Company Name: Ateliers du Bocage
Location: France, Europe
Industry: Services, Cooperative, Retail
Established: 1992
Company Size: 100+
Odoo Users: 100+
Hosting Type: On Premise
Apps: CRM, Subscriptions, Quality, Website, eCommerce, Point of Sale, Maintenance, Manufacturing, Inventory, Sales, Purchase.
Implementing Partner: Subteno
Ateliers du Bocage, a social enterprise and member of the Emmaüs movement in France, chose to modernize its aging and inefficient management system. With the support of integrator Subteno, Odoo’s ERP was gradually implemented to centralize data and automate workflows. This transformation led to a significant improvement in data reliability and productivity, with gains of up to 30% in certain positions.
A drive to modernize workflows and operations management
Founded in 1992 in France, Ateliers du Bocage are both a cooperative company of collective interest (SCIC) and an adapted work integration enterprise, member of the Emmaüs movement.
Driven by a commitment to collectively transform ways of working and consuming, the organization supports social, environmental, and digital transitions to promote a more sustainable economic model. With a workforce of 200 employees, the company supports around one hundred individuals each year through activities such as the reuse and recycling of IT equipment, the manufacturing and recycling of wooden pallets, the maintenance of green and natural spaces, or else the management of second-hand books.
Using a fragmented and aging management system, Ateliers du Bocage gradually faced the risk that it could no longer be maintained and would become obsolete. Also, the ecosystem of disconnected tools created numerous obstacles to managing operations efficiently.
To continue fulfilling its core mission—promoting people and actively contributing to social inclusion—while operating in competitive markets, the company chose to modernize its management system with several key objectives in mind:
Ensure full traceability of workflows and interventions in both B2B and B2C contexts
Control the cost price of each project
Equip and strengthen management oversight
During the implementation project construction phase, the team consulted several providers and explored multiple ERP solutions before ultimately selecting Odoo. Indeed, Odoo proved to be the solution that best met their needs, while also requiring lower integration costs than other platforms.
©Tim Fox
A structured and gradual implementation of Odoo’s all-in-one solution
Before starting the implementation of a new management software, a crucial preparatory phase was carried out. It was essential to map existing processes, define detailed specifications, and then select both a solution and an integration partner.
Subteno was chosen as the implementation partner to properly configure Odoo. A strong emphasis was placed on a high-quality deployment strategy, rolling out the solution module by module, with clear communication around progress and observed benefits. The goal was also to support teams throughout the transition to ensure the project would be embraced and driven by everyone.
In 2023, the interface was officially introduced to employees. The initial focus was on a specific business activity—namely telephony—and a major client. At first, it was decided to deploy only the Inventory and Stock applications to consolidate production processes. Subsequently, configurations and integrations were carried out with other modules such as CRM, Invoicing, Sales, and more. The workflows were then gradually extended to other telephony clients, and finally to the other business units of Ateliers du Bocage.
The next step involves implementing sales management to centralize quotation creation, coordinate inventory, and handle incoming orders from online channels, in-store purchases, and more.
Up to 30% increase in productivity for certain workstations
High-quality and tailored to the needs of Ateliers du Bocage, Odoo’s software solution has brought a range of benefits:
A 30% increase in productivity observed in certain roles, partly due to Odoo;
Improved reliability of data and reporting, with the transition from manually created files to reports automatically consolidated by Odoo based on a robust initial configuration;
Reduction of manual data entry, and therefore a lower risk of errors, thanks to data consolidation and workflow automation;
Significant time savings in certain production and administrative processing roles;
Centralization of operations and information, with a single tool used by employees, simplifying and improving collective case management.
©Tim Fox
"Odoo is a true revolution, in a positive way. The tool has fully delivered the expected positive impact, and has even exceeded expectations. We were so satisfied with the solution that we expanded the initially planned scope of deployment by considering moving our eCommerce sites to Odoo. It is a modern, intuitive, and flexible platform that brings us great satisfaction.” — Sarah Maisonneuve, Deputy Director in charge of digital activities at Ateliers du Bocage
Investing in the deployment of Odoo’s all-in-one solution for managing their operations now enables Ateliers du Bocage to make significant progress in how they operate. A great deal of time, energy, and resources have been—and are still being—dedicated to the project in order to build solid foundations. This opens up promising future prospects, allowing the organization to fully focus on its core business.
