Since 1932, ORECO (“Organisation Economique du Cognac”) has been the French specialist in the storage and aging of eaux-de-vie for winemakers and traders in the industry across five sites around the city of Cognac. ORECO ensures the proper development of eaux-de-vie for both major houses and smaller producers. The company employs 98 people.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURITY
The main site at Merpins Bellevue, France, reached a capacity of one million hectoliters by the end of 2014. Since the 2000s, the demand for storage has grown significantly.
ORECO is highly attentive to matters related to the safety and security of its IT systems. The reserve and demand rates increase every year, making ORECO the “safe vault” of Cognac.
The Merpins Bellevue site alone accounts for 75% of ORECO’s total storage capacity. It consists of 49 cellars with volumes ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 hectoliters. This is one of the SEVESO*-classified sites operated by the company (*sites subject to stringent regulations aimed at identifying and preventing accident risks to minimise their impact).
A MAJOR PROJECT
To meet the growing demand for eaux-de-vie storage, ORECO is expanding.
Initially, they partnered with BNP Paribas 3 Step IT in 2017 to implement a technology lifecycle management solution for their IT devices.
In 2020, ORECO aimed to overhaul its information system to integrate new features requested by its prestigious clients. According to Thomas CLAIR, Financial Director at ORECO, “a significant but necessary investment was initiated to ensure traceability and information system security. BNP Paribas 3 Step IT was able to support us on all levels and has earned our trust. The flexibility and adaptability of BNP Paribas 3 Step IT during the project’s deployment allowed us to develop customised solutions tailored to the specificities of our environment.”
The support of BNP Paribas 3 Step IT during the infrastructure transformation secured the full deployment of the solution up to its implementation. Both parties are committed to ensuring the project’s success.
“The project management via the portal during the deployment phase simplified communication with stakeholders and reassured them. The portal enables billing control, budget management, and forecasting. Our project, delivered in November 2023, was a real success, with no delays or budget overruns. The tools provided to our clients allow them to track logistics, particularly when transferring products from one container to another. This ensures the proper aging of the eaux-de-vie and the preservation of vintages.”
A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE
“Professionalism, dedication, and availability are the fundamental aspects of this relationship. Martine ROUBINET and Nathalie PICARD are always responsive and efficient.”
The success of this initial project motivates ORECO to continue its digital transformation with the development of a module ensuring order traceability. The deployment of this project is planned for December 2026.
Thomas CLAIR, Financial Director at ORECO
Version française
ORECO : Protéger l’avenir du Cognac avec des solutions de stockage sécurisées et évolutives
Depuis 1932, ORECO (Organisation Economique du Cognac) est le spécialiste régional du stockage et du vieillissement des eaux de vie pour les viticulteurs et les négociants de la filière sur 5 sites autour de la ville de Cognac. ORECO est garant de la bonne évolution des eaux de vie pour les grandes maisons mais aussi les plus petites.
Ce sont 98 collaborateurs qui travaillent pour l’entreprise.
L’IMPORTANCE DE LA SECURITE
Le site principal de Merpins Bellevue atteint le million d’hectolitres fin 2014. Depuis les années 2000, la demande de stockage est en forte croissance.
ORECO est attentif aux sujets liés à la sûreté et à la sécurité de leur système d’informations.
Le taux de réserve et de demande augmente chaque année. ORECO est le coffre-fort du Cognac.
Le site de Merpins Bellevue, représente à lui seul 75% du stockage total d’ORECO. Il est composé de 49 chais de 20 à 60 000 hl volume. C’est un des sites classés SEVESCO* exploités par l’entreprise (*sites soumis à une réglementation très encadrée qui vise à identifier et à prévenir les risques d’accident pour en limiter l’impact).
UN PROJET D’ENVERGURE
Afin de répondre à la demande croissante de stockage, ORECO se développe.
Dans un premier temps, ORECO fait appel à BNP Paribas 3 Step IT en 2017 afin de répondre à son besoin de financement en location avec services de ses équipements informatiques.
En 2020, ORECO souhaite procéder à la refonte de son système d’informations en vue d’y intégrer de nouvelles fonctionnalités attendues par ses clients prestigieux. Pour Thomas CLAIR, Directeur Administratif et Financier chez ORECO “un investissement conséquent mais nécessaire est initié pour assurer la traçabilité et la sécurité du SI. BNP Paribas 3 Step IT est en mesure de nous accompagner à tous les niveaux et nous accorde sa confiance. La souplesse et la flexibilité de BNP Paribas 3 Step IT lors du déploiement du projet permettent de développer des solutions sur mesure, répondant aux particularités de notre environnement.”
