The Mind behind Frepple: Meet Johan De Taeye
Johan De Taeye, a seasoned professional with a wealth of industry experience, has played a pivotal role in crafting Frepple's success story. Having spent a decade working at i2 Technologies (now Blue Yonder) and another ten years optimising supply chain planning for prominent clients such as Dassault, Nokia, and ST Microelectronics, Johan's expertise is unquestionably invaluable. In 2011, he founded Frepple to address the need for efficient planning tools that could be deployed rapidly.
"As a supply chain consultant, it didn't take long to spot a gap in the market - a space between expensive, cumbersome software and inadequate spreadsheets. It became my mission to provide a tool that didn't impose limits on users, and bridged the gap between. That's where Frepple's journey started.”
Frepple's Open-Source Mentality
The strength of Frepple aligns seamlessly with Odoo’s open-source mentality, resonating with Dynapps' philosophy as well. With a mission to offer transparent, easy-to-integrate, and extendable software, Frepple stands as a testament to its commitment to an open-source business model.
Despite being a small organisation with just two team members, Frepple has forged strong partnerships not only with Dynapps but also with other Odoo partners. This collaboration has resulted in remarkable synergies, leading to the development of an Odoo connector and presentations at Odoo’s yearly OXP conference. At current date, Frepple has a global reach, catering to more than 30 corporate clients with resounding success.
Empowering E-Power: Elevating Manufacturing Efficiency with Odoo and Frepple
Johan and Karel, Dynapps’ very own CEO, crossed paths annually at OXP (Odoo Experience Days). Despite the initial interactions, it took time for the partnership to truly flourish. Eventually, they embarked on their first joint project together – a project for Belgian electrical power generator manufacturer E-Power. This project marked the beginning of their collaborative journey.
E-Power encountered several challenges at that time. Their product range comprised complicated items, often tailored with complex bill of materials. Procuring materials proved demanding due to extended lead times, inconsistent deliveries, and frequent delays. As a result, E-Power transitioned from their previous ERP system to Odoo as their modern ERP solution with the help of Dynapps.
Transitioning from an old ERP system to Odoo, armed with Frepple's advanced planning capabilities, brought a new dawn, including better insights into material constraints, accurate delivery estimates, and streamlined capacity management were among the game-changing outcomes.
"Our collaboration with Dynapps has not only been about implementing solutions but also ensuring their day-to-day client operations run effortlessly. E-Power, for example, benefits from a dedicated portal that captures their requests and tickets, seamlessly connecting Dynapps and Frepple."