STATER NV: e-Servicing strategies

After two years of online experiments, Tom van Vianen, CEO, felt certain it was time to fully implement STATER NV’s new “e-servicing” concept with a cohesive strategy. Established in 1997 in The Netherlands and headquartered in Amersfoort, STATER had 27 business clients and serviced over 80 different mortgage portfolios of more than 450,000 mainly residential loans in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Their mortgage service operations and information systems were considered state-of-the-art in 2002, but they were moving business online while simultaneously increasing the types of services provided and expanding operations into Spain, France, and Italy—within the next five years. In a land known for taming the forces of the sea, Tom faced what seemed like a sea of “e-uncertainty.” What exact roles should STATER play in an online loan market? How should they position themselves to lead in those roles? The E-Servicing Steering Committee looked to Tom to direct them, and he knew he needed a clear vision for the next steering committee meeting in two months, in May 2002.