Excent centralizes its supplier RFQs around the world with Weproc
Industrie
Localisation
Taille d’entreprise
About Excent
Founded in 1990, eXcent, designer and integrator of industrial solutions supports the industrialization projects of the largest clients in the aeronautics, automotive, rail, energy, defence, space or even naval.
Thanks to its design offices and field engineers, eXcent adapts to the needs of its customers by internalizing or outsourcing its skills. Its range of expertise allows it to cover the entire production chain (Industrial Engineering, Research Equipment, Lean Manufacturing, Robotics) and also cross-functional services (Quality, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Training and MOE/MOA of buildings industrial).
More than just a manufacturer, eXcent stands out for its innovation and its desire to develop its own patented products within the e.Nov cell by adapting to the needs of its customers regardless of their sectors of activity.
Before Weproc
Purchasing management at Excent was very fragmented and decentralized. Supplier RFQs were carried out by email or telephone, without centralization or appropriate follow-up.
The main difficulty encountered was the management of cross-functional purchases and project purchases, which are more like the supply chain than simple purchases. There was a lack of a clear link between the overall purchasing strategy and the day-to-day interactions with suppliers in the field.
Even at the purchasing management level, there were no automated KPIs to measure the performance of the purchasing function.
Before Weproc, some departments used a tool to manage RFQs, but it was too complex to be deployed on a large scale. In addition, it was not the most user-friendly and did not necessarily correspond to the needs of the whole group.
The challenge
A way had to be found to track and centralize all RFQs in one place: monitoring suppliers and information was becoming complex due to the fact that all information was decentralized.
As the company grew at breakneck speed, the number of RFQs only increased. Excent has several sites in France, but also around the world. A way had to be found to track and centralize all RFQs in one place: tracking suppliers and tracking information became complex due to the fact that all information was decentralized. This is how Arnaud and his team decided to find a smart and simple solution to track and manage RFQS efficiently, with the aim of centralizing all information and thus saving time throughout the entire procedure.
Have visibility on supplier RFQs
A solution had to be found that would allow the creation, management and monitoring of all the company’s RFQs. Collaboration was not required with follow-up on several media. The solution had to save time for all teams in order to optimize the purchasing process.
Standardize the RFQ process
With establishments all over the world without a tool that centralizes all the information, each entity had its own way of operating. The tool had to be able to bring together all the end users, in order to have a single and same framed procedure.
Mastering the supplier panel
Due to the fact that the RFQs were made on different media, it was difficult to follow and analyze the supplier panel. It was necessary to be able to bring together all the information in one and the same place: to be able to quickly check the workload of suppliers during the call for tenders phase, and to know in real time which suppliers have responded, or who are in waiting.
To solve these problems, the implementation of purchasing software was considered. In addition, this solution would also make it easier to manage change, in particular for the handling and use of the software, as well as for collaboration with external suppliers. Finally, the ability to quickly check the cost of suppliers during the call for tenders phase and to ensure the compliance of purchasing practices with a view to promoting responsible purchasing were also factors to be taken into account in the choosing a new solution.
“We already had a tool to manage RFQs in one of our departments, but it was too complex to use to make it adhere to the entire group.”
Arnaud Cahuzac, Responsable Achats Groupe chez Excent
Why Excent chose Weproc
The results were instantaneous, in particular thanks to a global visibility on the progress of the RFQs which was not possible before.
Excent was looking for a reliable system that could work for the whole group. We needed a software that was simple to use, but effective. The implementation of a project of such a scale in a company like Excent is not easy, change management and support were important criteria to take into account.
Customer service and proximity
Weproc was able to offer a local customer support and implementation service, a simple interface and modules adapted to meet Excent’s needs. In addition, the added value provided by Weproc was a determining factor in the choice of an eProcurement solution.
Weproc’s responsive team and flexibility
Weproc’s ability to listen and flexibility were greatly appreciated by Excent when setting up the project.
Ease of use (internal side and supplier side)
The Weproc tool was appreciated for its ease of use, both internally and with suppliers. In addition, no connection was required on the supplier side, which made it even easier to use the tool.
“The Weproc team was attentive throughout the implementation. Working in project mode really facilitated internal adoption.”
Arnaud Cahuzac, Group Purchasing Manager at Excent
The results
The implementation of the tool allowed them to standardize their internal processes in order to be more efficient.
Since implementing Weproc, Excent has seen several tangible results that have had a positive impact on their purchasing process. The use of the tool has made it possible to centralize purchasing and to better connect the purchasing strategy with daily activities in the field.
Complete visibility of all supplier data and RFQs
Weproc now allows Excent to easily track and manage all company RFQs. Each of the managers of the center of expertise has visibility on the activity of their department. They can also easily track supplier activity: which suppliers are waiting to send an offer, which suppliers have responded. The statistics are accessible in real time.
A structured internal process
All centers of expertise now have a structured procedure to follow, easily. This allows them to optimize the entire purchasing process, starting from the start on a good basis when creating and managing supplier RFQs centrally.
Purchasing performance management
By using indicators from the referencing phase, Excent can precisely monitor the performance of its suppliers and adjust its strategy accordingly.
