As part of the development of its national and international vehicle fleet, Caudalie, a French cosmetics company specialising in vinotherapy, needed to adopt a user-friendly vehicle fleet management software solution tailored to its needs. Véronique Huber, French and European Fleet Manager, then turned to GAC Car Fleet for support with this mission. She shares her experience of the project roll-out phase and the benefits obtained since the software was introduced.
Could you tell us more about Caudalie and its vehicle fleet?
Caudalie is a French cosmetics company founded by Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas in Bordeaux in 1995. All our products are made using natural ingredients from vines and grapes. Our mission? To become the most effective clean and natural brand, and the most eco-friendly beauty product brand.
We currently manage over 350 vehicles, 90% of which are passenger cars mainly used by sales staff and managers in around ten countries. Nearly 30% of our vehicles are now electric, compared with 24% two years ago.
How did you manage your fleet before installing fleet management software?
Our IT department initially developed fleet management software for our in-house teams, which was a more advanced version of Excel. However, this software proved inflexible and, above all, I had to increment all the data (mileages, tyre changes, rents, etc.) manually. Such tasks were time-consuming. When we passed the milestone of 80 vehicles to manage and started to roll out in other countries, we started looking into the idea of opting for dedicated external software tailored to our needs.
Why did you opt for fleet management software?
We mainly decided to use this type of software based on the increasing rate of growth of our vehicle fleet as well as international usage. In fact, to begin with, Caudalie only operated around ten vehicles in France. This number has risen steadily over time and now stands at around 115 vehicles nationwide.
We also manage our fleet internationally, particularly in Europe. We now manage over 350 vehicles in total, in around ten countries.
The idea was to be able to centralise all our data within a single tool and delegate company fleet management to managers in each country. Our aim was to enable them to manage the fleet independently on a day-to-day basis, while allowing me to supervise the fleet and benefit from a global vision.
We chose GAC Car Fleet fleet management software because it ticked a number of boxes, notably allowing us to manage our European fleet as simply as possible.
How did you go about setting up the software in your company?
We began by integrating our data into the software. The main aim was to feed in a maximum number of files containing vehicle data. My IT department provided most of the support during this initial stage.
The second phase involved training to use the software as a whole. An initial three-day session was organised for this purpose on our premises with Vincent, our dedicated project manager at GAC Technology. After this session, we scheduled videoconference sessions approximately every three weeks to go into the modules in greater depth.
Other project stakeholders including the human resources and accounting departments were also trained. We also train managers in our European subsidiaries.
What did you think of GAC’s support and training process?
I really appreciated the pace of the training: I wasn’t left behind, mainly thanks to my assigned project manager, and I learnt as I went along. In fact, between the different sessions, I was able to use the software myself to a max. I could then explain my difficulties to my project manager at the next training session, and then we’d get back to work on new features.
GAC Car Fleet was ultimately set up very quickly in our company, in less than six months, and was very much appreciated!
Are you satisfied with our partnership as a whole?
Yes, I am highly satisfied, and I have already recommended GAC Car Fleet to others! GAC Car Fleet is the first software I open in the morning and the last one I shut down in the evening!
I can easily view my data and search details at any time. This is a real-time saver in terms of my work, the work of human resources and overall management.
What benefits has the new software brought to your company?
The great thing about GAC Car Fleet is that, once you’ve learnt the basics, the software is easy to use, intuitive and fun!
Centralising French and European fleet data is also a key advantage. For example, I can access all vehicle documents (order forms, registration documents, insurance, etc.) for all countries. Above all, I can also access the history of all vehicle assignments to employees, which is very convenient if someone has to pay a fine because I can identify the offender, which rules out any disputes.
Did you encounter any difficulties when launching the software?
Not particularly. On the other hand, I still need to improve my knowledge of some of the more complex software functions. For example, the “taxation” section.
What advice would you give to a company looking to acquire a software solution?
My first piece of advice would be to make sure you assign several people to managing the software.. In fact, I think it’s important for vehicle management to be spread over several people, particularly when it comes to in-depth knowledge of the software.
I would also recommend providing qualified data files to make it easier to set up the software. This stage is crucial to the success of the project.
Finally, software training must be strictly followed. In my opinion, this step should not be overlooked if you intend to optimise your fleet management.
What would you say are the top 3 essential features of GAC Car Fleet for a fleet manager?
- Claims management and dedicated reporting. These modules are very helpful when it comes to analysing the multiple claims indicators, in particular the claims ratio. I can send various reports to drivers using these modules. This is an effective prevention tool, which can be managed by region.
- Communication campaigns also save me a lot of time, particularly thanks to standard emails. I configure the emails in the software for various subjects: vehicle handover, return, claims, roadworthiness tests, etc. I can also create campaigns to match my needs and send them directly to employees (mileage reading campaigns, driving licence certificates, etc.).
- Management of all types of offences via a direct link to ANTAI. Thanks to this function, we wasted less time and lost fewer documents. The major advantage is that drivers are kept informed in real time, which has significantly reduced the number of offences recorded.
At the same time, the MyCarFleet mobile app is also an indispensable tool. Drivers used to badger me constantly with a whole range of questions (how to submit a claim, when does their vehicle contract expire, etc.). They no longer come to me as they can now access all the relevant procedures directly via the application. From my viewpoint, as a manager, I can use the mobile app to scan the PCNs, which are then integrated directly into the relevant vehicle datasheet. All I have to do is automatically generate an email to warn the driver.
What are your plans and prospects for your vehicle fleet?
Our aim is to further develop the use of the software by managers in European countries. They are very keen to operate more independently and hold wider management rights when using the software.
We will also be deploying connectors with the various GAC Technology suppliers (insurers, motorway operators, etc.) in the countries where we operate.
Could your sum up your partnership in one sentence?
The GAC Technology team is young, projects are managed in good spirits and with strong dynamics, and you can feel the effects. I also appreciate the daily attentiveness and responsiveness of the support team!
Photo credit: photo by Ernest Ojeh on Unsplash