Boer&Croon Case Solving: How to automate your business?

The Data Science and Marketing Analytics (DSMA) committee had the pleasure of hosting a case solving event with Boer&Croon on the 9th of May. 17 students, ranging from bachelor 1 to master students, attempted to crack the case with the help of 4 Boer&Croon employees from the Finance & Technology department. Job Lagewaard, Max Bennink, Sterre Molendijk, and Margje Föster created a compelling case and provided us with a wonderfully interesting afternoon. 

The problem at hand

After an introduction and explanation of the company that Boer&Croon represents, the group split up into 4 groups of 4-5 students. We were given 1,5 hours to create a feasible solution for a complex problem with many stakeholders. The problem at hand was about a fictional company named Business & Comestibles (B&C). They needed help with optimizing their finance operations and implementing a digital transformation strategy. The company also wanted to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices and was looking for solutions to enhance their sustainability efforts. Their order registering process was extremely inefficient and led to many mistakes. It involved many different departments and took a lot of time, so it was necessary to solve this issue. Thus, each team sat down and followed the necessary steps given to us by Boer&Croon:

Each team begins by analysing the company's order processing methods, identifying bottlenecks, and developing an optimized approach. They then assess the company's digital capabilities, looking for opportunities to improve through technologies like robotics. Using an RPA assessment tool, they evaluate automation possibilities. Based on these steps, each team creates a roadmap for digital transformation and automation in finance operations. Lastly, they provide estimates on how the proposed solutions may impact ESG, considering that Business & Comestibles lacks a measurement system. 

The end result

The solution each team came up with was presented to the board of B&C (consistent of Job, Max, Sterre, and Margje) through beautiful PowerPoints and some amazing presenters. The board challenged us with some tough questions which left some people stunned and speechless, but also led to some good laughs. We ended the day with a well-deserved drink at Paviljoen where we chatted some more about Boer&Croon and the case. Even though the event ended at 17:00, most people stayed for much longer, just chatting and having a good time. It was the perfect end to an insightful day.