Springboard: Streamlining Operational Excellence 

What is Springboard?
Springboard is a Wolters Kluwer-wide initiative aimed at streamlining and simplifying processes as well as technology across the organization. The initiative was launched in February 2008 as the cornerstone of the organization’s Operational Excellence strategy. Having delivered early positive results, such as optimizing business processes and quality as well as optimizing spending, Wolters Kluwer has announced the acceleration of Springboard across the organization on November 5, 2008.

Why is Springboard important?

Springboard optimizes Wolters Kluwer’s operations as well as long term performance. Importantly, Springboard enables Wolters Kluwer to continue to address customer needs with high quality content, services, innovation, and technology. The program is relevant for all divisions, units, and disciplines. Springboard will drive the next wave of operational efficiencies by simplifying and standardizing the core systems and processes Wolters Kluwer uses.

Springboard allows Wolters Kluwer to free up resources to do what is clearly innovative and value creating for customers, shareholders and employees— a springboard for accelerating profitable growth.

What are the elements of Springboard?
There are four main workstreams within Springboard, each focused on simplifying and optimizing different areas of work.

• Multi-Generational Technology Plan - Moving away from a fragmented IT structure to a more standardized, compatible and effective IT applications portfolio across the entire organization;
• Content Supply Chain - Improving and optimizing processes around content creation  and manufacturing, in particular moving to next generation print and online publishing;
• Supplier Management - Optimizing how we source and manage our external suppliers and leveraging our efforts across divisions and business units;
• Offshoring - Expanding our work with external partners in new geographies and fields of expertise.

Accelerating Springboard
On November 5, 2008, the Executive Board announced that Wolters Kluwer is increasing the number of streamlining and modernizing initiatives building on the positive results so far. Springboard is implemented across the entire organization and one of the goals of the initiative is to leverage best practices across the organization, for each division, each unit and each discipline.