“Die eerste keuse” September, 2015

In hierdie uitgawe:

Ockie sê...

Kobus Hartman,Industry Icon...

Agente Nuus

Part 4: How is theViking strategydetermined?

Robert Bosch en syDepot op Caledon

Ockie sê…Ons is op ‘n stadium van die jaar waar die graanseisoen beginklaarmaak en die vrugte, wingerd en ander gewasse in volle swangis. Die graanseisoen verloop verskillend in die verskillende strekemet die Swartland wat ondergemiddelde reënval ervaar, terwyl dieSuid-Kaap ‘n baie beter seisoen belewe. Landbou is ons besigheiden per definisie is die besigheid wisselvallig en ons moet daarmeesaamlewe. Een van die voordele van ‘n maatskappy soos ons, isdat verskillende afdelings op verskillende tye floreer of swaarkry enons ondersteun mekaar in die span daarvolgens. Ons het begin omin die voorgenome kleiner groepe te opereer met ‘n opleidingsessievan Deon Basson met die Swartland groep manne. Dit was vir mygeweldig positief dat manne in ‘n besige tyd ‘n dag kon afstaan omonsself verder te bekwaam vir ons uitdagende beroep. Diegesindhede was baie positief en die dag baie suksesvol. Ons salhierdie uitbrei na die ander groepe. Ek wil vir Kobus Hartmangelukwens met sy “AVCASA Lifetime Award” vir sy absoluteonmisbare rol in die landbouchemiese bedryf oor etlike dekades.Kobus het diep spore in hierdie bedryf en nog dieper spore byViking getrap. Baie sterkte en groete vir almal.

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Van links na regs: Wilhelm Burmeister, Visser Bezuidenhout, Davie Malherbe, Philip Luff, Marthinus de Villiers, WernerBurmeister, Nonna Hanekom, Boe e Hugo en Jaco Smit. Julle maak ons trots in die Viking truie!

Kobus Hartman, Industry Icon...Kobus recently won the Avcasa Lifetime Award for his contribution to the agrochemical industry.The Viking family at large, congratulate Kobus on this brilliant achievement!

In between a busy schedule and his cell phone that continually rings, Lizl Gernetzky managed tosqueeze in a Q & A session with Kobus, to find out more about:

Who Kobus Hartman is?What is your main role at Viking as Technical and Business Development Manager?

To ensure that Viking remains technicallycompetitive and ensuring and securing a “fit foruse” product range with a high and defendablevalue proposition. I strive at developingstrategies to ensure the lowest risk to ourgrowers, with regard to efficacy, crop safety andenvironmental safety. To achieve this, I focuson building intimate relationships withinternational opinion leaders in my field ofexpertise such as representatives of authorities,retailers, and independent or associatedresearchers from suppliers.

This knowledge based value proposition,together with the operational support I get fromthe sales force and other managementdisciplines in Viking, as well as the loyalty fromour customers and suppliers, allow us tooperate effectively as a company and create thefeeling of care and comfort with our growersand their customers.

A familiar picture, Kobus Hartman on his phone!

AVCASA Life me Award

Kobus Hartman is well known in the agrochemical industry. He is a primary interface between the fruit export industry and thecer fica on agencies of the northern hemisphere to mi gate issues rela ng to pes cide residues on perishable products. Kobusis also one of the best known individuals in the industry as far as offering sound advice on responsible pest and diseasemanagement. One of the most important contribu ons that Kobus has made to the industry was conceptualizing andestablishing what is now known as the CLSA AgriIntel Database. It is a unique tool that captures and manages agrochemicalinforma on in a massive database. Kobus was not only instrumental in the founda on phase of AgriIntel but also intransferring it from CapeSpan to CropLife South Africa. AgriIntel is one of the most comprehensive agrochemical databases inthe world and offers farmers, regulators, agrochemical agents, export agents and the general public a bird’s eye view of thetotal agrochemical arena in South Africa. He invested significantly of his capital in AgriIntel and also managed to source donorfunding for the database. Kobus also assists CLSA on a regular basis with conflict resolu on when members of the public lodgecomplaints around the use of agrochemicals. He is also a principal nego ator for South African export producers in terms ofmarket access and pest management. As a result of Kobus’ mi ga ng on behalf of producers, millions of rands of fresh producemade it to shelves in the northern hemisphere instead of being dumped .

