03 Apr 2019
When I applied for my job, I had never heard of Nedap. On my first day, they had not arranged for my laptop yet. My team captain had five minutes for me before he had to move on. Isn’t that great? This freedom suits me very well! Now – two and a half months later – I come up with new campaigns, I attend a meeting at Adidas in Madrid, and roll out my own strategy. At Nedap, you have to do it yourself. So that’s what I do.
Man on a mission
It was the vacancy at Nedap that appealed to me, I actually did not know the company. But things clicked instantly between me and Nedap when I saw their cool offices and products that they develop. My current assignment is to market our new product ID Top globally. It is a shop security system that registers what is stolen through RFID. The system does this from the ceiling. This means that the distinctive security gates at the shop entrance are no longer necessary. How am I going to market this? That is something that I decide myself. I was told how much we want to sell this year, what my budget is, and that I will manage just fine. That was it; let’s get started! Wonderful.
'In one month, I went from not even having a laptop to a meeting with Adidas in Madrid.'
Modesty meets cheeky
You have no idea how many cool brands Nedap Retail works for; and we cannot tell you because retailers want to keep their security systems a secret, of course. But one of them is willing to tell the world and they are now going to cooperate in our new campaign: Adidas. And you can be sure that our other clients are just that renowned! It was a huge surprise for me. This is also because of the Nedap sense of modesty: we are all very proud of the cool things we create, but as true down-to-earth people from the Achterhoek, we are not shouting it from the rooftops. This is something I try to change by showing a slightly cheekier attitude. This sometimes clashes, but it also creates wonderful new opportunities because, in the end, innovation is what Nedap is all about: nothing can get in the way of innovation. Not even modesty.
'Nedap was one big surprise.'
Freedom and joy, but no holiday
I am currently working on the campaign #TheGoodlooking Store. I came up with this because we at Nedap Retail believe that the future of retail is not just about sales but also very much about the customers’ shopping experience. A great-looking shop is a much nicer place to shop, right? When you enter a shop, you want to be able to look around and touch the products straight away without being hindered by security gates. That is why our iD Top system hangs from the ceiling; no barriers for the customers yet optimal security for the shop. That is why I was with Adidas in Madrid last week. Their shop is amazing! They use our iD Top system because it is invisible and it does not ruin the look and feel of their shop. Apart from rolling out the #TheGoodlooking Store and other campaigns, I see even more opportunities. My girlfriend recently asked when I wanted to plan our holiday, another thing you decide for yourself at Nedap. But I don’t want to go on holiday now!
'You get the freedom to do what you think is right.'
The beaten track or your own course?
Nedap works for me. As a newcomer, you are given this huge amount of freedom so you are rather thrown in at the deep end. You think of and decide everything yourself: you are free to devise your own strategy and to do what you think will be the best way or approach. In the meantime, you can use each other as sounding boards thanks to the horizontal and open company structure. Within that culture, you really need to find your own way. I believe that I did very well! For some people, however, a more beaten track and fixed structure may suit better. But are you creative, are you able to shift quickly between different departments and projects, do you have self-confidence, a vision, and faith in what you do? Then I hope to meet you soon as our new colleague!
Nedapper Robin van Stenis
‘I work at Nedap Retail as the Marketing Manager for our product iD Top. During my studies in Commercial Economics, a fellow student and I launched our own marketing agency. It was fun and successful but, at some point, I thought it was time for a new challenge. Before working for Nedap, I worked some time with the NS and for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Dutch embassy in Canada. I have now been working at Nedap for two and a half months, but it seems much longer! Thanks to the freedom you get here, I am right where I want to be.’