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10 questions à Steve Zimmermann, président de CMP, leader du virage 4.0
le mercredi 23 janvier 2019
Modifié à 15 h 19 min le 28 septembre 2019
(English follows) Spécialisée dans la fabrication de boîtiers métalliques complexes, CMP Solutions Mécaniques Avancées à Châteauguay est reconnue comme un modèle d’usine intelligente. Pour le président et chef de direction de l’entreprise, Steve Zimmermann, le virage 4.0 mène sur la route du succès.
Q CMP est une pionnière en matière d’usine intelligente. Qu’est-ce qui vous a incité à vous engager dans cette voie ?
R Nous sommes un manufacturier intégré verticalement, qui produit une grande variété de pièces en petites quantités pour de multiples secteurs comme les appareils médicaux, le rail léger, l’automobile, la sécurité intérieure et industrielle, et les entrepôts automatisés. Avec une telle variété de clients, retenir tous les procédés et les connaissances spécifiques requises pour soutenir nos clients représentait un défi. C’est ce qui nous a amenés à chercher un logiciel pouvant nous aider à gérer toute l’information. Comme nous n’avons pu trouver aucune solution adéquate, nous avons décidé d’en créer une. Une fois le développement de la formule en marche, nous avons décidé d’aller plus loin et de bâtir un système permettant de conserver tous nos processus, en plus de nous fournir des données provenant de notre plancher de production en temps réel. C’était la naissance de la solution d’usine «smart» de CMP. L’usine de CMP à Châteauguay est maintenant considérée comme une des plus avancées en Amérique du Nord.
Q Comment avez-vous procédé pour développer votre système 4.0 ?
R Notre objectif était de créer un système intuitif qui connecterait nos employés tant aux machines qu’à l’information dont ils avaient besoin. Nous avons commencé par identifier les défis clés : standardisation, communication et traçabilité. Puis notre talentueuse équipe de développement de logiciel a créé une solution web en rétroingénierie. Après avoir réalisé les capacités du système, nous avons décidé de commercialiser notre logiciel. Pour ce faire, nous avons créé la filiale Visual Knowledge Share. Le système VKS nous permet d’atteindre nos objectifs de conservation des procédés et aussi d’améliorer nos performances opérationnelles.
Q En quoi consiste le système VKS ?
R VKS a commencé comme un système d’instructions numériques qui permettait aux entreprises de créer et partager des instructions de travail avec des éléments comme des images, des vidéos et des annotations. Depuis, VKS a évolué vers une formule complète de fabrication intelligente, capable de capter des données de qualité et de productivité en temps réel, de se connecter avec des appareils tiers pour enregistrer des données comme la valeur de couple sur des outils d’assemblage, et finalement, capable d’intégrer d’autres logiciels comme les systèmes de gestion intégrés (ERP).
Q Est-ce que des investissements majeurs ont été requis ?
R Oui, des investissements significatifs ont été requis dans l’usine 4.0. Au cours des sept dernières années, nous avons fourni les ressources nécessaires pour maintenir une équipe de plus de 20 développeurs de logiciels travaillant à notre solution d’avant-garde. En plus, nous avons investi plus de 25 M $ dans CMP en équipement intelligent et en améliorations à nos installations au Québec et dans l’État de New-York.
Q Quels ont été les défis d’implantation du système VKS ?
R Deux éléments critiques dans l’implantation étaient la communication et la durabilité. Quand on implante un nouveau système, c’est important de considérer tous les intervenants, et d’être clair concernant la portée du projet, les bénéfices, et les rôles et responsabilités. En s’assurant que tout le monde est sur le même plan, on peut escompter un plus grand degré d’engagement et, par conséquent, de succès. Le deuxième défi tournait autour de la durabilité et de l’amélioration continue. Implanter une nouvelle technologie n’a pas un début précis et une fin. En fait, il faut voir cela comme une série de collines plutôt qu’une grosse montagne. En franchissant des jalons, les entreprises peuvent exécuter des tâches plus rapidement et tirer profit à chaque étape du processus. Une fois l’implantation «complétée», l’étape suivante de l’aventure commence : effectuer des audits pour garantir la conformité de la fabrication et identifier des opportunités d’amélioration continue basées sur la connaissance pointue du procédé et les nouvelles tendances et pratiques industrielles.
