Passionate about Sauvignon Blanc
Specializing in Sauvignon Blanc, Vignobles Villebois are winemaker and merchants in the Loire Valley, producing a range of 13 terroir-based Sauvignon Blancs from 6 Loire appellations. Since their founding in 2004 by Mr. de Willebois, they have structured their operations around two complementary sites: Sancerre, where their bottling lines and a vineyard are located, and Touraine, where they have a winemaking cellar and several vineyards.
"Our main role is to select, blend, vinify, and sell the best Sauvignon Blancs across the different appellations of the Loire Valley, from IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) Val de Loire to Sancerre." - Patrice Merceron
Smooth orders, satisfied customers: the results speak for themselves
Vignobles Villebois have undergone a true transformation in their order management and shipment tracking. Everything is now automated. No more errors or wasted time
The result? A significant boost in productivity, allowing the team to focus on what matters most: crafting exceptional wines.
As described by Robin Philibert, head of the digital division:
"We now have the ability to set up production and bottling lines with screens that inform our operators of the steps to follow. This ensures nothing is overlooked, even when it comes to client-specific requirements."
"Previously, everything was done on paper, which was not only tedious but also prone to errors. Today, information is passed on to our teams in a much simpler and, above all, more reliable way"
Daily efficiency
- Reduced waiting times: Before the implementation of Odoo by Captivea, delays caused by the old system resulted in wasted time. Today, employees can start working as soon as they arrive at the office.
- Order entry efficiency: Teams can now input orders quickly, especially on Monday mornings, which are typically high-demand periods.
- Improved multitasking: Employees can open multiple Odoo tabs at the same time, allowing them to enter necessary information more efficiently.
Enhanced customer services
Optimizing internal processes has freed up time to focus on what truly matters: the customers.
Robin Philibert shares his experience:
"Since the implementation of Odoo by Captivea, we’ve managed to reduce certain internal tasks thanks to the optimized performance of the system. This allows my colleagues to spend more time on the phone with our clients. We can better understand their needs, make sure they received their order, and check that all the information has been entered correctly. This transformation has truly changed the way we work internally"
Customizations tailored to business processess
What sets Captivea apart is its ability to offer support tailored to every business size and industry. For the wine industry, Vignobles Villebois benefited from custom adaptations to turn Odoo into a true business tool, perfectly aligned with their needs.
As highlighted by Patrice Merceron, technical director:
"Everything is done to find solutions that are perfectly suited to our needs. What truly convinced us was the ability to 'shape' the system efficiently and precisely, while adapting it to our processes.
The relationship with Captivea was smooth and constructive, with full involvement from the teams. We’re working with technical experts who provide clear answers that match our needs."
Customs tool connector
Automating and securing export declarations is a key issue for a wine producer. The connector integrated by Captivea ensures real-time data exchange with the Bewease tool, facilitating declarations and guaranteeing the compliance of alcohol-related exports.
Ludivine Demeure, project manager and Odoo expert consultant at Captivea, explains:
"The customs connector ensures compliance and efficiency of customs operations, which is crucial for managing their exports."
She adds:
"Specific fields and templates were created to simplify and customize these declarations according to French specifications."
Flexible variant configurators
Vintage, volume, type of closure… Villebois offers a wide range of references. Captivea adjusted the tool to optimally manage these options, providing better stock visibility and a simplified, efficient order customization process.
Allocation management system
Exporting to multiple continents requires precise volume distribution by market. Thanks to a custom-developed feature, Domaine Villebois can anticipate bulk volume at the start of the season and allocate finished products to different distribution channels, such as America, Asia, and Europe. This solution also allows dedicated quantities to be reserved for specific clients, optimizing stock management and ensuring smooth, efficient product distribution.
Automated packaging sheets
Each bottle has its technical specifications – label, capsule, neckerchief, etc. To simplify the work of the production teams, a dynamic PDF report was implemented by the Captivea teams. This document, generated directly from Odoo, compiles all technical specifications of the finished product, with images and details from the bill of materials.
The result? Optimal readability and precise execution of packaging operations.
Data entry and retroactive reevaluation
Since Odoo does not natively allow data entry in the past, Captivea closely collaborated with Vignobles Villebois to create a custom solution. This feature allows past transactions to be entered and stocks to be retroactively reevaluated, ensuring optimal stock management, even for historical data.
What makes the difference is the relationship with Captivea!
Choosing Captivea as the ERP integrator was a key decision for Vignobles Villebois. Captivea's proactive approach and their ability to understand the needs of the wine industry were essential. A Proof of Concept (POC) allowed the functionalities of Odoo to be tested and validated Captivea's ability to meet the company’s expectations.
"Captivea was transparent from the start. Although they had no experience in the wine industry, they understood they needed to learn our specifics," says Robin Philibert.
Patrice Merceron reinforces this point:
"Two years ago, when we began looking for a new ERP solution, what attracted us to Captivea was that they immediately offered us a trial, a POC, using our wines as an example. This reassured us about the solution. That was a first positive point.
