Introducing: Andre Snijder

Even voorstel: Andre Snijder CEO Focus Enterprise Solutions

Focus Enterprise Solutions is a new label within the Broad Horizon group. We would like to introduce ourselves on the basis of a number of interviews. Andre Snijder, as CEO, kicks things off. In this interview he tells more about himself and about Focus Enterprise Solutions.

Who are you and  what is your function?

“I’m Andre Snijder, 53 years old. With my wife, children and our dog I live in Overveen, near Haarlem. In fact, I’ve been working in IT all my life. In the past I worked at suppliers such as Cap Gemini, Microsoft, Atos and IBM until I made the switch to the Broad Horizon group about a year and a half ago. I joined Broad Horizon as CCO for the group and in April 2021 I took overall charge of Broad Horizon Solutions. At the moment I am busy with my team setting up, designing and leading Focus Enterprise Solutions”, Andre begins his story.

What exactly does Focus Enterprise Solutions do?

“Focus Enterprise Solutions focuses on the implementation and management of Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management and Extended Banking (our own solution for processing bank statements) building on the knowledge and expertise we have gained in the past. Our history goes back to 1979 when Abecon, specialist in ERP systems, was founded.”

“We really want to be and remain a small-scale party that knows what is going on with its customers, and thinks along in the solutions of their challenges.”

Why was a new label chosen?

“The main reason for setting up the new label,” says Andre, “is that we want to position ourselves more clearly in the market. We notice from the market that the wishes of the customers are changing and we respond to that. We no longer want to be a party that does a lot of things reasonably well, but a ’boutique partner’ that does a number of specialist matters best. That is why changes have been made within Broad Horizon.

As a group, we have acquired GAC Business Solutions in the past year. This is a major supplier in the field of Business Central (BC) and Customer Engagement (CE), the Dynamics services around ERP and CRM solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. This is part of the service that Broad Horizon Solutions also offered. However, it does not make sense to allow these two companies with similar propositions and services to coexist in the Benelux; we can strengthen each other better and take a stronger position in the market through combined forces. That is why we have decided to market the BC and CE services as one specialized company from the GAC Business Solutions label.

In addition, we have set up Focus Enterprise Solutions, an organization in which we can fully focus on implementations of Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (Unified Operations, formerly known as F&O). In addition, we focus on Extended Banking, our own solution for processing bank statements.”

What will customers notice about these changes?

“The current business in the market and the customers who already use our services are the basis for Focus Enterprise Solutions. Hopefully they will notice a lot of these changes. Broad Horizon Solutions had a very broad range of services including Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, Business Central, Customer Engagement, Management Applications, Azure and intellectual property on a number of products. Now that we can fully focus on Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, Extended Banking and Managed Applications, we can significantly increase the quality of our services and build a much more intimate relationship with them.

That is why I use the word boutique: we really want to be and remain a small-scale party that knows what is going on with its customers, and thinks along in the solutions of their challenges. Our customers facevery specific challenges that need to be translated into the implementation of Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management. For that you have to understand how the business works. And that is precisely where we focus and make the difference for our customers: we bring our knowledge to help our customers find the best solution.”

“That focus on this part of the Dynamics family sets us apart in the market. We do not want to offer more services, like other parties. We want to specialize and become masters in the market.”

On what kind of companies do you focus?

“We focus on companies with multiple branches, often international, that are active in Retail, Fashion, Trade & Production, Finance or Publishing. This group of customers is called SME: the Small and Medium Enterprises. We do not necessarily think of companies the size of, for example, Philips, but rather of organizations in the top of SMEs, who need the implementation of a new ERP and a partner who really guides them in this. Broad Horizon Solutions has of course gained a lot of experience and knowledge in various sectors, and we know from experience that we can offer added value in multiple branches with our insights.”

What makes Focus Enterprise Solutions different from others?

