World leader in fruit process equipment, MAF RODA digitalize its processes with Visiativ, starting with Customer Service to optimize design and manufacturing and quality of machines
Martial POULIN
IT Director
World leader in grading, packaging and handling processes for fresh fruit and vegetables, MAF RODA is a family owned business based in Montauban, with international reach through several production sites (France, Spain, USA, China , …). The company manufactures complete installations to process fruit, from leaving the orchard to delivery in boxes or bags to customers. Martial Poulin explains how he transformed customer service at MAF RODA with Visiativ Service Client solution.
Our business is to manufacture entire production lines, i.e. suites of machines installed one after the other to cover the entire fruit processing chain.
To sell our machines, our sales representatives go into the field and list client needs. Then we do an implementation study, and define a flow according to type of fruit and volume to be processed. From there we determine targeted equipment. The sales draft a proposal and a quote, and if the estimate is accepted, we go to design office, which validates the specific line of machines. Then the designers launch manufacturing and make specific studies on machines that we have to create, or parts of machines that we have to modify for a specific treatment.
We had real problems collaborating and passing information between all different departments of the company: each department worked on its own and managed its own data. This information did not necessarily pass to the next actor, which did not improve the overall manufacturing process.
Added to this is a geographical concept: each production site is responsible for a type of machine worldwide. When we implement at a customer’s location, machines arrive from all the sites in the world. In the same way, information did not circulate correctly from one production site to another, which made it impossible to share information feedback on a machine, and to pool solutions.
In addition, we used a lot of paper, which caused loss of time, costs, data entry errors and loss of information. MAF RODA needed to accelerate the transformation of its customer service.
We carried out an audit, Visiativ Transformation Diagnostic
This digital transformation diagnostic and its deliverables were really very interesting: there pn pointed issues were for which we knew that we had difficulties. The fact of having an external company with expertise in industrial processes makes it possible to properly present the transformation project to General Management: it makes it possible to show where issues are. And then the IT department and other departments need to implement solutions.
From there, we selected Visiativ workplace, and we decided to first deploy Visiativ Customer Service, since we did not have dedicated tools, while we also had problems with reporting information.
In addition, we had no tools to analyze the problems on our machines, except from an internally developed application which recorded information of interventions for invoicing.
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Today, Visiativ Customer Service enables us to analyze our data to find out which type of equipment has the most quality issues, in order to then improve our products. All production sites have access to this centralized information in the platform. We can also create quotes directly in the portal, for spare parts for example.
On our customer side, the solution enables them to easily report breakdowns and get assistance and interventions quickly. It also makes it easy to share files such as quotes or invoices, to download user manuals… from aywhere and at anytime as our portal is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This enables us to work in a more modern and less artisanal way.
We can also use the portal to share with our customers: we give them information on the upgrades of their machines, new products, etc.
The platform was received with enthusiasm. Given what we had before, obviously it could only be better!
It is true that it is efficient and modern. It gives us more flexibility. Its modular approach makes it possible to activate apps on demand. It is also possible to develop other applications, or simply modify a process ourself. The platform is very easy to use.
In terms of after-sales services, given that we have several design offices on our various sites, it was not easy to share information.
The platform now allows us to centralize all data so that it is accessible by all departments. As each site is responsible for a machine, it is even more important to report information.
Each unit is now able to get information on various equipment, and probably be able to provide solutions, without having to systematically look for a person. It’s much more efficient
As you can understand, MAF RODA is in the process of transforming its customer service!
We plan to digitize other services with Visiativ workplace.
Whether it’s CAD with Solidworks, technical data management with Visiativ PLM, innovation financing with ABGI or even digital transformation, Visiativ supports us throughout our digital chain!
In parallel with the deployment of Visiativ workplace, we have an ongoing 3D implementation project with Dassault Systèmes solutions. Until now we provided 2D layout plans to our customers. We also have ongoing projects with Visiativ PLM on technical data management: we deploy to do business management. We defined in Visiativ PLM tool what a business is, documents, specifications, etc. We set up pre-defined projects, soon we will be able to create 3D layout. We can then save time when launching production.
We are in the process of setting up a complete digital chain: from specification of customer’s need to manufacturing in the workshop, using Visiativ tools.