Very quickly, we launched the project and, initially, we were supported by Captivea's project manager. What truly added value was the support throughout the project."
Captivea: a personalized and collaborative approach
In a sector as complex as wine production, choosing the right ERP integrator makes all the difference in a project’s success. Robin Philibert, head of the digital department at Vignobles Villebois, explains why Captivea was the obvious choice for them:
"What motivated our choice of Captivea was the entire process they put in place. We are in a very specific field, wine production, and we have particular challenges."
Captivea was able to adapt to the pace of Vignobles Villebois, especially during critical periods like the harvest.
Ludivine Demeure, project manager and Odoo consultant at Captivea, explains:
"Adapting to the company’s pace is crucial, especially during the grape harvest."
Thanks to this flexibility, key moments in the winegrowing activity were respected, allowing business continuity while continuing the ERP implementation. This personalized approach strengthened trust and collaboration between teams, contributing to the smooth execution of the project.
Patrice Merceron, technical director at Vignobles Villebois, shares:
"What really made the difference was the people assigned to our project. From the launch of the ERP on July 1, 2024, we had continuous support throughout the project. We truly felt strong support and deep involvement from the Captivea teams, which greatly contributed to the success of our project."
Visit our customer references page to learn more about the success of the Vignobles Villebois implementation project with Captivea.
Captivea: A unique methodology
Captivea’s methodology is based on active listening and a deep understanding of business processes. Through collaborative workshops and tailored training, the Vignobles Villebois teams were involved in every stage of the project.
Robin Philibert comments:
"The training sessions were excellent, and the support from Captivea’s teams was very responsive."
He adds that, despite wanting immediate solutions when issues arose, support always provided timely feedback and solutions.
"Communication was smooth and consistent, which helped to clarify needs, especially in an environment where digitalization was a new challenge. This structure allowed for ongoing communication, which was key to moving the project forward in a sector where team availability can vary throughout the year."
Patrice Merceron highlights:
"For a year and a half, maybe even two years, we've had a weekly check-in. This consistency shows their real commitment, with attentive listening and strong availability.
What we particularly appreciate is that we’re never told something is impossible. On the contrary, they always say they'll work on it—and when they say something really isn’t possible, we know it’s true, especially when the requests are a bit more complex."
He emphasizes that beyond Odoo, which is already well-proven and performs excellently across many industries, what truly makes the difference is the relationship with Captivea.
Captivea, an Odoo Gold Partner in France, stood out through its transparency and methodology, which reassured Vignobles Villebois in their decision
The reasons behind the change!
The need to adapt to modern processes
Previously, Vignobles Villebois used another ERP: Microsoft Dynamics Navision 2016 R2. This outdated system limited the company’s growth, mainly due to its rigid and non-intuitive environment
Robin Philibert explains the need for modernization:
"Our needs were fairly basic; our system was outdated. We were stuck in our growth, which pushed us to look for a replacement. The Microsoft Navision environment was quite closed off, a real black box, and we didn’t really know what was going on inside it."
We needed flexibility, and Odoo gave us the ability to adapt to future changes thanks to regular updates. It’s an open and scalable system, which reassured us when comparing it to other solutions."
Patrice Merceron adds:
"Before Odoo, our system didn’t handle our multi-company structure well, which held us back in inter-company transactions. We needed an ERP more suited to digitalization and compatible with business tools for managing material accounting."
The importance of the right ERP and the right integrator
Odoo, implemented by Captivea, quickly adapted to the needs of Vignobles Villebois thanks to its flexibility and open architecture. The system was easily customized to fit their specific operations, allowing tailored solutions to be created or re-created to meet different challenges and ways of working.
Captivea managed to overcome the challenges faced by Vignobles Villebois, even without prior knowledge of the industry. Robin Philibert strongly recommends both Odoo and Captivea. He states:
"I confidently recommend this duo."
"Captivea addressed all of our challenges, and I’m convinced they can do the same for other companies."
He emphasizes:
"I’m convinced this ERP solution can meet the needs of over 90% of businesses due to its flexibility and ability to adapt to the specific requirements of different industries. I don’t see how Odoo, with Captivea’s support, couldn’t meet their needs."
A winning partnership for wine industry innovation
The collaboration between Vignobles Villebois and Captivea, along with the implementation of the Odoo ERP, shows how a tailored and proactive approach can lead to a successful digital transformation in the wine industry. Thanks to a deep understanding of the industry's specific challenges, Captivea supported Vignobles Villebois in their innovation journey.
The gains in productivity, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced customer service speak for themselves.
Robin Philibert and Patrice Merceron also advise companies considering a migration to Odoo to pay close attention to preparation and the choice of integrator.
A big thank you to the entire team at Vignobles Villebois, and to Robin Philibert and Patrice Merceron for their trust and commitment to this innovative journey.
Discover the story of Vignobles Villebois on our client reference page and their transformation with Captivea and Odoo.
Visit Captivea’s customer reference page to discover more inspiring examples of successful partnerships.
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