18. The Value Proposal to the Clients

Andersen’s clients truly encountered a Firm that strived to fulfill their commitment beyond its limits. That was something unusual; still is.

Andersen made itself to Exceed clients’ expectations. Contributing ideas, valid solutions to the client’s problems, further than the strict fulfillment of the agreed engagement, was very much in the Firm’s and its professionals’ DNA. Auditors, consultants and tax advisors took pains to find solutions and their ideas used to positively surprise the clients. The eagerness for solutions was not a mere slogan, but was rooted in the Firm’s culture. The professionals were admired and appreciated for their contributions. And that appreciation was not limited to partners and managers but reached also seniors and assistants.

In fact a virtuous circle was reproduced: the Firm encouraged teams to give customers the best of themselves, so the client received more than expected, and valued highly the work done. Since clients valued its work higher than the competitors’, the Firm kept growing, and could give new career opportunities to its employees. This drove them on their turn to strive still more in their clients’ benefit, and so on.

This virtuous circle was good for all the participants. Its breeding ground was no doubt the Firm’s powerful model, supported by the seven columns: unity, integrity, cooperation, ambition, talent, service and results.

All the elements were interlinked so that the client (same for the professional and the partner) felt the model was smoothly working to his benefit.

Unity provided the client with the uniformity in the Firm’s professional work anywhere in the world and in any of the practices. The “Andersen” seal.

Integrity ensured the client that the Firm would denounce any management circumstance that was found inadequate, no letting anybody influence against its professional and moral judgment. Some clients (the bad ones and not many) were not happy with this Andersen culture’s trait. But accepting clients that do not let us act as we think we should is to sign our own death sentence.

Cooperation brought a global Firm for the price of a local Firm. The clients had access to the Firm’s knowledge and resources anywhere in the world, through a local working team, thanks to the cooperation culture between offices all over the world. From a small office in a small town there was access to the Firm’s data base and to the power of a global Firm. One call or one visit to the other side of the world was attended to with all diligence and sympathy at any moment.

Ambition provided the clients, especially in emergent countries like Spain at that time, with the absence of complexes and prejudices when approaching their business development or solution to their problems. At Andersen, perhaps because of the North American heritage, one thought grand and in style, without inhibitions, the American way. Truly. The limits were set in later on, but first the search was for the best global solution. Without inhibition. Often, clients let themselves be carried on and were thankful for this approach.

And not always the globally best solutions were out of the clients’ reach, even in companies based in small countries like Spain.

Andersen provided global solutions for the future to many companies in many industries, in Spain and in other countries. Solutions that have endured the test of time and that have done much for those countries’ economic progress.

In the case of Spain we believe that we can say, without doubt, that an important part of the country’s development, of the international surge of Spanish-based multinationals and even of the new position of Spain as an emergent global power, is Andersen’s merit.

Andersen has directly taken part for instance in:

• development of the stock exchange,
• development of the tax model and the system of the Spanish tax administration agency, a worldwide example,
• development of the banking industry at all levels, from accounting to organizational structure and strategy, including systems, again an example to the world, with companies like Santander or BBVA, Andersen’s customers, among the biggest in the world,
• development of the Spain’s electrical utilities system, taking part in the design of the pricing system and in the mergers and development of the electrical power producers, creating worldwide leaders like, Iberdrola, Endesa or Unión Fenosa,
• development of the construction and infrastructure industry, helping in the creation of the main building companies from their early steps to their development in all aspects, until becoming world leaders with the size and reputation of ACS, FCC, Acciona, Ferrovial and many others,
• privatization of big national companies coming from the state-owned Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) holding, such as Repsol, whose CEO is an exArthur, Antonio Brufau.