Non-profitOf all the sectors in the Netherlands, the non-profit sector is - next to commercial service providers - the one that uses information most intensively. Non-profit organisations and government bodies are increasingly focusing on the valorisation of knowledge. Knowledge transfer is turning out to be quite profitable and leads to new or improved technologies, new products, product/market combinations, and spin-offs.
In discussions of the market, a differentiation is often made between the profit or business sector, on one hand, and the non-profit sector on the other. There is definitely a difference in principle between the profit and non-profit sector. In the business sector, profit is the main goal of the business activities, which are undertaken in order to satisfy the needs and solve the problems of customers. In the non-profit sector, we have the reverse situation: the goal of the organisational activities is to satisfy the needs and/or solve the problems of the target groups. Money is no more than a means of realising that goal.
Demand-driven service
If non-profit organisations are to continue meeting the social goals they set for themselves, they will have to switch from providing services based on predefined results to a demand-driven service model. This requires a focus on the customer rather than on the services to be provided.Present social trends are such that the “consumer” of these services has much clearer expectations regarding the services. This implies that the organisation must reflect on what kinds of demands can be expected in future from society in order to be able to respond proactively to future social trends.
This requires non-profit organisations to be flexible in their approach, as a proactive stance demands a rapid response to changing social needs.
Vision and approach
Tri-ennium has developed a vision and approach in line with the above developments. Accordingly, we have worked out a package of products and services in the area of shared services, chain integration and administrative outsourcing in the form of Service Offerings for non-profit organisations.
