Carte Blanche podcast, Episode #2:
Emmanuel Thommerel – Industry in the age of data

For a manufacturer such as LACROIX, data digitalisation is a strategic focus. According to Emmanuel, the aim is to extract information and make it useful:

• for internal purposes, to improve our manufacturing, quality and sales processes
• for external purposes, to optimise the way we operate with our customers and suppliers, in order to better serve their business

Working towards a standardised, service-oriented information system

“We have plant implementations that are local, but our information system is increasingly global.” For Emmanuel Thommerel, it is important to offer standardised IT services that can be used by any customer, whether they are based in France, or Africa, Western Europe, the United States, etc. For this to work, our information systems and the customers’ information systems must evolve in parallel.

In addition, our information system is more service-oriented, particularly in terms of the implementation of POC (proof of concept) on different business aspects. “With the lean management methodology, we notice what isn’t working and we correct it. It is a virtuous circle that aims to ensure that the things we do today are done better tomorrow.”

Support for operators in the digital transformation

“We tend to say that tomorrow’s operator will be a digital operator, who is capable of using IT tools and understanding data. If we want digitalisation to be successful, we need to get the teams on board and show them why it is interesting in relation to their job, but also why data is interesting.”

Emmanuel Thommerel: a short profile

After his PhD, he began working as Information Systems Director for LACROIX’s Electronics activity in 2017. For more than 20 years, he specialised in information systems management for groups such as PSA, Alstom, AREVA and Yves Rocher.