“What really makes us different is the focus on a number of areas of Dynamics 365. We specialize in the implementation of Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management. Through Managed Applications, we will also help our customers with management. So we really think along with our customers from the very first step. We help them to set up exactly what they need, what the design should look like, of course with the implementation itself and then with the Managed Applications. And we don’ts tart with Managed Applications after the implementation has ended, we assist our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their system. With our own Extended Banking solution, we also offer a unique solution for handling bank statements in the administration. Microsoft does not offer a standard solution for this.

That focus on this part of the Dynamics family sets us apart in the market. We do not want to offer more services, like other parties. We want to specialize and become masters in the market.”

Why did you choose to join this new label?

“For me, it is a logical continuation of the work I have been working on in the past period, but with a new look. And I see that as a very cool opportunity for our group: we can really make a difference in the Dutch market, a market where there is a great need for this type of service. In addition, it also fits well with me as a person and professional. I like to rack my brains about questions like: ‘how can you help customers better?’, ‘how do you put this down?’ en ‘how can we further professionalize?’. These are issues that run like a theme through my career. I find it super interesting to see and discover what drives our customers and what keeps them awake at night. Because if you’re able to take that sting out of it for them, then you really make a difference. And that’s what I do it for!”

“Of course, we start with a flying start: we have a very nice customer base with whom we already have good relationships and a well-trained team. So that’s our foundation.

How do you guarantee the knowledge in the team?

“I think it is important that employees can continue to develop and follow the necessary training courses. Not only to be able to continue to advise our customers, but also to be able to continue to develop as a professional and in the meantime have fun with each other. This not only ensures that our current employees enjoy working at Focus Enterprise Solutions, but also makes us attractive as an employer for talent in the market. It’s a combination of both: I want to make Focus Enterprise Solutions a company where people are proud of their work. An organization with warmth, attention for the employees and the customer. That contributes an extra bit to the success.”

How are you going to achieve the ambition to become the Dynamics 365 specialist with the highest customer satisfaction in the market?

“Of course, we start with a flying start: we have a very nice customer base with whom we already have good relationships and a well-trained team. So that’s our foundation. Nevertheless, we will have to make ourselves well-known even more in the market so that companies immediately think of us when they start a process. For me, 2022 is the year of working on a solid foundation and of further professionalization. If we have our services at the desired level, and there is still room for improvement, we can continue to focus on controlled growth. Controlled, because I never want to put pressure on the quality of the implementation processes. We therefore opt for an approach together with the customer and also look at whether the customer suits us in terms of culture, challenges and profile. In the coming period, we will not only expand our number of extremely satisfied customers, but also attract new talent to cope with that growth.”

“I want to make Focus Enterprise Solutions a company where people are proud of their work. An organization with warmth, attention for the employees and the customer. That contributes an extra bit to the success.”

Where will Focus Enterprise Solutions be in 5 years?

“In 5 years’ time, we will be known in the market as the specialist or one of the specialists,” Andre concludes. “I don’t have the ambition to make Focus Enterprise Solutions the biggest, because then you get back into the problem of the lack of focus. I want to be and remain known in the market as that specialist party that a customer can really rely on for a successful implementation. And not only implementation, but also Managed Applications. We really want to make a difference with customers by continuously supporting. When strengthening their foundation through the ERP implementation. The result is excellent quality and high customer satisfaction. A partner who is always ready for her customers and where employees feel at home. If I am able to build this up in a challenging market together with my team in a few years, then I am extremely satisfied!”

In the coming weeks, more colleagues will introduce themselves via the ‘Introduce yourself’ section.

Do you want to know how Focus Enterprise Solutions can help you strengthen your foundation? Please contact us. We are happy to talk to you, to see how we can help you.

After reading this article, would you like to be part of the Focus Enterprise Solutions team? Take a look at our vacancies (in Dutch only) and apply!

This interview is part of the series ‘Introducing’.

Introducing: Paul de Bruijn, Consultant

Introducing: Bas Strijbos, Customer Coordinator (Support Consultant)

Introducing: Angelo Plasschaert, Developer

Introducing: Jeroen Huijsman, Financial en Supply Chain Consultant

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