Symbiose :How have
LACROIX Group and
Schneider Electric created
a successful partnership?

Testimony

Eric Meynet
Head of the Symbiose project & Operational Excellence Manager at LACROIX Electronics

Christophe Boy
Manager and Consultant of Lean Management & Digital Transformation at Schneider Electric’s Business Unity Industry

• Could you say a few words about the context of the partnership?

  

  Christophe :

  We have a traditional link to LACROIX Group as a product supplier and we already occasionally work together on consulting tasks. We were told about the Symbiose project several months ago and, knowing that our Montrevault site is certified as an “industry of the future showcase”, we were very interested in the project. This subject is a strategic axis for Schneider Electric and we suggested that we join together for the project.

  

  Eric :

  In concrete terms, we started working with Schneider Electric on the Symbiose project in October 2018, with our initial objective being the project design. Following this, we performed a needs assessment with the site teams: the result allowed us to refine the design of the new factory, but also to highlight the need and the will to transform the current factory in terms of our financial, development and efficiency optimisation objectives, before transferring to the new factory. We therefore addressed a global change in industrial culture.

• Why did you decide to work together?

  

  Eric :

  Schneider Electric had already taken on some limited optimisation tasks on the French site, involving training. We appreciate this collaboration as their teams are close to the ground and they understand the challenges of the industry of the future very well, since they implement them in their own roles and in other organisations.

  

  Christophe :

  We come from the industrial sector and we are also implementing a process for the industry of the future. Symbiose is an interesting project for us because it will be the first construction of an electronic factory in France in a long time. Integrating ourselves in the Symbiose project is an apt extension of our craft, which consists of helping manufacturers with their organisation in order to improve their performance, with a strong digital component to take this performance even further. The industry of the future is a dual issue, both organisational and technological, which Schneider Electric has fully committed itself to: it is a strategic axis that we wish to develop in order to support manufacturers.

• In what way is Symbiose an ideal field for this partnership?

  

  Eric :

  Symbiose is a great vehicle for accelerating transformation: it is a concrete project that speaks to people, the objectives have been decided together and everyone is coming along for the ride. Schneider Electric is here to help us with the transformation and give us the tools to optimise, guide and change the culture, in order to meet our objectives.

  

  Christophe :

  Symbiose combines an organisational transformation with a digital transformation. It is a very promising framework for our respective teams: businesses learn from transforming themselves and the businesses that support them in this challenge gain skills. Symbiose is an exciting project that we are delighted to be a part of, as the strategy for making the factory a success will quickly make it competitive and attractive. This project is part of the relaunching of industrial activity in France: Schneider Electric wanted to be a part of this project.