The Alignment Puzzle - Business Engineering for Aligned Organizations

The Alignment Model - Five Puzzle Pieces

The five pieces of the alignment puzzle

The core of any company is its primary process. That is where customer value is created. It is the business engineer's job to optimize the process and design the control in such a way that the strategy becomes reality. That is no easy task. In practice, it often turns out that there is little or no well-defined strategy. In that case, it all starts with developing a solid strategy for commerce and the supply chain.

The organization, with all its management layers and meeting structures, together with the information systems, makes up the way this governance is put into practice. Their design should follow from the control model—not the other way around.

The Authors

"This is the book we wish we had read when we were students."

Hans Veltman

Hans Veltman holds a Master's degree in Business Engineering & Management from the University of Twente and a Master's in Information Management from Tilburg University. He began his career in 1989 as a consultant in IT and Supply Chain at IPL-TNO. In 1996, he founded Every Angle Software Solutions, a company focused on developing intelligent decision-support software for SAP environments. By combining deep knowledge of ERP systems, business processes, and smart algorithms, the software helped organizations operate more efficiently and effectively. Over the course of his career, Hans has advised many companies, including well-known names like Hunter Douglas, Heineken, Honeywell, DSM, Philips, Cargill, Coats, and PPG.

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Jacques Adriaansen

Jacques Adriaansen holds a Master's degree in Scientific Computing Applications from Hasselt University. He began his career in 1978 as an IT specialist with the Belgian National Police, where he gained experience in software engineering and operational management. In 1986, he joined IPL-TNO-TUE—a joint venture between TNO and Eindhoven University of Technology—where he was appointed Director in 1995. In 1998, Jacques became a Director at Magnus Management Consultants, working as an organizational advisor on SAP implementation projects. Since 2002, Jacques has worked as an independent organizational consultant. He co-founded Every Angle Software Solutions and served in multiple roles between 2015 and 2021, including CEO, Consulting Manager, and Director of the Every Angle Academy. Jacques has a passion for sharing knowledge and enjoys engaging with business professionals as a sought-after speaker at conferences and events, as well as an in-company trainer. Over the course of his career, he has advised numerous companies, including members of the Central Association of Furniture Manufacturers, Elopak, KLM Catering Services, Philips Consumer Services, and Ericsson.

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Peter Morren

Peter Morren holds a Master's degree in Business Engineering & Management from the University of Twente. He began his career in 1982 at Fokker Aircraft and later worked for several consulting firms. Peter specializes in helping clients improve performance in their daily operations—by simplifying business processes and aligning planning methods with supporting information systems. His motto: ‘Complexity happens on its own; simplicity must be designed.’ He is an expert in innovation and organizational change, with a focus on aligning structures and systems with operational processes. Over the course of his long career, Peter has worked with a wide range of clients, from small businesses to large enterprises. Some of the better-known names include Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, DSM, Fokker Services, KLM, Kone, Perfetti van Melle, Stork, Stryker, and Teijin.

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Rob Kwikkers

Rob Kwikkers (born 1954) studied Industrial Engineering (B.Eng.) at HTS Dordrecht, Industrial Engineering & Management Science (M.Sc.) at Eindhoven University of Technology, and earned his MBA at the University of Michigan, USA. In 1987, he completed his Ph.D. there with a dissertation on modeling uncertainty in extended supply chains. Since 1987, Rob has worked as a consultant, director, and partner at IPL Advies in Veldhoven, a consultancy specializing in control and information systems for logistics and supply chain management. Since 2003, he has also served part-time as Professor of Supply Chain Management at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Venlo. In addition, he was a lecturer in the Master's programs in Logistics & Supply Chain Management (L&SCM) and Business Engineering (MBE) at NCOI in Hilversum. From 2014 to 2018, Rob was Secretary of the European Certification Board for Logistics (ECBL) within the European Logistics Association (ELA). He has taught at the Rotterdam School of Management and the Bled School of Management, as well as in executive training programs for companies such as Philips Lighting and Consumer Electronics, ING, and CRH. Rob specializes in supply chain management and the application of information systems in dynamic environments with complex organizational structures. In discussions, he is known for always drawing the perfect example from his seemingly endless collection of business cases. His motto: ‘Nothing is as practical as a good theory.’

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A New Foundation for Business Engineering

The Alignment Puzzle introduces three core principles that transform how organizations operate.

1

Long-term Cash Flow

Focus on long-term cash flow, not short-term profit. Sustainable success comes from understanding the true drivers of financial health.

2

Core Process Design

Design the business around the core process, not departments or functions. Break down silos by following how value actually flows.

3

Collective Performance

Manage for alignment and collective performance, not individual results. When teams work in sync, the whole outperforms the sum of its parts.

Say goodbye to classic assumptions

Managing based on net cash flow and collective results creates organizations that are not only far more efficient and better at moving the needle, but also much more enjoyable places to work.

Organizations become more efficient, agile, and better places to work when all parts move in the same direction.

Business Engineering - The Alignment Puzzle

Strategy Without Supply Chain Strategy Isn't a Strategy

Many companies lack a clear strategy that helps managers make daily decisions — a compass pointing forward consistently. Good strategy defines both customer promises and fulfillment methods, forming true alignment.

Designing strong strategy:

Choose commercial strategy (Product Leadership, Operational Excellence, etc.)
Define your CODP (Customer Order Decoupling Point) carefully, dividing the core process into Upstream (prepare for orders) and Downstream (fulfill the orders)
Define the Upstream strategy, balancing cash outflow with value creation
Repeat for Downstream

Document consequences clearly so everyone understands and acts accordingly. A good strategy becomes a shared compass driving effectiveness, productivity, and employee engagement.