Rijk Zwaan's Digital Transformation
Optimizing business processes through the use of innovative technology is one thing. But how do you make sure your employees are ready for the changes this entails? The Westland vegetable seed breeding company Rijk Zwaan tackles it comprehensively: a separate business change team, in addition to the implementation team. "If employees are not ready, your implementation fails. It's as simple as that."
From Customized to Standardized
Rijk Zwaan operates worldwide in the breeding and sale of vegetable seeds. Their former IT landscape ran heavily on customization, built entirely on processes. Convenient, but it became a blocker to growth. "That system sits around us like a tailor-made suit; it fits exactly." says Yvette de Zoete, program manager at Rijk Zwaan. "But it also perpetuates old thinking patterns, which no longer always fit a future-proof way of working."
Rijk Zwaan is anticipating increasing market demand and complexity. By implementing standard applications and industry best practices, the company ensures that it can continue to deliver high-quality seeds to customers worldwide in a timely manner. Many applications, such as the ERP and Warehouse Management System and the seed production system, are going on the upswing. The new applications and systems have been chosen based on best practices as well as functionality. This also means that a lot is changing on the shop floor.
It's Not about Systems, It's About People
Change often creates excitement...and resistance.
"If you want to change processes, you have to explain it well. And build trust."
Yvette quickly saw that this human side of change needs attention. It is not an afterthought, but a prerequisite for success. "That's why we set up a business change team together with HSO that's separate from the project teams. The most important task: ensuring that the employees in the organization are ready for the changed processes."
You Don't Create Support Alone
That business change team consists of employees from all areas of the organization - from supply to distribution. They work with an internal and external project manager.
HSO's change management expert is involved as a permanent collaborator and sounding board.
"We follow a clear system together. For example, we do monthly sessions with employees from the supply team. What is going to change for you? What do you need to pay attention to? How do we prepare you properly?"
The change management system continuously measures how "far along" employees are.
"We use scores to determine where employees are in the change process. Are they ready for what's to come? Or not? And if there is resistance, we identify it in time."
We follow a clear system together. For example, we do monthly sessions with employees from the supply team. What will change for you? What do you need to pay attention to? How do we prepare you properly?
One Strategy Adapted to Individual Audiences
The approach is centrally coordinated, but different for each target group. Not everyone needs to know everything at once.
"The colleagues in the factory we inform in 2026 about the details of the changes. But the supply team needs to know now what is changing. So that's where we start earlier."
A key success point is the ownership taken by members of the change team. "Everyone knows: if I don't do anything now, I'll fall behind later. We keep each other on our toes." That ownership is supported by change management training. "With this, we also build change capacity for the future," says Yvette. "So that we don't have to start all over again on the next project."
Looking to the Future
The next few years at Rijk Zwaan will be marked by careful preparation and phased rollout.
Yvette: "We are working toward a Dutch go-live in early 2027. This will be followed, in parts, by the international roll-out to about thirty countries. For each country, we refine the change approach based on local practice and culture. The program will continue until the end of 2027."
Meanwhile, the change team continues to measure, train and adjust so that teams are well prepared for new processes and systems. And that's what makes change so important.
Yvette is clear: "No matter how good your IT system is: if employees are not ready to work with it, the implementation fails."
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