VITOGAZ FRANCE Streamlines its Customer Relationship with Xerox^® DocuShare^®

By Franck Berthinier

VITOGAZ FRANCE is a subsidiary of the Rubis Group, an independent French operator specializing in the distribution of fuels, liquefied gases and bitumens, from supply to end-user. The Group is present in 41 countries on three continents: Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

VITOGAZ FRANCE is an independent distributor of LPG in cylinders, tanks, channeled network and LPG-fuel, under its brand GAZ'L in the network of BP motorway service stations and in supermarkets. Created in 1939, the VITOGAZ brand distributes butane gas cylinders alone (not related to the purchase of a stove for domestic cooking), before embarking, in 1966, on the distribution of bulk propane gas (in tanks), thus contributing to the democratization of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG).

VITOGAZ FRANCE has the particularity of being present at all stages of the gas chain (supply, storage, distribution, sale and advice). It thus controls the entirety of its supply chain. In 1999, VITOGAZ distinguished itself by being the first company in its field of activity to create a Customer Service Center. Thus, individuals and professionals are guaranteed to obtain a prompt response to their request concerning the installation of gas or the supply of their reservoir.

The nature of VITOGAZ FRANCE's activity requires that contractual documents be kept without limitation of duration. Since its inception, the company had stored thousands of paper documents in archival cabinets, but quickly, access to information became far too complicated, it was necessary to find a solution. We met Belkacem REZKI, Director of Information Systems of the company who tells us about the implementation of EDM.

How did EDM come to VITOGAZ FRANCE? When I arrived about 20 years ago, one of the first concerns was to manage the ton of paper we had, because at the time dematerialization did not exist. All clients' contractual documents were carefully stored in numbered files and then archived in boxes and cupboards. This took up space and was not very effective because when a client called, the sales assistant had to put him on hold, the time to look for his file. In addition to the slowness and volume to manage, the risk was not to find the document! If it had been badly archived, it became almost impossible to find it and the answer given to the client became complicated. We therefore wanted to equip ourselves with an electronic means to better respond to customer requests while reducing the risk of loss.

Taking over the existing must have been a colossal job? The project had just started when I arrived and, in collaboration with the Director of the Customer Service Center, we set up our first GOL. Our objective was twofold: to scan the new documents as they went along and to scan the old files. For this, a person was hired and it took him 2 to 3 years to resume the history.

What was decisive in the choice of DocuShare? Unfortunately, the publisher went bankrupt and we found ourselves in a difficult situation. We then made an overview of the solutions on the market to find a service provider able to accompany us in our replacement project. Beyond its acceptable implementation cost, Xerox's DocuShare solution was chosen because the tool was functional but also because the integrator, AbilDoc, was able to provide us with a turnkey solution. We have a homemade ERP developed on AS400 and AbilDoc has been able to interface DocuShare to our ERP and take over the history we had on the old EDM. Finally, the notoriety of Xerox played a role, because after the bankruptcy of our service provider who had a very effective EDM, we needed a sustainable solution.

How did you hear about DocuShare? We met Xerox and integrator AbilDoc at a trade show in La Défense and then compared them with other solutions. On the other hand, we are already Xerox customers. We have acquired copiers to scan and put the documents in the EDM.

What benefits have you gained from DocuShare in the company? EDM is a strong functional brick of our information system and it is massively used by our services. It is very important for us because it centralizes all the contractual documentation of the customer. This allows us to streamline processes, free up space and respond quickly to the requests of our customers.

Would you say that you are satisfied with the use and implementation of DocuShare? We are very satisfied with the solution put in place and the provider. For our Customer Service Center it is strategic. The tool allows in 3 clicks to access the file of the customer who calls and to answer him without delay. The Customer Relationship has been improved and streamlined.