The Neways executives give me a lot of space and they trust me.
At fast-growing Neways, Iris Chang ensures that employees, processes and logistics grow with the company in the best possible way. “When you want to make changes, it’s important to get people along on that journey,” she says.
“I have a logistics background and have worked at Neways since January 2023. My official title is Chief of Staff to COO Steven Soederhuizen, more specifically I focus on improving supply chain management. One of the projects I am currently working on is at Neways Advanced Applications. NAA is a rapidly growing operating company of Neways and when a company grows you have to look closely at the organization in terms of people, processes and logistics so that they grow with it optimally and in a cost efficient way.”
“When you want to make changes, the key is to get people on that journey with you.”
Iris Chang
Growing together
“When you want to make changes, the key is to get people on that journey with you. On the one hand you look at the bigger picture of where you want to go, but on the other hand you also have to zoom in and keep both feet on the ground.
For example, do we understand what these changes require from a planner, a buyer, what limitations they face and how do we help them grow with us?
If you want to grow you look at the data, but also at the human side. There is no point in just giving them a key performance indicator (KPI), that only has short-term impact. Because if we don’t listen to why the people who are on the executive side can’t meet a KPI, we only cause frustration. So for example, I’ll go into a conversation with a planner and ask about the processes used, why they do what they do and how they do it. If they run into a wall I will sit next to them so they can explain to me what they are up against. To do that I have to be able to go into depth so I can help remove roadblocks. If I understand what you are doing I can give tips that we can look at together. I’m not there to judge, but to help and most importantly give confidence. And I explain that certain ways of doing things don’t always lead to the desired direction and include them in the thought process.”
Giving confidence
“I am involved in multiple improvement projects at Neways, including internationally.
I enjoy supporting teams in making an impact with improvements. Meanwhile, the Neways executives give me a lot of space and trust me. That is a very strong message. They don’t micromanage but give direction and trust the way I do my work. I experience that as incredibly positive. Give me space within certain limits and I will come up with the solution.”