 employees and 7 million turnover to a team of 38 people with a turnover of 22 million euros. Structures, processes and procedures did not grow along with it, which led to stagnation in recent years. So something had to change in order for us to fulfill our ambitions, namely to maintain our leading position in distribution and, in the foreseeable future, to be at the forefront of sales for large-scale projects."

The second impression

"Until that moment, ACO Belgium had never used outside consultants. And even now we weren't looking (yet). Rezolv nestled itself in our sights through its own prospecting. Their story immediately excited me and I invited Robbie for an introduction. As it then goes, you first grope each other a bit and carefully detect opportunities. That first impression was good. But especially the second impression was decisive for me. He saw what we were up against as an SME and genuinely understood the change process we were facing. When he told us that he could help us bring structure and give direction, he came across as very determined. Rightly so, as it turns out, a year and a half later."

Shared responsibility

"Fair? It secretly appealed to me that Rezolv set the bar so high for themselves. At the same time, during that first phase they pointed out to us ón our responsibilities. You can call on an external party to put things in order internally and facilitate processes, but the final implementation must come from the organization itself. That was also my personal starting point. I wanted a clear plan of action with three or four clear priorities that we could work with ourselves in a very concrete way. The way and the will to get there, I found and felt at Rezolv."

Noses to the facts and in the same direction

"In an SME structure like ours, you are often on your own and putting out fires dominates your schedule. You have too little time to step back and look at things strategically. That's why we opted for the Rezolv Review, an in-depth audit from the existing business processes."

Neutral zero exercise

Robbie and his team spent one day talking to the various departments within ACO Belgium. "That was hugely intensive. In four interview sessions, two consultants turned our organization inside out. Strategy, sales, operations and finance: the most important stakeholders within each cell were given the chance to speak frankly about their operations and the associated obstacles. Without the presence of executives or upper management. Rezolv swears by this objective feel for the people and the terrain in order to get the most realistic picture possible. They wanted to have seen everything - from the offices to the warehouse - and then work out a thoughtful report."

What, when and who?

That followed - exactly as agreed - two weeks later. "The Rezolv Review resulted in three priority actions. The report not only emphasizes the urgency of those actions, but also describes a plan of action and encourages thinking about who will take ownership of new tasks. In addition, Rezolv will soon carry out a Pricing Audit via the new business branch Yggra. Because even for a complex matter such as pricing strategy, we like to be surrounded by experts to support us further."

The big stick

To summarize: their own employees provided the pieces of the puzzle and Rezolv put everything together in an orderly fashion. "Insights have certainly been gained, but the great added value is mainly in structuring and daring to name things. Unlike many other consulting agencies, Robbie and co don't stop at the report. After presenting their audits, they clearly explain what the next steps are and follow up on the formulated actions and timing themselves. If something does not happen within the agreed deadline, they immediately hang up the phone. I sometimes laughingly call them our "big stick. But actually I am very happy with that. If you commit yourself to this kind of support, you have to go all the way. Otherwise it's wasted time, money and effort."

Signs and balls

"That's also the advantage of an outside party. You don't get to let things run their course. Robbie and his experts constantly keep all the plates spinning. In this way, we realized a lot of things together in a short time. Both organizationally and strategically. My advice? If you really want to create change, engage a sparring partner like Rezolv. But then have the balls to face the confrontation."