LACROIX Electronics - Case Study

About LACROIX

LACROIX Group is an international technology equipment supplier, providing smart, connected and secure equipment and solutions to improve the management of road, water and energy infrastructures. Its Electronics business, with which we had the honor of working, is ranked in the top 50 Electronics Manufacturing Services worldwide. Its services range from the design to the manufacture of electronic equipment for markets such as automotive, industry, connected homes and buildings, aerospace and defense and healthcare.

The Challenge

Previously situated in an aging industrial building in Maine-et-Loire, LACROIX’s Electronics division made the strategic decision in 2022 to relocate to a state-of-the-art facility, prioritizing industrial, social, and environmental innovation in its design.

The primary objective behind this relocation, where Exotec played a pivotal role, was to enhance the reliability and efficiency of storing and preparing electronic components, as well as various plastic and metal parts (comprising over 4,000 references). These components are crucial for the fabrication of embedded systems and other connected devices for LACROIX’s customers. The ‘store’, where these parts are stocked, is at the heart of the company’s operations. Any disruption in the warehouse’s optimal functioning, be it throughput or accurate inventory management, reverberates throughout the entire preparation process.

During the relocation, the objective was to swiftly resume business operations. “We could only stop our equipment for a week,” explains Claude Bourget, Manager of the Beaupréau site and of LACROIX’s Electronics division. And when it came to restarting, the promise was indeed there: “It worked from day one, it was plug-and-play, and we hardly had any fine-tuning phase.”

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The Solution

Results

1. Increased Performance

• Productivity increased by 7x

2. Improved Efficiency

• Double-deep rack storage, making the system 20% denser than conventional systems, saving 600 m² (6450 ft²) of warehouse space
• System installed on schedule in less than 15 months, with storage and parts preparation activities resuming immediately and reliably after relocation

3. Industry 4.0: Made in France

• A successful collaboration between two of France’s industrial leaders, facilitating the relocation of innovative activities to local areas

“We’ve virtually eradicated non-value-added operations in the warehouse, allowing us to reallocate our teams to more engaging tasks.” Undoubtedly, this change brings joy to his staff as well.

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