Ouwehands Zoo is an organisation with a wide variety of spend categories: from catering supplies and ingredients to animal feed, and from furniture and facility services to project furnishings. That diversity makes the procurement landscape complex. And because departments place many of their own orders, a way of working has emerged with a wide range of suppliers, ordering patterns and pricing agreements.
Before moving to Ouwehands, Daan worked at a catering organisation where procurement was centrally organised. Although that structure was efficient, it limited his involvement. “I missed the conversations with suppliers. I wanted to understand where margins come from and how agreements are formed.”
At Ouwehands, he was given the space to actively work on procurement issues. “I asked around, and Nevi kept coming up in the recommendations. Nevi 1 immediately matched what I was looking for. The programme is practical, interactive and easy to combine with a management role.” His expectation was that the programme would give him a solid foundation to make better decisions and enter procurement discussions with stronger arguments.
In his first months at Ouwehands, Daan was handed several major three‑year contracts, including those for beer and soft drinks. He had to negotiate these without the full Nevi toolbox, as he had not yet taken the negotiation module.
Even so, he was able to apply insights from the Basic Procurement module straight away. He broadened his scope, explored alternatives and engaged with multiple suppliers. He also had price information from four different providers, which allowed him to enter discussions with solid justification. “We managed to reduce quite a bit of hectolitre discount. For someone at the start of their procurement career, it’s great to see that this approach works.”
At the same time, he reflects critically on his own process. The negotiation lessons came just after these contract rounds, which made him recognise missed opportunities only afterwards. “In the end, I relied heavily on the relationship. I might have been able to apply more pressure or take more control if I had been sharper in my preparation. I also learned that you need to ensure suppliers come to you. Be ready, be prepared, and let them speak first. That way, you can map out the supplier’s strategy and interests much faster. I’ll definitely take that into the next negotiation cycle.”
“On the first day I thought: I’m not the only one who isn’t a traditional buyer.”Daan Huberts
In addition to the course content, Daan quickly noticed how valuable the group itself is. “On the first day I thought: I’m not the only one who isn’t a traditional buyer. The group consists of people from a wide range of sectors, from large international companies to smaller organisations. One person buys oil worldwide for billions, while another works at an installation company. That variety brings different perspectives and creates a network that is genuinely useful.”
That sense of community is strengthened by the way participants actively help each other, both during and outside the lessons. “Through the online platform, you can easily ask fellow buyers a question. Sometimes someone shares a summary or a useful tool, something others can immediately build on. The examples used in the lessons also align well with practice. The trainer has experience with suppliers who also deliver to Ouwehands, which makes the situations discussed in class very recognisable.”
Partly thanks to the programme and the perspectives of other participants, Daan now sees what could be gained in the long term if procurement at Ouwehands were organised differently. “Nothing is centralised yet. Everyone orders for themselves,” he says. He sees this reflected in ad‑hoc orders via Bol.com, different suppliers for similar products and hidden costs. “Many people don’t realise what costs sit behind a simple order. You think: I want this, this is my supplier, but there’s much more behind it.”
For him, this underlines the need to consolidate more and justify choices better. “Ordering something quickly always costs money,” he says. By centralising annually recurring products, better agreements can be made, with clearer conditions and less time wasted.
Daan sees Nevi 1 as a valuable programme for anyone looking to strengthen their procurement role. The combination of theory, practical examples and diversity in the classroom makes the programme suitable for both beginners and lateral entrants who encounter procurement issues. “It’s a good foundation if you want to find out whether procurement suits you, or if you already have responsibility but want more depth,” he says. “I’d also like to take Nevi 2, once I’ve embedded the knowledge from Nevi 1 within the organisation.”