L’accompagnement de BNP Paribas 3 Step IT dans la transformation de l’infrastructure sécurise le déploiement intégral de la solution jusqu’à sa mise en œuvre, ce qui rassure le client. Nous sommes engagés ensemble pour que le projet soit un succès.
“Le suivi et le pilotage du projet via le portail durant sa période de déploiement simplifie les échanges vis-à-vis des donneurs d’ordre et les rassure. Le portail permet de contrôler la facturation, de piloter le budget et d’établir les prévisionnels.
Notre projet, livré en novembre 2023, a été un réel succès, sans retard ni dépassement budgétaire. Les outils mis à notre disposition de nos clients leur permettent de tracer la logistique notamment lors du passage des produits d’un contenant à un autre. Cela garantit le bon vieillissement et les millésimes.”
UN PARTENARIAT D’AVENIR
“Conscience professionnelle, investissement et disponibilité sont les maîtres mots de cette relation. Martine ROUBINET et Nathalie PICARD sont toujours réactives et efficaces.”
La réussite de ce premier projet encourage ORECO dans la poursuite de sa transformation numérique avec le développement d’un module assurant la traçabilité des commandes. Le déploiement de ce projet est prévu pour décembre 2026.
Thomas CLAIR, DAF chez ORECO
Since 2021, Arval UK has partnered with BNP Paribas 3 Step IT to procure, manage, and handle the responsible retirement of their IT equipment.
Arval started working with BNP Paribas 3 Step IT during the Covid-19 pandemic when they transitioned away from desktops and wanted to ensure the devices could get a chance of a second life.
On the back of the positive experience during the pandemic, a comprehensive technology lifecycle management (TLM) agreement was put in place for Arval’s smartphones, tablets, laptops, and printers. This model allows them to extend the life of the technology beyond the first use, whenever possible.
The partnership with BNP Paribas 3 Step IT also offers significant operational and financial advantages to Arval. Their financing model is cost-effective, and their asset management platform has streamlined Arval’s technology oversight by eliminating the complexities of managing many devices.
Streamlined Asset Management
Steve Homer, Arval UK’s procurement manager, highlights the simplicity of the leasing process and the end-of-lease management. “For us, it’s crucial to keep devices up to date. We need stable technology for our hybrid working model. Transitioning to a usage-based model for our equipment allows for better management of assets and simplifies renewals. The BNP Paribas 3 Step IT team has been enthusiastic, transparent, and flexible in accommodating Arval’s needs.”
Improved Employee Experience and Productivity
Douglas McCracken, Arval UK’s IT manager, notes the positive impact on productivity, saying, “In some locations, we don’t have any IT resources. Since implementing Asset IQ, we have seen fewer IT failures and downtime. The predictable renewal of tech assets allows us to provide employees with quality equipment, which directly improves their experience and productivity.”
Sustainability and Giving Back
Arval’s commitment to sustainability is closely aligned with BNP Paribas 3 Step IT’s circular technology lifecycle solutions. According to Frankie Crozier, Arval’s sustainability manager, “The circular technology lifecycle management offering from BNP Paribas 3 Step IT is perfectly matched with Arval’s requirements. It reduces waste by allowing equipment to be refurbished and re-used. We’re excited about giving our IT devices a second life while ensuring secure data erasure. Additionally, in our commitment to support the community, during the pandemic Arval donated 30 of their own laptops to a local school. BNP Paribas 3 Step IT wiped the data free of charge, ensuring both security and a seamless donation process.”
A Strong Partnership
Steve Homer also appreciates the strong partnership with BNP Paribas 3 Step IT. “Their team, especially Andy Carver, has done a fantastic job of collaborating with our finance, IT, and procurement teams. We’re thrilled to be keeping our investments within the BNP Paribas group and look forward to the continued success of this partnership.”
Five years ago, we embarked on a mission to support businesses in adopting a circular approach, making their technology management more efficient, secure, and sustainable.
During this time, we’ve grown alongside the rapidly evolving digital landscape, learning, and growing with every challenge and opportunity.
How it started
Our company was launched in 2019 as part of a strategic alliance between 3stepIT, a Nordic circular technology service provider, and BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, a global leader in equipment leasing, to support more organisations in transitioning to a circular economy for technology.