Q Quelles sont les retombées du virage 4.0 pour CMP en ce qui a trait à la qualité des produits ?
R CMP s’est toujours engagée à fournir des produits de haute qualité comme en témoigne notre politique «Zéro défaut». L’intégration de la technologie 4.0 nous a permis de réduire graduellement de plus de 95 % les défectuosités. Nous sommes très fiers de cet accomplissement.
Q Quels sont les avantages et les défis en ce qui concerne les ressources humaines ?
R Attirer des travailleurs qualifiés est un défi. Nous avons la chance d’avoir des membres dévoués dans notre équipe qui sont des experts dans leur domaine. Grâce à notre système VKS, nous pouvons capter leur expertise et la partager avec les nouveaux employés. L’an dernier, nous avons engagé plus de 100 nouveaux employés capables de fabriquer des produits de haute qualité quelques semaines après avoir commencé leur carrière chez CMP.
Q La technologie 4.0 a-t-elle un impact positif sur le développement des affaires ?
R Oui, la technologie a eu un effet positif sur nous. Des visiteurs nous félicitent régulièrement d’opérer une usine intelligente de pointe. Les deux principales demandes que nous recevons de clients potentiels visitant l’usine c’est : quand pouvons-nous commencer à faire des affaires ensemble et quand aurons-nous une démonstration de VKS ?
Q Quelle clientèle la filiale VKS a-t-elle développée ?
R VKS connaît beaucoup de succès. Elle a 100 clients dans plus de 30 pays. Notre logiciel est utilisé par plusieurs des plus grands manufacturiers du monde, toutefois, il reste accessible pour les petites et moyennes entreprises.
Q CMP a gagné un Prix Performance Québec en novembre pour son innovation. Qu’est-ce que ça représente pour vous ?
R Nous sommes très heureux d’avoir participé aux Prix Performance Québec en novembre. Les gouvernements du Canada et du Québec font tous les deux la promotion de l’innovation ces dernières années, et, au Québec, nous sommes très chanceux d’avoir Investissement Québec, qui est très engagé dans la promotion des avantages de l’industrie 4.0. Nous tous chez CMP sommes très fiers d’avoir été honorés à un niveau clé à la cérémonie de cette année. Le succès du secteur manufacturier au Québec et au Canada dépend de notre capacité d’innover, et être reconnu comme un leader dans le domaine c’est très valorisant.
Steve Zimmermann (Photo Andrew Clark)[/caption]
1 – CMP Advanced Mechanical Solutions is a pioneer in a factory’s smart material. What incited you to engage on this path?
A : As a high-mix/low-volume, vertically integrated contract manufacturer, we build products for
multiple sectors such as the medical device, light rail, automotive, homeland security, and
industrial and warehouse automation industries. With such a diverse client base, retaining all of
the process and industry-specific knowledge needed to support our customers was a challenge.
This initiated our search for a software solution that would help us manage all the information.
When a suitable solution could not be found, we decided to build our own. Once the
development of the solution started, we decided to go further and build a system that permitted
us to retain all of our process knowledge, in addition to allowing us to receive real-time data
from our shop floor. This was the birth of CMP’s Smart Factory solution. CMP’s Quebec based
facility is now considered one of the most advanced Smart Factories in North America.
2 - No adaptable 4.0 system at your enterprise existed at the time CMP developed its own. How did you proceed to define it?
A : Our goal was to create an intuitive system that would connect our workers to both the machines
and the information they needed. We started by identifying our key challenges; standardization,
communication, and traceability. Then we began to reverse engineer a web-based solution with
our talented software development team. After realizing the magnitude of the system, we
decided to commercialize our software, and created a spin-off company called Visual
Knowledge Share (VKS). The VKS system fulfilled our knowledge retention goals, and also
improved our operational performance.
3 - Of what does the VKS system consist?
A : VKS started out as a Digital Work Instruction solution that allowed companies to create and
share work instructions featuring elements such as pictures, videos, and annotations. Since
then, VKS has scaled to a full Smart Manufacturing Solution with the ability to capture
in-process quality & productivity data, connect with third party equipment to capture data such
as torque values from assembly tools, and finally integrate with other software such as ERP
systems.
