Rogier Bakhuizen
Business Analyst

Thermotraffic felt that Rogier had a lot to offer so they created a new role for him. And it’s a role that he has embraced enthusiastically.

I studied Business Economics at the Hogeschool of Rotterdam and joined Thermotraffic in 2019 following a graduation internship with the company. The internship focused on process optimization and Thermotraffic asked me if I would like to stay. I am the first Business Analyst within the company so they created a new role for me. I work in the Finance department, which consists of 5 administrative employees, 3 controllers, a Finance Manager and myself.

A broad data role

My job involves analyzing financial and operational data and then making comments or suggestions to the management. For example, in terms of where we might be missing something in terms of data or where we can adjust processes to create a better data structure.

Towards the end of last year, Nichirei acquired Norish, a cold stores company in England. Thermotraffic also belongs to Nichirei Corporation. Within this process, I looked closely at what they do, what data they have, and what we want to know in terms of operational management and financial data. I sat down with the people there to discuss which data to track. We can see how this develops over time and whether or not we need to change something to improve it.

We did something similar in Kevin Hancock Ltd, a 50/50 partnership, shortly after I joined. We looked at how all the operational and financial processes ran there, including the description of the processes. This is necessary for ISO certification.’

Working with all layers

I sit down with the management, and also with the sales staff to look at the customer database and turnover per customer. I like that because it’s important to discuss operationally: “How do you do that and why do you do it that way?”

I also enjoy the range of activities. In Cold Storage, the work is purely physical, while in Freight Forwarding my colleagues are working mainly with paperwork and computer systems. They are two very different dynamics and demand very different views of processes.

Friendly and flexible

The working atmosphere here is informal and there is no ‘make an appointment’ mentality. Everyone is friendly and we talk to each other a lot in the corridors. It is also possible to work at home in agreement with your manager. Sometimes it is just handy to work at home if you really need to focus on something rather than working in a busy office. The working hours are flexible. For example, you can start any time between 7 and 9 in the morning as long as you make your hours.

Thermotraffic is an excellent employer and the working conditions are good in terms of the salary and a non-contributory pension. Also, you are encouraged to take courses and qualifications in your field. There is growth potential and there are challenges. That is important to me.