Odoo at Chant d'Éole: technology at the service of the vine
Song of Aeolus
The result of a meeting between a Champagne winemaker and a family of Belgian farmers, Chant d'Éole has drawn on the best techniques to produce sparkling wines that are faithful to the Belgian terroir. Their Brut Blanc de blancs, Brut Rosé and Cuvée Prestige are made using traditional methods, and have won several awards.
Le Chant d'Eole won a gold medal in France for the world's best Chardonnay, and went on to win the 2019 prize for the world's best sparkling wine at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (which usually rewards French champagnes). The estate also won gold at the Frankfurt International Trophy and gold at the London Wine Competition, where it was voted "Best Sparkling Wine" 2020 (with a score of 95 out of 100).
- Creation : 2010
- Sector : Vineyards / Event organisation
- Location: Quévy-le-Grand (Hainaut)
- Staff : 15-20
Background & Mission
Le Chant d'Éole, a famous Belgian vineyard known for its exceptional, award-winning wines, has called on the team at TSC (The Service Company), a Gold Odoo partner, to implement an effective ERP solution for its various activities and optimise its internal management.
The many facets of the Chant d'Éole estate's business - guided tours, tastings, production and sale of wines and vineyard products, private and professional events - required a powerful solution that could be easily integrated. Odoo proved to be a judicious and optimal choice for more efficient management. TSC supported Le Chant d'Éole in its growth with the implementation of a complete and integrated Odoo ERP.
Challenges
Despite their growing success, the winery was faced with a major challenge: their accounting software was not integrated with the day-to-day management of their companies. As a result, they had to integrate their turnover, sales, etc. manually. This was hampering their growth and wasting precious time.
Among the challenges faced by Chant d'Éole, managing stocks and bottle reservations was one of the most important. Because of the success of their products, they have to manage pre-bookings and waiting lists. In addition, managing and organising visits to the vineyard as well as managing events, room hire, etc., were aspects that required particular attention.
Before Odoo was implemented, stocks were managed 'on sight', which posed problems for forecasting. Bookings were managed in an Excel spreadsheet fed by a contact form, with the information being manually transcribed into the invoicing software. As for events, they were managed manually in a diary, with no possibility of electronic management.
The solution
To meet these various challenges, TSC has implemented an Odoo solution that respects Odoo standards as far as possible and limits specific developments.
As far as accounting is concerned, all the accounts of the companies in the Chant d'Éole estate have been integrated into Odoo and are now managed entirely in Odoo.
For off-tank production management, as soon as the wine leaves the vats and is bottled, production is managed in Odoo.
For stock and reservation management, TSC customised Odoo to use allocations on 'Reservation' type quotes, with ceilings per customer, per product and per year. Specific reporting has been built to give an overview of reservations.
For the points of sale, TSC set up two points of sale in Odoo with the help of the Chant d'Éole team. Numerous on-site workshops ensured optimal implementation of the vineyard's various points of sale.
The eCommerce function has been migrated to Odoo so that this sales channel can also be integrated into the ERP system, providing high-quality monitoring for better product and stock management.
Odoo's 'Event' module was used to organise visits to the vineyard. It allows visitors to choose the date and time of their visit, as well as the number of people, with the option of paying online. The guides then simply scan their ticket. The module has been adapted to display tickets in calendar format on the website, making it easier for Chant d'Éole customers to book guided tours.
As for event management and room hire, the Odoo 'Hire' module has been put to good use. It enables rooms to be added to quotations, rental dates to be specified, and reserved rooms to be viewed in the schedule. This avoids double bookings and facilitates team organisation. Invoicing is also integrated into the rental process.
Project stages
Sales
Sales, Accounting, CRM, Point of sale
Events
Events and customisation of the module for guided tours of the vineyard.
Stock & Production
Stock and production management, development of bottle allocations (reservation of vintages for existing customers)
E-commerce
Room hire and project management
Employees & Leave
Website & Email marketing
Results after TSC
The implementation of Odoo and the support provided by TSC has considerably improved the efficiency of the vineyard's internal processes. Le Chant d'Éole has been able to automate several aspects of its activities. This optimisation has enabled them to save time and concentrate on what they do best: producing excellent sparkling wines. Their growth has been significant and Le Chant d'Éole continues to receive awards for their various cuvées.
The teams now have an overall view of existing and forecast figures, enabling them to manage sales according to available or forecast stocks, to know which room to offer for an event without having to ask colleagues, and to concentrate on their core business.
Le Chant d'Éole has many plans for the future. They plan to open a restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef, for which the management will have to be integrated into Odoo. They are also embarking on the organisation of large-scale events, requiring the sale of tickets and options (meals, etc.). Thanks to Odoo and TSC's support, they are well equipped to manage these new challenges and continue their growth. The company's website is also being migrated to Odoo.
In short, the adoption of Odoo has enabled Le Chant d'Éole to transform its internal management, offering greater efficiency and better visibility of its operations. It's a fine illustration of how an integrated ERP solution can support the growth and evolution of a dynamic, innovative business like Le Chant d'Éole.
