Melissa Kooke is part of the Business Development team on concept development for high-end corporates and real-estate companies, what D&B The Facility Group focuses on. The focal point is on optimizing the guest experience and facilitating employees. The two keywords, Melissa says, are hospitality and customization.
D&B The Facility Group put Melissa Kooke in charge of concept development earlier this year. Since then, creating innovative concepts has become a structural part of the facilities service provider’s operations. Melissa studied hospitality management and has worked at a number of different food sector companies. She joined D&B five years ago as food scout for their We Canteen food court, and in 2020 was promoted to bid manager. “I was always fascinated by how a business concept can be implemented in office spaces”, Melissa says. “In the food sector, you use flavour and scent to craft an experience, but you can achieve the same thing in an office building. That’s something I love thinking about.”
As bid manager, Melissa discovered the sheer number of different services D&B offers to shape experiences. “I realized there were many more ideas to develop great initiatives, but there was no time and focus to tackle these. Now, in my role as concept development manager, I can pour all my energy into that.’’
Changing needs The way we work has changed significantly in recent years. Partly due to technological advances, and partly out of a growing concern for employee wellbeing and sustainability. “Hybrid working is the new standard and there is more interest in corporate social responsibility”, Melissa observes. “The increased focus on employee health and interest in sustainability have changed the way offices are being used. It’s crucial that D&B offers services aligned to that.”
Customer experience and innovation Renewal and innovation are important topics at D&B. The company is always exploring new ways to optimize the guest experience, particularly through technology. “Technology can help make services more efficient. For example, we’ve been testing with a real-life holographic remote host. At the moment we are developing the functionality of the remote host and customize the solution per client. What matters is adding value to the guest experience without compromising on quality.”
Sustainability is also becoming an increasing priority for companies. D&B was recently awarded level 3 certification on the Dutch CSR Performance Ladder. “Though we’re a small player in the facility services field, we want to do all we can to make a difference. Vegan and vegetarian menu options are a key part of that, and so is reducing food waste. We are giving workshops and trainings to our Chefs to increase the competence in cooking vegetarian and vegan food.
Another development that we’re working on is 3D printing meat alternatives together with Redefined Meat.”
“With every innovation we ask ourselves: how does this contribute to the guest experience?”
Customization At the heart of every concept D&B develops is optimizing the guest experience. “That ties in with our hospitality mission, which is woven into all D&B’s services. That’s why we always ask ourselves, how does this renewal or innovation contribute to the guest experience?” Melissa explains. “At the same time, we’re dedicated to facilitating and supporting employees.”
In Rotterdam, D&B is providing services for WTC Rotterdam and Groot Handelsgebouw, among others. When developing concepts, Melissa says: “For any given location, we assess what the needs are and how we can best meet them. One size does not fit all. Rather, our motto is: ‘One size fits one’. There is a big difference between the kind of experience you create in a multi-tenant building with a bunch of different tenants as opposed to a corporate where the company culture and its services must be a consistent experience throughout the office building.”
This article is published earlier in RCD magazine.
Over D&B The Facility Group
D&B The Facility Group is multi service facilitair dienstverlener. en is gevestigd in Amstelveen. Het bedrijf verzorgt een breed palet aan diensten voor corporate kantoren en hoogwaardige vastgoedomgevingen met als doel een beleving te creëren die positief bijdraagt aan hoe mensen in hun vel zitten. Oplossingen van D&B zijn altijd maatwerk, omdat geen organisatie of gebouw hetzelfde is. Er werken ’ca. duizend medewerkers bij D&B.
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