4- Were major investments received?
A : Yes, significant investments in Industry 4.0 solutions were required. Over the past 7 years we
have supplied the resources necessary to keep a team of over 20 software developers working
our industry leading solution. In addition to this, we have invested over $25,000,000 in CMP in
Smart Manufacturing Equipment and facilities improvements between our Quebec and New
York facilities.
5 – What are the challenges of implementing the VKS system?
A : Two main items that were critical to the implementation were communication, and sustainability.
When implementing new solutions it is important to involve all of the stakeholders, and be clear
about the project’s scope, benefits, and roles & responsibilities. By ensuring that everyone is on
the same page, you can expect higher levels of engagement and therefore success. The
second challenge revolved around sustainability, and continuous improvement. Implementing a
new solution does not have a fixed beginning or end. In fact, implementing a new solution
should be regarded as a series of hills, rather than one large mountain. By breaking down
milestones, companies can complete tasks quickly and benefit at each step of the process.
Once an implementation is ‘complete’ the next stage of the journey begins – auditing to
guarantee process compliance and identify continuous improvement opportunities based off the
refined knowledge and new industry trends and practices.
6 – What are the repercussions of Turnabout 4.0 for CMP as far as treating the quality of products?
A : CMP has always been committed to supplying high quality products, as demonstrated by our
Zero Defect policy. The integration of Industry 4.0 technology has gradually allowed us to
reduce our internal defects by over 95%. We are very proud of this accomplishment.
7 – What are the advantages and challenges regarding human resources?
A : Attracting skilled workers in this economy is a challenge. We are fortunate to have dedicated
team members who are experts in their fields. Thanks to our VKS system, we are able to
capture their expertise and share it with new employees. Last year we hired over 100 new
employees who were efficiently producing high quality products within weeks of having started
their careers at CMP.
8 – Does technology 4.0 have a positive impact on business development?
A - Yes, 4.0 technology has had a positive effect on us. We are regularly congratulated by visitors
for operating a leading-edge Smart factory. The two main requests we receive from potential
customers visiting the factory are: when can they start doing business with us, and when can
they have a VKS demonstration.
9 – CMP put in place a VKS subsidiary company which offers a system to all sorts of enterprises. What clientele has it developed?
A - VKS has achieved great success and has 100’s of customers in over 30 countries. Our software
is used by many of the world’s largest manufacturers, however, it still remains accessible to
small and medium sized enterprises.
10 – CMP won a Quebec performance prize from the provincial government last November. What does that represent for you?
A - We were very pleased to participate in the Prix Performance Quebec this past November. Both
the Canadian and Quebec governments have been promoting innovation during the past few
years, and we in Quebec are very fortunate to have Investissement Quebec deeply involved in
promoting the benefits of Industry 4.0. All of us at CMP are proud to have been awarded one of
the key levels of recognition in this year’s ceremony. The success of manufacturing in Quebec
and Canada will be based on our ability to innovate, and being recognized as a leader in
innovation is very rewarding.
CMP Solutions mécaniques avancées
Spécialité Fabrication de boîtiers métalliques Clients Santé, transport, sécurité intérieure Siège social et usine 1241, rue des Cascades à Châteauguay 400 employés Usine Binghampton New-York – 112 employés Filiale VKS Implantation de technologie 4.0 en entreprise 35 employésCMP Advanced Mechanical Solutions, leader of 4.0 turnabout
Specialized in the manufacture of complex metallic casings, CMP Advanced Metallic Solutions in Chateauguay is recognized as a model of a smart factory. For the president and chief executive officer of the enterprise, Steve Zimmermann, the 4.0 turnabout is leading on the road to success. [caption id="attachment_56492" align="alignleft" width="521"] Steve Zimmermann (Photo Andrew Clark)[/caption]
1 – CMP Advanced Mechanical Solutions is a pioneer in a factory’s smart material. What incited you to engage on this path?
A : As a high-mix/low-volume, vertically integrated contract manufacturer, we build products for
multiple sectors such as the medical device, light rail, automotive, homeland security, and
industrial and warehouse automation industries. With such a diverse client base, retaining all of
the process and industry-specific knowledge needed to support our customers was a challenge.
This initiated our search for a software solution that would help us manage all the information.
