It would be no exageration to say that Fiducial Office Solutions has taken the European market by storm. Present in France, Belgium and Spain — and now with China to add to the list — it has over 52,000 customers and a turnover of €190 million ($241.8 million). Fiducial is also the third largest OP supplier in France.
Snapshot:
Contact details: 29 rue de la Grange, CP 216, 69336 Lyon Cedex 09
Tel : +33 4 72 20 76 31
Products and Services: Office supplies, computer supplies, consumables, printers, furniture
No. of employees: 1,000
Contact names and positions: Managing director Gerard Martin, director of marketing Dimitry Denoyelle, director of development Laurent Bertrand
Company background: Stocking dealer
Preferred dealer group: N/A
Interview:
Are you diversifying into non-traditional OP product areas? We are a global contract stationer! That means that we sell office supplies, computer supplies, printings and furniture. For now…
Which wholesalers do you use? In France, large contract stationers are not necessarily big fans of wholesalers… maybe because we don’t have so much choice!
Do you feel a relationship with a wholesaler could improve Fiducial’s performance in any way? We are at the stage where we are starting to understand that a wholesaler might be useful — it’s the beginning.
Do you source any product direct from the manufacturer? If so, what percentage? Do you plan on increasing this percentage? Our objective is to source more than 95 per cent directly from the manufacturer. Currently, and with the exception of computer supplies, the percentage should be around 85.
What would you say has been your company’s best decision and what has been its worst? For the last 18 months, our best decisions have been changing the senior executive team, setting up a new sales organisation, and sticking to basic principles such as reps taking care of the customer. As far as I know, none of our decisions have been bad… so far!
How do you cultivate customer relations to ensure you are the first point of call for your customer’s OP needs? We have great and dedicated people — front line AND back-office such as reps, customer service personnel and delivery men… all servicing the customer
How do you aim to differentiate yourself from other dealers? At Fiducial there are solutions to customers’ needs — their needs of today but also of tomorrow.
What do you feel is the secret of your company’s success? Nothing but people — with a lot of energy and a few processes!
What do you expect to be your greatest challenges over the following year and how do you plan on overcoming them? We are in the process of implementing a new IT system and we know how demanding this can be in terms of time, money and implementation. Our challenge will be to keep going while we implement an ERP.
What are your priorities for the coming year? Besides the IT project, we will continue to grow in France, Belgium, Spain and the rest of Europe.
What trends do you expect to most impact the dealer community over the next five years? Let’s try: a deep split between buyers and users; customer intimacy via the internet; eco-efficient business strategies; and eWorking…