Today, we are in 11 European markets, with operations in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. 3stepIT provides Nordic coverage in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
More than 3000 businesses have chosen to take advantage of our circular technology management services across Europe, revolutionising how they procure, manage, and dispose of technology and address the impact of their devices.
And we are just getting started.
What’s next
Our refurbishment centres are the beating heart of our business, where our teams give used devices a second life and make them available for resale to secondary users. In 2023, BNP Paribas 3 Step IT’s UK refurbishment centre processed record volumes of devices in its largest year of production as part of the Joint Venture, demonstrating the increasing demand for sustainable and secure technology management services.
Are more refurbishing hubs on the horizon? Stay tuned!
“These past five years have been incredible for our company. With the support of our fantastic people and partners, we’ve made significant strides in helping European businesses maximise the value of their technology while minimising waste. As we look ahead, we’re committed to delivering innovative circular solutions that drive business success,” said Carmen Ene, CEO of BNP Paribas 3 Step IT. “Our world-class team truly sets us apart, enabling our success, and our unique, strong company culture that unites us and propels our organisation forward.”
This week marks the end of European Cybersecurity Month, a time to shine a spotlight on the risks of cyber insecurity, the impact it can have on organisations, and the solutions that can be put in place to protect and manage company data.
These awareness-raising campaigns are important, but all tech leaders know that data security management is an around-the-clock job – there are no days off. The truth is an organisation’s cybersecurity is only as strong as its weakest links, with device users and partner organisations often responsible for vulnerabilities.
According to Forrester Research, only 7% of security decision-makers are concerned that a lost or stolen asset could cause a breach, even though such incidents account for 17% of all breaches. Add to that Gartner’s analysis, which shows that over the last two years 45% of organisations have experienced cyber-related interruptions to their business due to a third party, and it’s clear that every organisation needs a comprehensive plan to secure its data beyond the walls of its own operations.
A complex digital footprint
Our dependence on technology continues to grow exponentially, and as the number of devices organisations rely on increases, so do the risks of managing the security of company and customer across a dispersed digital footprint.
Data no longer remains on the office desk – it travels with employees to different work locations, home, and on public transport – and as this happens it becomes more difficult for organisations to control and protect.
It’s not just the number and the mobility of devices that is challenging, but also their connectedness. Our digital systems are becoming increasingly complex and interdependent, which means it only takes one organisation in the value chain to expose others to data security breaches.
The case for end-to-end control
Adding to this complex cybersecurity landscape, is the growing realisation that data must be protected across the entire device lifecycle. Yet many businesses still have cybersecurity strategies in place that only get them halfway there.
While most organisations have strategies to protect IT hardware during its active use, fewer address the crucial steps needed once devices are decommissioned. Many companies rely on multiple suppliers to cover various stages of the hardware lifecycle, resulting in gaps and potential risks.
A better approach is for organisations to adopt a holistic procurement model that embeds end-to-end traceability of hardware. By knowing exactly what hardware enters the business, companies can track which devices hold data, enabling secure data erasure as part of the decommissioning process. This proactive strategy ensures data security not just during use but throughout the entire lifecycle of the technology.
Mitigating risk across the device lifecycle
Organisations can procure digital services on a financing contract through new models, like our Technology Lifecycle Management (TLM) service, rather than through traditional cash ownership. This helps to simplify tech procurement and reduce exposure to multiple suppliers by offering a whole lifecycle approach to IT management as part of one simple service.
Comprehensive asset management is central to this approach and supports organisations to improve their oversight and control of devices by ensuring IT teams know where devices are, how they’re being used, and when they require updates. We include our powerful asset management platform as part of every TLM contract. We onboard all new and existing devices on to this system to allow organisations to track all devices through a single digital dashboard and create a complete and secure chain of custody.
When it’s time to decommission corporate devices, our Technology Lifecycle Management service includes a range of automated end-of-life services for secure IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), such as return logistics, refurbishment, and data erasure. This creates a transparent audit trail for organisations to monitor, track, and trace devices while preparing to redeploy devices to new users.
Achieving true resilience
Building a resilient cybersecurity strategy today involves navigating a complex landscape and addressing the fast-evolving vulnerabilities introduced by users, partners, and risks throughout the device lifecycle.
However, the solution doesn’t have to be complicated.
Organisations can confidently mitigate significant cybersecurity risks associated with device decommission by partnering with a single supplier to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end IT hardware management service. This approach complements existing in-live cybersecurity measures, establishing proactive safeguards that support the best outcomes for both the business and its customers.
Want to find out more about our end-to-end approach to data security? Contact us today.