When a suitable solution could not be found, we decided to build our own. Once the
development of the solution started, we decided to go further and build a system that permitted
us to retain all of our process knowledge, in addition to allowing us to receive real-time data
from our shop floor. This was the birth of CMP’s Smart Factory solution. CMP’s Quebec based
facility is now considered one of the most advanced Smart Factories in North America.
2 - No adaptable 4.0 system at your enterprise existed at the time CMP developed its own. How did you proceed to define it?
A : Our goal was to create an intuitive system that would connect our workers to both the machines
and the information they needed. We started by identifying our key challenges; standardization,
communication, and traceability. Then we began to reverse engineer a web-based solution with
our talented software development team. After realizing the magnitude of the system, we
decided to commercialize our software, and created a spin-off company called Visual
Knowledge Share (VKS). The VKS system fulfilled our knowledge retention goals, and also
improved our operational performance.
3 - Of what does the VKS system consist?
A : VKS started out as a Digital Work Instruction solution that allowed companies to create and
share work instructions featuring elements such as pictures, videos, and annotations. Since
then, VKS has scaled to a full Smart Manufacturing Solution with the ability to capture
in-process quality & productivity data, connect with third party equipment to capture data such
as torque values from assembly tools, and finally integrate with other software such as ERP
systems.
4- Were major investments received?
A : Yes, significant investments in Industry 4.0 solutions were required. Over the past 7 years we
have supplied the resources necessary to keep a team of over 20 software developers working
our industry leading solution. In addition to this, we have invested over $25,000,000 in CMP in
Smart Manufacturing Equipment and facilities improvements between our Quebec and New
York facilities.
5 – What are the challenges of implementing the VKS system?
A : Two main items that were critical to the implementation were communication, and sustainability.
When implementing new solutions it is important to involve all of the stakeholders, and be clear
about the project’s scope, benefits, and roles & responsibilities. By ensuring that everyone is on
the same page, you can expect higher levels of engagement and therefore success. The
second challenge revolved around sustainability, and continuous improvement. Implementing a
new solution does not have a fixed beginning or end. In fact, implementing a new solution
should be regarded as a series of hills, rather than one large mountain. By breaking down
milestones, companies can complete tasks quickly and benefit at each step of the process.
Once an implementation is ‘complete’ the next stage of the journey begins – auditing to
guarantee process compliance and identify continuous improvement opportunities based off the
refined knowledge and new industry trends and practices.
6 – What are the repercussions of Turnabout 4.0 for CMP as far as treating the quality of products?
A : CMP has always been committed to supplying high quality products, as demonstrated by our
Zero Defect policy. The integration of Industry 4.0 technology has gradually allowed us to
reduce our internal defects by over 95%. We are very proud of this accomplishment.
7 – What are the advantages and challenges regarding human resources?
A : Attracting skilled workers in this economy is a challenge. We are fortunate to have dedicated
team members who are experts in their fields. Thanks to our VKS system, we are able to
capture their expertise and share it with new employees. Last year we hired over 100 new
employees who were efficiently producing high quality products within weeks of having started
their careers at CMP.
8 – Does technology 4.0 have a positive impact on business development?
A - Yes, 4.0 technology has had a positive effect on us. We are regularly congratulated by visitors
for operating a leading-edge Smart factory. The two main requests we receive from potential
customers visiting the factory are: when can they start doing business with us, and when can
they have a VKS demonstration.
9 – CMP put in place a VKS subsidiary company which offers a system to all sorts of enterprises. What clientele has it developed?
A - VKS has achieved great success and has 100’s of customers in over 30 countries. Our software
is used by many of the world’s largest manufacturers, however, it still remains accessible to
small and medium sized enterprises.
10 – CMP won a Quebec performance prize from the provincial government last November. What does that represent for you?
A - We were very pleased to participate in the Prix Performance Quebec this past November. Both
the Canadian and Quebec governments have been promoting innovation during the past few
years, and we in Quebec are very fortunate to have Investissement Quebec deeply involved in
promoting the benefits of Industry 4.0. All of us at CMP are proud to have been awarded one of
the key levels of recognition in this year’s ceremony. The success of manufacturing in Quebec
and Canada will be based on our ability to innovate, and being recognized as a leader in
innovation is very rewarding.