1. Integrating economic statistics in the Netherlands
Bert Kroese

2. The chain of economic statistics (old)
Short-term turn-over statistics
 Quarterly turnover  annual turnover
Quarterly National Accounts
 Quarterly GDP-growth  annual GDP-growth
Production statistics
National Accounts

3. Changing the chain: main goals
Quality improvement
smaller revisions
better consistency between statistics
consistent treatment large enterprises wrt globalization
Higher efficiency
(target -20%)
Lower response burden
Easier to maintain software programs

4. Main changes (1): better use of administrative sources
Quarterly VAT-data for small and medium enterprises (700,000 units)
Surveys for largest 8,500 units
Improved linking with administrative sources by introduction of new version of statistical unit

5. Main changes (2): more methodological coherence
Quarterly turnover data based on pratically complete coverage, used for…
Growth estimates STS, QNA and first annual estimates NA
Level estimates SBS and final annual growth estimates NA
Monthly estimates based on model to extrapolate quarterly data using monthly survey data for largest enterprises. Made consistent with quarterly estimates.
Special organisational unit for consistent data on the largest 350 enterprises (8500 units)

6. Main changes (3): streamlining processes
Focussing resources
Interactive editing only after top-downanalysis
More extensive use of automatic editing routines
Manual profiling only for largest enterprises
Top-down analysis and better tools for QNA and NA (e.g. automated balancing)
Better use of reference data from other processes
Better communication between processes on analysis and editing decisions.
No double work
Improved chain management

7. Necessary conditions
Redesign of basic processes in one integrated approach, using Business Architecture
A well co-ordinated transition by managing individual projects as part of an overall programme`.
Professional projectmanagement
A re-organisation to adapt the structure to the changes in processes
Creating a “Chain culture”

8. Business Architecture
Process A
Process B
Steady state 1
Steady state 2
Process step
Steady state 3
Exchange data between processes
Steady state 2
Implement new module
an important part of the programme is the architecture. Instead of ”stovepipes” for each individual statistic, the architecture defines several “steady states” in the processes, in which the statistical data have a well-defined status. The first steady state is of course raw data, the final one publications data
The statistical processes are split up in process steps, that take the data from one steady state to the next one.
This architecture facilitates the use of data from one process in another one
Process step
Steady state 3 8
Statistic Netherlands 8

9. Lesson learned Business Architecture is crucial and provides
the coherence between the individual processes
the possibility of a stepwise implementation
a logical breakdown of redesign projects
the outline of a new organisational structure
The 80/20-rule: focussing on what matters most on the final result leads to a lot of efficiency
Using VAT-data creates the possibility of an integral quarterly turnover dataset that links all estimates together

10. Visualisation of business architecture
Coherent; modular; flexible; room for diversity

11. Chain management Use of business register for all statistics involved
Explicit agreements on deliveries in the chain
Co-ordinated approach to changes in units, correction of errors et cetera
Practical procedures for handling incidents as well as major changes
Chain management group with representatives from all units for communication, monitoring and co-ordination, with a chain manager to support this process

12. Creating a chain culture
Branch working groups with experts from all departments involved
Workshops to discuss various aspects of the chain process with the workfloor
Chain management game
Explicit and transparant feedback en feedforward
Open communication

13. Main new processes and flows
Business register
Consistency largest enterprises
Direct estimates turnover
Production statistics (SBS)
Integration: National Accounts
Integration: Quarterly NA

14. Production statisticsNA
Large enterprises
Production statistics
BusinessRegister
QNA
Data exchange points
Turnover
Data collection
The new chain of economic statistics in a nutshell