Industry:
Mining
Field:
EHS
Location:
France
“VPWhite’s Sustain Support brings us expertise, responsiveness, and peace of mind in managing our Enablon platform.”
Julien Lefrançois, IT Business Partner for Sustainability, Imerys
In today’s industrial landscape, where EHS data management has become a strategic priority for performance and reporting, the technical and functional expertise of a specialised partner is critical. That’s why Imerys, a global leader in mineral-based solutions for industry, chose to rely on VPWhite’s Sustain support offering to manage and evolve its Enablon platform.
In this interview, Julien Lefrançois, IT Business Partner for Sustainability at Imerys, reflects on the context, the benefits of this partnership, and the added value of structured expert support.
In this interview, Julien Lefrançois, IT Business Partner for Sustainability at Imerys, reflects on the context, the benefits of this partnership, and the added value of structured expert support.
Introducing IMERYS
Julien Lefrançois :
I’ve been with Imerys for eight years and currently serve as IT Business Partner for Sustainability. My role is to ensure that our digital tools are well aligned with the needs of our Group and local EHS teams.
Imerys is a multinational group with a turnover of 3.6 billion in 2024. We provide solutions based on natural mineral resources, synthetic minerals, and specialised formulations. These minerals bring essential properties such as hardness, lightness, or filtration to our customers’ products across sectors like construction and mobility. Our group is firmly committed to responsible development, particularly through the advancement of environmentally friendly products and processes.
Our group is firmly committed to responsible development, particularly through the advancement of environmentally friendly products and processes.
I’ve been with Imerys for eight years and currently serve as IT Business Partner for Sustainability. My role is to ensure that our digital tools are well aligned with the needs of our Group and local EHS teams.
Imerys is a multinational group with a turnover of 3.6 billion in 2024. We provide solutions based on natural mineral resources, synthetic minerals, and specialised formulations. These minerals bring essential properties such as hardness, lightness, or filtration to our customers’ products across sectors like construction and mobility. Our group is firmly committed to responsible development, particularly through the advancement of environmentally friendly products and processes.
Our group is firmly committed to responsible development, particularly through the advancement of environmentally friendly products and processes.
Why did you choose VPWhite’s Sustain support?
In 2018, Imerys implemented Enablon to manage its health & safety reporting with an initial integrator. Later, VPWhite took over for the deployment of new modules.
With 150 industrial sites (including quarries and processing plants) across 40 countries, Imerys operates with the scale of a large group, but our internal resources are more limited. We don’t have in-house development teams, and we don’t benefit from a high level of attention from Enablon directly. We therefore needed external expertise to ensure the long-term reliability and scalability of our platform.
With 150 industrial sites (including quarries and processing plants) across 40 countries, Imerys operates with the scale of a large group, but our internal resources are more limited. We don’t have in-house development teams, and we don’t benefit from a high level of attention from Enablon directly. We therefore needed external expertise to ensure the long-term reliability and scalability of our platform.
What kind of expertise does advanced support bring?
VPWhite’s Sustain consultants provide high-level expertise to maintain our platform in optimal operating condition, while delivering scalable maintenance tailored to our evolving needs. Their approach offers targeted services (e.g., functionality updates, rule changes) with a cost-effective resource model.
In addition, access to VPWhite’s full ecosystem of expertise allows us to make more complex updates—such as integrating new calculation rules for critical data like Scope 3 Energy—without reinventing existing processes or creating unnecessary developments.
In addition, access to VPWhite’s full ecosystem of expertise allows us to make more complex updates—such as integrating new calculation rules for critical data like Scope 3 Energy—without reinventing existing processes or creating unnecessary developments.
What is the relationship like with your Advanced consultant?
The relationship is smooth and structured, supported by well-established processes. We use VPOnline, an efficient ticketing system to track and prioritise requests, supplemented by a dedicated hotline for urgent needs.
We also benefit from adapted governance, with biannual steering committees to review handled requests, monitor project progress, adjust priorities, and identify areas for improvement. This organisation ensures both responsiveness and visibility for optimal performance.
We also benefit from adapted governance, with biannual steering committees to review handled requests, monitor project progress, adjust priorities, and identify areas for improvement. This organisation ensures both responsiveness and visibility for optimal performance.
How does advanced support lighten your day-to-day work?
VPWhite’s Sustain team allows us to focus on our functional priorities by taking ownership of the technical challenges—from design to implementation and resolution. This streamlines our daily operations, speeds up decision-making, and saves valuable time while reducing the burden of managing technical complexity.
How will you integrate Sustain support into future digital projects?
Beyond day-to-day management, we plan to involve VPWhite in the evolutionary maintenance of future modules. This ongoing collaboration ensures consistency and quality across our Enablon suite.
We’re also working more closely to unlock additional value—for instance, using VPWhite’s Usage Review add-on, which gives us actionable insights to improve our user experience.
We’re also working more closely to unlock additional value—for instance, using VPWhite’s Usage Review add-on, which gives us actionable insights to improve our user experience.
ESG 
EHS 
LEGAL 
REM 
GRC
PERFO
