Line Blok

‘Danish people expect extremely high service levels,’ says Line Blok. As Global Process Architect Procurement she contributes to this by ultimately connecting all branches to SAP S/4 HANA: a single integrated IT system for optimally managing our supply chain, and commercial and financial organization. ‘This enables all of our customers to make even more efficient use of our international network and our global stocks.’

Line Blok has advanced significantly in her career since she joined Van Leeuwen’s company Heléns in Denmark in 2018. She started off as MP/MRP Controller, and after 2.5 years became Team Lead Purchasing and has since become Global Process Architect Procurement. ‘What immediately appealed to me when I came to work here was the atmosphere, which is open and friendly,’ she says. ‘It was a major plus, because this is not what I had experienced at a previous employer. Now, after five years and occupying several positions, I am able to say that aside from this, the tremendous ability to adapt typifies our company. Next year, Van Leeuwen will celebrate its 100th anniversary: you can only achieve this by constantly keeping pace with market developments and by changing and adapting where necessary. As employee you are given all the room you need to do this as well. This has allowed me to develop myself enormously.’

Free education

Something very special in Denmark is that all of its citizens have access to free education. As a result, the number of highly educated individuals in the country is very high. In addition, the country is a frontrunner in terms of gender equality. ‘For example, salary differences for the same position are prohibited and men and women enjoy the same parental leave entitlements.

I am very happy with this.’ Things that Danish people like to do in their spare time, include Hygge, a term that is becoming increasingly more popular outside Denmark as well, and which is very important for the Danish, says Line. ‘Hygge means something like a feeling of coziness, snugness and comfort. The word expresses that we like to spend time in and around the home with our children, and with family and friends.’

Direct

‘What you do need to take into consideration from a business perspective, is that the Danish are rather direct. For example, customers will not hesitate to let you know when they can get a better price elsewhere. This is why we need to constantly be prepared to respond to feedback from customers and competitors in the market. Something else to take into consideration is that customers expect an extremely high level of service. You must have everything in very good order, be able to immediately share factual information and you must stick to your promises. Fortunately, this is something we do very well at Van Leeuwen and we are constantly working on improvements to ensure our processes run even more smoothly and our service quality improves. In 2022, I contributed to this as purchasing team lead in Denmark by constantly optimizing our use of SAP, for example by training and educating our employees. At the same time I worked on improving the department's structure. In mid-2022, I fully switched over to the Global Process Architect Procurement role. Since that time I supervise the connection of Van Leeuwen branches in the United Kingdom to our global integrated ERP system (see next page), including the design of individual specifications. It was a large project in which I worked closely with colleagues throughout the world.’