01/07/2014 | Hardis Group
The implementation of Hardis' Reflex in SaaS mode gives the Legendre Group a comprehensive, functional WMS with which to handle its clients' logistics, while at the same time conserving its investment capacity for other projects.
Hardis Group, a digital services company and business software publisher, announces the roll-out of Reflex WMS in the Legendre group, logistics and multi modal transport experts and a founder member of the ASTRE network, Europe's leading independent grouping of transportation and logistics companies. As a result of implementing Reflex, Legendre has gained in flexibility and adaptability to its clients' various business lines, and also in operating quality in this extremely competitive business.
Multiple logistical requirements for multi-sector clients
Since its establishment in 1945, the Legendre Group has been a family business specializing in multimodal transport and logistics. Still owned and managed by Legendre family members, the company currently employs nearly 650 people at more than 25 sites, spread over four 4 continents (Europe, Africa, Asia and North America), for total annual revenues of €73 million.
The Legendre Group is able to offer end-to-end logistics chain management services (from constructor or producer through to point of sale) to a wide variety of clients, notably in the fields of wine making, aeronautics, railroads, works of art, e-commerce, etc. A multi-sector business which requires the company to be highly versatile and well equipped to adapt its processes and tools to the specific features of its clients' business lines.
A new WMS to boost chances of new contracts
In 2012 the Legendre Group decided to replace the WMS it had had since 1995: "We were still continuing to diversify into new sectors and new markets," explains Damien Tricard, Logistics Manager with the Legendre Group, "but the tool we'd been using until then was coming to the end of its life and would have needed excessively far-reaching and costly development to adapt to our changing needs".
At the beginning of 2012, a call for tender was put out to 11 publishers: the logistics division wanted to equip itself with a highly versatile solution offering wide-ranging functional coverage, so as to be able to adapt to the requirements of new contracts by means of simple parameterization, without the need for specific development.
The choice of SaaS, to eliminate hidden costs
Among other priorities, Legendre wanted a hosted solution. "We were looking for an all-inclusive offer on the SaaS model," the logistics manager explains. "While in the long term prices in hosted mode do seem to be three or four percent higher, the gains are certainly very real: with this system, we immediately eliminate the hidden and/or subsequent maintenance costs of the IT infrastructure and of the roll-out and updates of the solution and so on".
Having shortlisted three publishers, Legendre quickly turned to Reflex WMS in view of its functionalities, its reputation among clients, and Hardis' seven-year commitment. Following 20 days of training by the Hardis teams, Legendre's in-house teams managed the project, which went smoothly: in less than two years the tool will have been deployed at the company's 19 sites in France (120,000 m2 or over 29 acres of warehousing), including the implementation of more than 280 types of interface (nearly 300 users), as well as the parameterization of the 150 client accounts and the interfacing with their information systems.
"The balance sheet is already very positive. Reflex offers all the functionalities we need for our multi-sector business. Its reputation is a major plus for our prospecting and a real competitive advantage in the market, which has already enabled us to gain market share," Damien Tricard concludes. After France, Legendre will deploy Reflex WMS internationally, starting with China.