Odeolis – Alliance ERP Consultancy Case Study

THE CLIENT

Name: Odéolis
Sector: IT Services
Location: Aix-en-Provence and across France

THE CHALLENGE

The client wished to update their old, text based bespoke system that had been developed in house over many years, together with dozens of departmental developed Access databases and other tools – requiring a large IT support team to keep the system running. Whilst this system was clearly outdated, the system met the client’s needs and was appreciated by the users, many of whom had used the system for 20+ years. Probably the biggest challenge in this project was to manage the vast change required in migrating to a modern graphic based system.

ACTIONS
We accompanied the client from the initial pre-sales opportunity, all the way through implementation, consolidation and exploitation – working with and gaining the confidence of the Directors and Key Users to design, create and deliver the solution in Alliance. Key tasks we performed:
Led workshops with the Key Users, identifying all requirements.
Designed the solution, ensuring all functions were integrated to ensure a seamless process from Sales, through Contracts, Field Service Interventions, Logistics, Reverse Logistics, Invoicing and Vendor Management.
Managed several custom developments of Alliance, a Logistics Portal add-on, and all automations. We tested, bug-fixed, and implemented these changes into the Alliance standard solution.
Wrote Operating Manuals and trained the Key Users.
Supported the implementation once it was live.
Consolidated and expanded on the solution, after go-live – adding client interfaces, PowerBI reporting, the Customer Portal, and new automations to increase operational efficiency.
Trained the client’s IT department, throughout the course of the project, so that they can now support the solution in house.
We continue to act as the expert support for this client’s solution, advising on upgrades and new functionality. The client continues to use us to manage upgrade projects, knowing that their requirements will be respected and the solutions delivered are durable.
RESULTS
In partnership with Six-Axe and the client’s IT team, we replaced an old, text-based system attached to many separate custom and third-party tools, Access databases, that had been developed over 20 years by each department. This combination of tools required a large IT team to support it.
The client now has an integrated Service Management system that manages all aspects of their business, with Alliance acting as the “one stop shop” for all reporting and KPIs.
The solution has been adopted by their users who now understand the importance, and benefits, of working collaboratively together in one single ERP application.
A solution based on the “standard” functionality of Alliance, and “standard” APIs that integrate into it.
The system is supported by an in-house team that have been trained on how to use it, and an integrator that understands it.
BENEFITS
We understood at the beginning of the project the client’s requirement to (a) modernise and (b) simplify their systems. Over several years, with many challenges particularly in respect of Change Management, the client now has a joined up, integrated solution that links all their business processes. Having worked at all times in accordance with the client’s strategy, they are now reaping the following benefits:-

An IT support team of 1 person, instead of 7 previously. (And this one person spends most of the time creating reports – adding value – rather than simply supporting users).

As the solution is “standard”, future upgrades will be as simple as possible – there are no custom developed applications / interfaces that will require re-engineering in future versions of Alliance.
One system, instead of dozens of third-party applications and in-house developments
All departments are now working together
Use of customer portals – an off the shelf customer portal
A modern system that is durable, and easily upgradable
CLIENT SAYS

  • Consulting 101’s involvement was decisive in achieving the delicate feat of linking the needs of the operational business lines and translating them into functional specifications.

    Toby’s approach of workshops to define the needs, followed by short iterations of implementation, inspired by agile methods, has enabled us to effectively support change management in a medium-sized company where operational staff carry out the project while continuing to work on a daily basis.

    The result is that the information system has become a much more efficient support for our business processes, which Toby has himself helped to transform. Our customers are now connected by high-performance Webservices that provide reliability, time savings and real-time monitoring of interventions.

    Jean-Baptiste Quelquejay - Sales and IT Director