With more than 522,000 employees in 72 countries, Sodexo needed a single expense solution that could adapt to global complexity while staying simple for employees.
The group was already using a mix of cost management tools, but processes varied by country and lacked consistency. To support its digital transformation, Sodexo turned to Rydoo to unify expense management across the organisation.
Choosing Rydoo over existing tools
When Sodexo added two more companies to its portfolio in 2017, the group faced a choice: continue with its existing tools or adopt Rydoo.
“We actually had the choice to continue working with the previous solutions”, says David Soulé, Travel & Expense Manager at Sodexo Group and leader of the internal project team. “We didn’t just buy Rydoo because it is Rydoo. First and foremost, we needed a world-class cost management tool for our thousands of employees.”
We love [Rydoo’s] human approach. The fact that you’re actually talking to someone and not an Excel spreadsheet is something we really appreciate.
David Soulé
Travel & Expense Manager @ Sodexo Group
A technical and functional assessment showed Rydoo’s clear strengths: project support, human engagement, and agility stood out as decisive factors.
“The area where Rydoo performed the best was project support”, Soulé added. “We love the human approach. The fact that you’re talking to someone and not an Excel spreadsheet is something we really appreciate.”
Rydoo’s paperless expense capabilities and user-friendly design were also key advantages. Employees could “throw away their receipts,” reducing effort and increasing adoption.
Building a global process
Sodexo partnered with key country branches to design a group-wide process. Feedback from local teams informed the approach, which was then aligned with the Information Systems & Technology (IS&T) and Rydoo teams. This methodology became the model for future rollouts.
“Together with our branches in the most important countries, we developed a process for the entire group”, David Soulé recalls. “After that, we worked with the IS&T teams and Rydoo to run this process globally.”
We didn’t just buy Rydoo because it is Rydoo. First and foremost, we needed a world-class cost management tool for our thousands of employees.
David Soulé
Travel & Expense Manager @ Sodexo Group
A three‑month period followed, during which Sodexo compared its new process with Rydoo’s capabilities. Gap analysis and joint improvement plans ensured alignment without overburdening employees.
“The discussions with the Rydoo team helped us refine our approach and better understand certain issues”, Soulé says. “We realised that some adjustments could wait, and in some cases, we followed Rydoo’s insights to take a different approach.”
Testing and scaling adoption
The pilot phase launched in France and received highly positive feedback from initial users. A quality survey showed that:
- 84% of employees said the app improved quality of life at work;
- The app received a 4 out of 5 satisfaction rating;
- Employees found it easier to understand Sodexo’s expense policies.
Rydoo also enabled proactive compliance. Before, policies were checked after payment, making enforcement difficult. With Rydoo, employees now receive real‑time notifications if an expense is out of policy.
We were thrilled with Rydoo’s agility and the potential to simplify and reduce activities as much as possible, without creating any additional effort for our employees.
David Soulé
Travel & Expense Manager @ Sodexo Group
“Rydoo makes a really big improvement”, David Soulé adds. “It allowed us to implement a travel and expense policy and ensure compliance in real-time. Employees now see immediately if something is out of policy, which helps them follow the rules.”
A foundation for future growth
For Sodexo, Rydoo is a strategic platform that supports global consistency and local compliance at scale. By simplifying processes for employees and giving finance teams greater control, Sodexo and Rydoo continue to grow together.
“There is always a serious will to evolve at Rydoo, and that gives us confidence for the future”, David Soulé concludes.