In the lair of the Sineo factory in Toulouse
The Sineo reconditioning plant in Toulouse (31) opened its doors at Journal de l’Automobile. After eight months of service, it’s time for a preliminary assessment for the first site of its kind from the specialist in aesthetic restoration.
Christophe Guillou, operational director of the Sineo plant.
The gestures are controlled. The movement of vehicles is more fluid. After eight months of activity, the reconditioning center of Sineo de Fenouillet, in the suburbs of Toulouse (31), begins to master the exercise. Of course, there are still areas for improvement, but the level of quality now satisfies the site’s customers, including the ex-PSA Retail point of sale. “We received some legitimate criticism in the first few months, but they are now touting the benefit of the service to their partners whom they bring here on a visit, ” to glide Christophe Guillou, the operational manager of the plant, during the visit organized for the Automobile Journal.
We are at the beginning of November 2021 and the infrastructure of 2,000 m² (including 1,800 m² of workshop and 200 of administrative offices) on land that covers three times the area is still powered by a single team for the moment. In this configuration, Sineo reconditions up to 15 vehicles per day, ie a rate of approximately 3,500 units per year. The management is already preparing the ramp-up. With a staff rotation, the hourly amplitude can be understood from 5 to 9 p.m. and the volume of used vehicles supported will double.
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We still have to find sources of supply. There are a large number of potential customers in the northern area of the city of Toulouse, while a migratory flow is seeing more and more concessions opening up within a 10-minute drive of the site. The new flagship of the Sipa group is the latest example. But it is clear that for the moment, the hooks cast do not oscillate very much. There are curious people who come to discover the installation and wonder. Time to mature the project and to project on specifications, we believe at Sineo. But competition from Stimcar a stone’s throw away or the will to carry out projects in progress, will not fail to lead to rougher negotiations.
The digital players have seized the outstretched hand. Their needs are numerous in the region for players such as Aramisauto and Autohero who have included CtoB transactions in their economic model. However, during our visit, the surprise came from another. Attention is drawn to the presence of a truck in the Cazoo colors. “We conduct tests, to acknowledge Caroline Bocquet, the development manager, we intervene in the reconditioning of return vehicles and serve as a logistical starting point before delivery to the end customer“. This is confirmed by a member of the Cazoo France team on the spot, suggesting an official start in a very short time. We will then learn that Moveecar, the subsidiary of Gefco, is also involved in the transport plan To be continued.
The reality of the delay
Inside, after a 3 km road test on a defined route, the inspector edited a report, reconciles his information with the repair order provided by the distributor. The center takes charge of ordering the parts and begins work upon receipt. Four mechanical bridges (capable of lifting 5-ton LCVs), two painting booths or even a turntable mounted by Stampyt are some of the equipment available to workers, while the Odoo software ensures the supervision of the stages and the sharing of information in real time with the principal. It should be noted that each of the technicians received level 1 training in electric motors, or even level 2 for 3 of them. “The next step will be to old NGV “, confides Christophe Guillou.
In the initial plan, projections were based on a penetration of 70% of repurchases in the mix on the channels. This was the case for the first few months. But the changes in the market brought about by the extension of rental contracts have reversed the trend. At Sineo, teams currently recondition 75% of vehicles from trade-in versus 25% from rental returns. Products with less controlled life paths that extend processing times. “It is not always possible to keep the 7-day commitment because this implies having only 2 bodywork elements to change, according to our calculations, shares factory manager. Or, we have seen with one of our customers that there are many more on average when it comes to a private purchase “.
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According to Caroline Bocquet, this poses a new challenge for the company. According to her, the web pure-players are looking above all for speed and less a repackaging price. Conversely, distributors place more emphasis on cost, even to the point of considering the possibility of using second-hand spare parts to reduce repair costs. Moreover, after eight months, Sineo estimates the invoice presented to its customers for each vehicle at 430 euros on average, including parts, labor, photos and transport. A cost that goes down to 250 euros on average for used vehicles and climbs to 800 euros for products over 8 years old.
Human success
It took half a million euros to set up this project, starting from a building formerly used for the management of construction equipment. A sum invested by Claude Paris, the holder of the Sineo license in Toulouse. Once on the right track, the Sineo center in Toulouse took an atypical turn, that of becoming a cooperative production company (Scop). A strong choice on the part of the entrepreneur who wanted “leave the hand to the employees so that they appropriate this work tool of a new kind and that they bring ideas for improvement“. Each employee can enter the capital after a service, while 25% of the annual profits are redistributed.
The Sineo center stands out in a similar register. Elected at the head of the structure, Caroline Bocquet engaged it in a social and societal approach. By working with local associations, a small part of the 70 employees joined the reconditioning center as part of a reintegration program. They are homeless, migrants or in difficulty, Sineo hires them for a period of 24 months. A period during which each of them carries out two activities in parallel. One in the service of used vehicle reconditioning and the other to build a clean professional project. “We thus help them to find or rediscover the reflexes of life in a company, such as the notion of schedules, turnover or teamwork.“, explains the manager. In a short time, the exit rate (the number of employees who sign a contract after joining Sineo) has increased from 40 to 85%. It could still progress with the creation of gateways to the local businesses that the manager is working to establish.