Securing Industrial Stability Through Real-Time Supplier Collaboration

The Groupe Rocher business model is built on an integrated loop where botanical harvests and factory schedules must be perfectly synchronized. At their production sites in Brittany, even the smallest delay in raw materials or packaging can instantly halt a production line. Because these shutdowns are both costly and complex to reschedule, maintaining reliable communication with 150 European suppliers is the primary anchor for supply chain stability.

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Moving Beyond Permanent Crisis Management

Before standardizing its processes, the Group lacked visibility into the actual progress of its orders. Tracking was fragmented across endless email chains and manually updated Excel files, making proactive planning impossible. Teams often discovered delays too late, forcing production managers to reshuffle schedules at the last minute to prevent machines from running empty.

To safeguard the production plan, Groupe Rocher moved to automate information retrieval, aiming to identify delivery gaps long before they hit the factory floor. The goal was to unify upstream flows so that data could circulate in real-time between suppliers, procurement teams, and manufacturing lines through centralized PO collaboration.

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The Adoption Challenge: Adapting to Every Supplier profile

The success of this transformation hinged on a critical factor: the buy-in of 150 suppliers with very different operational profiles. The risk was deploying a rigid solution that would be rejected in the field, leaving "blind spots" in the supply chain intact.

Groupe Rocher built its strategy with Winddle specifically around this need for partner flexibility. Rather than imposing a "one-size-fits-all" communication method, the Group offered multiple entry points—including a collaborative platform, structured email exchanges, and APIs. This flexibility ensures that every supplier, regardless of their size or digital maturity, can transmit order tracking data without friction.

"With such a diverse supplier base, adoption was our biggest hurdle. Thanks to its intuitive design and flexibility, Winddle gave us the confidence to deploy an effective plan tailored to our specific needs and resources."
Gladys Pouteau, Business Project Manager.

This seamless adoption, coupled with direct integration into their ERP (SAP), has structured the entire order lifecycle—from initial planning to final receipt—without a single break in the information chain.

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Results: Restoring Industrial Agility

By replacing manual follow-ups with automated information flows, Groupe Rocher has turned upstream tracking into a performance driver. Procurement teams are no longer buried under paperwork; they now manage priorities based on reliable, real-time data.

• Predictive Visibility: Sharing forecasts allows the Group to monitor progress well before shipment, maintaining the steady heartbeat of the factories.
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• ‍Operational Productivity: Eliminating "email ping-pong" frees up teams to focus on high-level logistical problem-solving.

• Data Integrity: Unifying exchanges via a supplier portal eliminates data entry errors and information disputes that previously strained partner relationships.

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"Mastering our planning and ensuring fluid collaboration with our suppliers are key levers for the performance of our production sites in Brittany. The agility and efficiency we gain are absolutely essential."
‍Bertrand Masson, Supply Chain Director.