Is experience our best teacher? Student ‘Agrarian Business Administration’, Jorrit Wielenga, questioned this during his internship. In the search for new markets for Waterman Onions, he didn’t base his conclusion on the knowledge and experience of the Sales department, but on numbers and figures.

15 factors
What are the most promising export countries for Waterman Onions at this moment? That was the question he wanted to answer with his graduation research. “I made a model for this, consisting of fifteen different factors. I then assigned every factor with figures based on various studies. And purely with these figures I ultimately based my conclusions.”

He presented these conclusions to the board and the Sales department of Waterman Onions and to the graduation supervisor from his school. “Get inspired by the numbers, is my message to Waterman. Of course, I know that experience is priceless, because you cannot describe everything in numbers. However, it is important to acknowledge the numbers and take both in consideration.”

A different view
Internship supervisor Henri Hendrikse, Sales Manager at Waterman Onions, is happy with the research. “As an outsider, Jorrit has looked with a very open and different view at our company and the markets in which we operate. That is great to discover and also very valuable. This numerical research makes us more aware of things that we sometimes take for granted. For example, we have now been given an extra reason to get in contact with certain countries and we are now switching to action faster than planned.”

Speaking of numbers
Jorrit has, of course, been assessed for his thesis and has earned a big 8 out of 10. “Diploma in the pocket, although I don’t feel I’m ready for the working life yet. So, I’m going to study another year and hopefully find a job in Sales after that. Maybe at Waterman Onions. Who knows. It is a wonderful company. I would be honored!”