Our future

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Our future

Ready for the future

At the end of 2019, De Watergroep concluded its Meander reorganisation project. Over the course of two years, we evolved from a provincially controlled company to a customer-focused and process-oriented organisation. 

introductie foto Ready for the future

DIFFERENT APPROACH

This new organisational structure was mainly needed to enable us to respond to various changes in our society. “On the one hand, climate change is exerting pressure on water supply. That’s why we’re pursuing more diversity in our sources of water: no longer just ground and surface water, but rainwater and reused waste water too”, Director General Hans Goosens explains. “We’re evolving towards decentralised supply models, in which we work together with different water partners and companies. This calls for a different approach. On the other hand, new digital technologies are opening up more and more service opportunities. To make the most of these new possibilities, it is essential for our entire organisation to be on the same wavelength. Previously, each provincial division had its own approach. After Meander, everyone operates in accordance with the same customer, production and distribution processes.” 

GROWING TOGETHER

De Watergroep employs around 1,500 people, many of whom started a new role or saw the content of their current role change in 2019. “This transition demanded a lot from all of us”, Hans Goossens admits. “We provided hundreds of hours of training, mainly in the second half of 2019. Doing so enabled our people and our organisational structure to grow together. Of course, we have already had to make a few adjustments here and there, and we will continue to optimise the way we work in the coming years. The main advantage of our new organisational structure is that it leaves us much more flexible and able to respond to change. In other words: we are ready for the challenges of the future.”

meander

What has changed for customers and municipalities?

For municipalities

De Watergroep has evolved from seventeen sectoral service centres to ten distribution zones. Each of these zones has a Realisations and Relationship Management zone manager, who is the first point of contact for municipalities.

For customers

Through our website with its associated customer zone, we are furthering our commitment to digital service provision. Customers can now perform the most common transactions online at a time of their choosing. For more specific questions, we remain at their disposal by telephone.

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