Geluk aan Louwrens en Lana Erasmus met die geboorte vanjulle kleindogter, Charle e.

Sarie Coetzee van Vredendal, Dalmark Depot, vierlente!

What was your very first job?R&D job with BASF, while studying. Teaching, I taught Biology and Agriculture for the then Std 8to 10. After teaching I was an R&D officer for Fisons in Stellenbosch and Ceres.

What do you enjoy most about your job?Working with people. Influencing the thinking of people. I enjoy the scientific exposure and

experiencing the dynamics in science. It is a privilege experiencing and being exposed to andinfluencing the cutting edge of new technology in my field of expertise. I see myself as anapplied scientist, not a researcher. This implies innovation and the application of knowledge in away that contributes to people’s well-being.

What do you enjoy least about your job?Working with people…

Where do you see yourself five years from now?As being part of a new environment on the cutting edge of the futuredynamics of Agro-Sciences, definitely in a more mentoring roll rather than inan advisory capacity.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?If I have any spare time, I like to spend it with the people closest to me,because that’s what really matters to me.

What is the motto that you live by?Carpe diem, seize the day! Live, don’t stagnate, don’t die, don’t ponder. Live for the momentand live up to the moment. Don’t carry any regret or negativity in your heart. It wipes the smileoff one’s face, because it takes away the happiness when you are alone. One can never behappy if one can’t be happy alone.

What advice would you give the young people of today?“The greatest temptation and danger is to rely on previous solutions and thus paint the samepicture for the rest of your life.” A quote by Charles Movalli

“I see myself as anapplied scientist,

this impliesinnovation in a waythat contributes to

people’s well-being.” Kobus Hartman

Written by Rob Payne

The process of formulating strategy is simple and straightforward but the task of doing so is notquite as easy. Much depends on human factors – the people participating in the process, theirrespective roles, accountabilities and responsibilities in the enterprise, and the influence theyhave when it comes to decision making. Personalities play a significant role and much dependson the quality of leadership at the top.

It is necessary to reduce abstract thinking to tangible, easy-to-use words and pictures when itcomes to reaching common understanding on the company strategy, and more importantly, tocommunicate the components of the strategy to all those who are called upon to translatestrategy into action. This is where the facilitator adds value to the process by guiding themembers of the management team through a series of activities designed to produce the variousdiagrams and statements that collectively represent the strategy.

We start by reviewing and affirming the business model. This is achieved by first defining ourcustomer segments, examining what we do in order to deliver value to each segment,understanding the necessary relationships between ourselves and them, and defining thechannels through which they wish to be served. We then examine the key activities required tomeet the requirements of satisfying our respective customer segments, and the key resourcesnecessary to do so. This leads us to determining who our key partners and suppliers are – whatkey activities they perform, and what key resources we acquire from them. There can be morethan one business model if there is more than one value proposition – which is the case ifdifference customer segments are served by the same enterprise.

Once the business model has been agreed we are able to review and if necessary, update thecompany’s long term vision, values, and long term goal. We do this by imagining what thecompany will be like in, say twenty years’ time, and express this “vision” by way of firmstatements reflecting the outcomes we seek.

We then move on to contemplate the external environment, taking note of significant trends andevents that will impact our business, including political, economic, socio-cultural, technological,environmental and legal factors. We also look at the competitive environment – notably theimpact on our business of competition with our peers, and the impact of suppliers, customers,potential new entrants into our market, and substitute products. Finally, in light of our long termvision and ultimate goal, we take stock of our internal strengths and weaknesses, and theopportunities and threats that exist in our external environment.

Once all of this information gathering and analysis has been done the group starts specifyingstrategic objectives which, if achieved, will hopefully take the company to its ultimate goal. Theseare represented on a strategy map, divided into so-called perspectives – i.e. financial, customer,internal processes and learning & growth (Viking has added two more – agents and suppliers).The strategy map is then used as the guiding force in the business, and should be understood byeveryone involved in the enterprise. It also enables the formulation of a “road map” setting outwhat must be done, by whom, and when, in order to achieve the overall business objectives.

