Networking dinner at Fokker Technologies

Networking dinner at Fokker Technologies

Netwerkdiner.Fokker.jpgMonday 13 November 2017

On Friday afternoon the 10th of November, the CO Platform Nederland organized the third Networking dinner of 2017. More than 20 CIO’s visited this event that was hosted by Henk Smit, CIO of Fokker Technologies.

Company tour 
We started the program with a company tour that gave us a fascinating insider view in the factories. As a manufacturer of airplane parts, Fokker has several partnerships with airplane builders like Airbus, Gulfstream and Boeing. Fokker supplies these companies with body works, tale parts, several electrical systems and landing gear. During the company tour the friendly and informal atmosphere was notable. Fokker employees are like a family, most of them serve the company for many years and are very proud to work for Fokker.  



IT in the centre of the company
After the company tour the official part of the program was started by a Members presentation by Ronald Verbeek. The discussed items arose a lot interaction and the CIO’s brought up several additions. Next part of the program was an introduction of Fokker Technologies by Henk Smit, CIO at Fokker. An important milestone in the history of Fokker was the take over of GKN Aerospace in 2015.
Second part of Henk’s presentation was all about his journey to centralize the entire IT organization and a complete insourcing of IT. Since 2015 Henk and his team are implementing the carefully prepared plans. Main reason to centralize the IT organization was to standardize and to consolidate. Typical for this line of industry are the low production numbers, very valuable and innovative machinery and a lot of unique handcraft work which needs many years of experience. Knowing this, the step to insource IT makes the organization more effective. IT is now in the centre of the company. So Fokker can make the difference to develop innovations, while operating in a growing market in constantly changing conditions. In a conservative business, with a huge responsibility towards the product, IT plays a key factor. 
Henk and his team were facing several challenges while centralizing the IT organization: Business focus, continuous delivery of a high quality, the speed of the implementation, flexibility, legislation and compliancy and to equip the IT staff with new skills. It was quite a challenge to extend the IT staff in a short period of time with a large number of new IT colleagues. 

IT employees of the future
One of the huge challenges was to educate the current staff, to hire a large number of new and young IT employees and how to integrate the new and old generation? Henk was searching for allrounders with many talents. A close cooperation with the HR department and several Dutch Universities made the almost impossible job possible. Besides airplane parts, in the near future Fokker will sell also services to their customers based on IT. Big data could be a huge opportunity to add value.

Plenairy discussion
Final part of the official program were the discussion tables about the several challenges the attending CIO’s were facing. During the diner is was time to talk to each other, share insights and to meet new members. Again it was a very successful Networking dinner.

For 2018 we have also planned three dinners. The organization for the first dinner at Wolters Kluwer on the 8th of February 2018 is already in full swing!

« Back

More news

Business IT users condemn Broadcom's market behaviour and call on European Commission for appropriate action

2023-06-26 | NB | CIO verenigingen roepen Breton op tot actie EUCS voorstel brengt grote gevolgen voorThursday 28 March 2024 Today, CIO Platform Netherlands and its three European sister associations sent a joint letter to the European Commission following possible market-distorting behaviour by Broadcom since its acquisition of VMware. full story

Arjen Boersma and Edward Cox join the board

2024-01-11 | Nieuwe BestuursledenThursday 28 March 2024 We would like to welcome Arjen Boersma, CIO ProRail and Edward Cox, CIO Louwman Group, to the board of CIO Platform Nederland. full story

Recap Online Lunchsession Approach and experience in implementing Copilot at SHVEnergy

2024-03-19   SHV Co-pilot op de werkplekThursday 21 March 2024 In an online lunchsession on Tuesday March 19th, noon-1pm, Paulo Rodrigues, CIO at SHVEnergy, presented the approach taken by his team in introducing Microsoft Copilot to (part of) their workforce by way of a pilot. full story

Umbrella organisations call for National Growth Fund to remain open

2024-03-12 Koepels roepen op tot openhouden nationaal GroeifondsFriday 08 March 2024 Together with VNO-NCW, FME, NLdigital and several other parties, CIO Platform Nederland sent an open letter to the Lower House last week calling for the National Growth Fund, and in particular the current 4th round, to remain open. full story

View all news items through the archive

Close