Thierry Geannin : The main challenge lay in the tool itself: Rubis was a pre-packaged "black box" system. It was functional, but as soon as we needed additional management tools, statistical analyses, or extractions for our auditors, we were stuck. We couldn't do it ourselves without going through the publisher.

What processes were the most complex to manage on a daily basis for the cooperative and its agencies?

Thierry Geannin : Strangely, it was not rigidity that posed a problem for us, but rather the extreme permissiveness of the old ERP. Users could delete orders, recreate them, or bypass processes without ever being blocked. The system lacked a crucial structuring framework to ensure data reliability from the input.

What made this project essential at that specific moment?

Thierry Geannin : We had not planned to change initially. But during the year 2023, the publisher informed us of the definitive discontinuation of Rubis by the end of 2025. We therefore had a very short deadline to migrate to another solution. Naturally, we studied the new solution from the Rubis publisher. Discussions were well underway to sign, but just before concluding, they announced a 50% increase in maintenance fees for the Rubis ERP. It was this pricing event that was the real trigger to explore other options, including Infor M3.

Why choose to deploy the Infor M3 CloudSuite? What were the main objectives of the project and the expected benefits  ?

Thierry Geannin : We were looking for a solution capable of covering at least the same scope as Rubis. Infor M3 appeared to be very comprehensive. Then, from a longer-term strategic perspective, Infor M3 natively integrates a complete WMS. The idea of being able, in the long run, to disconnect our third-party WMS (Spidy) to have only one global tool (ERP + WMS) weighed heavily in the choice. Having a unified database is an advantage.

Why choose AUTHENTIC for this project? What criteria were important in the choice of the integration partner?

Thierry Geannin : As part of the ORCAB (cooperative to which we are members), we had already exchanged with Infor a few years prior. When we surveyed the market, the COVAP cooperative, also in our group, was already working with Authentic Group on an Infor M3 project. This is how we got in touch with Authentic. We were looking for an integrator who understood our language, our business flows, and was capable of establishing a relationship of trust.

What convinced you during the initial exchanges with AUTHENTIC? What elements made a difference right from the scoping phase?

Thierry Geannin : The audit phase. 2 consultants from Authentic came to lead two days of intensive workshops (one on purchasing/sales, the other on finance) in front of nearly ten collaborators from IMS. Each time we presented a business need, the response was reassuring: "It's possible," "We will find the right configuration method." Even though M3 requires a lot of configurations, the whole team came away convinced that the tool and the integrator would allow us to succeed.

How was the project organized? Which teams were involved (on the IMS side and the AUTHENTIC side) and what were the major milestones of the project?

Thierry Geannin : The project lasted about 13 months, from the "Kick-off" in October 2024 to the "Go-Live" in early December 2025. A project team of about a dozen people divided by business area, heavily focused on commerce (purchasing/sales), order preparation, and agencies on the IMS side. On the Authentic side, a dedicated project manager, supported by a team of consultants specialized by business.

We set up the project team in a dedicated space located in the parking lot, separate from our main offices. The fact that we were not reachable and disconnected from daily operations isolated us from disruptions and was a major key to our success. We followed the project phases of the Authentic methodology. We first spent 6 months (averaging 2 days per week) presenting, designing, and validating the solution during weekly committees. Then came the testing and training phase.

What specific challenges or constraints did you encounter during the project, and how did the teams adapt?

Thierry Geannin : Data recovery was our biggest struggle. We were initially supposed to migrate in mid-November, but since we were not ready, we postponed to December. The tight schedule did not allow us to thoroughly test our data recovery and processes. If we had had two more months, we would have identified some malfunctions earlier and avoided mistakes that we had to carry and correct during the 3 to 4 months following the launch.

How did the AUTHENTIC teams support you on a daily basis to overcome these obstacles?

What were the specificities of the project in the context of IMS? How was change management handled and how was the solution adopted by the users?

What benefits do you observe today? What has changed the most in your daily operations?

Thierry Geannin : The main contribution is operational rigor. The old tool let everything pass, while Infor M3 imposes strict and non-negotiable rules. My motto during training was: "Think before validating." It's a bit heavier at first for the user, but it eliminates the management of complex errors downstream.

What gains have you noticed and which indicators (KPIs) have improved since switching to Infor M3?

Thierry Geannin : For business users, we are still in a phase of getting accustomed, and the optimization phase is just beginning (8 months after Go-Live). On the other hand, for the IT team, the gain is immediate. No more workarounds. And we have become autonomous in building our own indicators, our margin dashboards, or responding to requests from our auditors, without depending on the vendor.

What benefits do you see at the overall level of the cooperative, the agencies, and for your member artisans?

Thierry Geannin : An undeniable unifying impact. All the agencies, counters, and headquarters have been put under pressure for a common goal. Infusing this healthy and transparent pressure has allowed us to mobilize all 105 employees of the cooperative around a common objective.

What major lessons do you take from this transformation experience?

Thierry Geannin : The main lesson is the necessity to make decisions. If we leave project meetings without making a decision, the project stagnates. Our time constraint forced us to make firm choices and move forward.

What are your next transformation challenges? Does this experience pave the way for other projects?

Thierry Geannin : In the short term, starting in September we will address the Electronic Invoicing project in France. It is a real project within the project, where we are already collaborating with Authentic for the interconnections with M3. We will then let the teams take a breather. Around mid-2027, we will study the logistics aspect to decide whether to keep Spidy or switch to the native WMS module of Infor M3.

How do you see the evolution of your information system in the medium/long term?

Thierry Geannin : In the medium term, we will capitalize on the foundations we have just laid. For about a month and a half, user complaints have decreased. We are entering the re-optimization phase: we are going back to purchasing, for example, to understand why a screen seems heavy to them and we will adjust it. The evolution of the information system will focus on fine-tuning business processes and building our Business Intelligence (statistical dashboards).

In hindsight, what was the main success factor of the project?

Thierry Geannin : The human element, 100%. The acceptance of change by the employees, the extraordinary involvement of the Key Users, and the support from the team made the project a success. You don't succeed in such a project with just technology.

In a few words, how would you describe your collaboration with AUTHENTIC?

What advice would you give to a company in your sector that is embarking on a similar project?

Thierry Geannin : Do not rush, take your time, and above all, accept change. If you change ERP with the intention of doing everything exactly the same, you are heading for disaster. Always ask yourself if twisting the new tool in every direction to satisfy a habit is worth the cost and the suffering it will cause. You need to adapt to the tool's standard to be able to evolve smoothly in the future.