Part 4: How is the Viking strategy determined?

Robert Bosch en sy depot op CaledonGeskryf deur Robert BoschEk het naby Somerset-Oos op ‘n plaas grootgeword en ook daargematrikuleer. Na my 2 jaar militêre opleiding het ek teruggekeerplaas toe vir ‘n jaar. Met ‘n pa en ‘n broer op die plaas, het ditegter bietjie beknop geraak en op 1 Mei 1978 het ek byHarvestime begin werk. Na ‘n paar jaar van onsekerheid enmaatskappy oornames het ek en ‘n paar van my F.B.C kollegasbesluit om ons eie ding te doen en dit gewaag om Viking tebegin. Die naam Viking het my glad nie aangestaan nie en het ekvoorgestel dat ons die maatskappy Florachem noem. Mykollegas het egter gevoel dat daar reeds te veel name in diebedryf is wat op “chem” eindig en die naam Viking is toe aanvaar.Dit het maar broekskeur gegaan in die begin om die besigheidaan die gang te hou. Ons het dus gereeld by ander maatskappyeaangeklop om genoeg produkte bymekaar te kry om te kanoorleef.

Van ‘n ordentlike struktuur was daar aan die begin ook geen sprakenie. Op daardie stadium was my depot by Overberg Gas sentrum. Diebestuurder daar was ‘n man met die naam Ewald Esbach. Ewald was ‘nopgeleide rekenmeester met baie goeie besigheidsvernuf. Ek hetvoorgestel dat ons Ewald betrek by Viking en hy het toe ingewillig enkort daarna die voorsitter van Viking geword. Ewald het baie te doengehad met die uiteensetting en skep van ‘n struktuur vir Viking. Hy is ‘npaar jaar gelede oorlede aan ‘n hartaanval en ek wil ook aan hom huldebring op hierdie manier.

Omdat ek van die begin af betrokke was by Viking is die Viking kultuur vir my baie belangrik. Ekvoel dat die huidige sukses van hierdie besigheid, grootliks te danke is aan die volhouding vanons kultuur. Met kultuur bedoel ek die volgende: Deurlopende positiewe ondersteuning aan mekaar. Ons goeie gesindheid teenoor mekaar. Viking se struktuur. (Geen base, almal kan insette lewer). Ons manier van besigheid doen. (Kyk na ons gedragskode) Dit moet altyd bly voel soos die familie besigheid wat ons 23 jaar gelede begin het. Viking se onafhanklikheid (Geen buite aandeelhouers nie).

My gebied wat ek bedien is seker die kleinste graan area in Viking.Ek bedien slegs sowat 25km radius rondom Caledon. Tot onlangswas hier 4 Wenkem agente, 2 Nulandis agente, 1 Nexus agent en 1Terason agent. Ons was dus 9 wat hierdie koek moes deel. Ek isegter steeds baie gelukkig hier en sal my gebied vir geen anderverruil nie.

Laastens wil ek net vir al my kollegas in die veld sê baie dankie virjulle ondersteuning en hulp as ek julle nodig het. Ook dankie aanalmal by Hoofkantoor wat alles gee, selfs al is ons partykeeronredelik en moeilik. Hou dit egter altyd in gedagte dat ons somsonder baie groot druk is in die veld en dan is julle aan dieontvangkant van ons frustrasies. Baie dankie dat julle altyd verstaanen dit verdra. Aan Petrie en Johannes op Caledon by my Depot wilek ook dankie sê vir julle twee se hulp. Elke oggend 07h00 is onsDepot oop, of dit nou reën, en of die son skyn. Julle is twee opregtestaatmakers.

Met sulke tipe kollegas en personeel, glo ek van harte dat Viking net van krag tot krag sal gaan.

“Met sulke tipekollegas en perso-neel, glo ek vanharte dat Vikingnet van krag totkrag sal gaan.”Robert Bosch

Petri Nigrini en Johannes Keeth

Robert Bosch in sy kantoor.