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If success in logistics – and in
business generally – is about reacting
quickly enough to changing times and
habits, then BA Systèmes have had
to learn fast. Twenty years ago, robot
technology was about assembly lines
– it seemed reasonable to assume that
that was where it would conceivably
stay, at least in the short term. All
too fast, the world has changed, and
go-to companies in the AGV sector
today have to deliver a much broader
intralogistics offering if they are to
meet customers’ needs.
Laurent Depont, business director
of the Rennes-based outfit first
established in 1975, has no doubts
about his task: “It’s not just about the
vehicle, it’s about the integration of an
entire system. We look for and provide
total AGV solutions.”
So how does he go about that crucial
part of the task – identifying how to
give the customer what he wants
and needs? “We have 40 years in
business, long experience, we are
proud of this and it helps us have a
Staying ahead
of the pack
deep insight into customer needs. We
have deep knowledge of and insight
into process – our engineering team
will look at solutions that offer the right
and appropriate mix of vehicle and IT
system.”
Software sizzle
For Depont, it’s the IT that adds the
sizzle. “The AGV itself offers a level of
technology,” he explains, “but software
is how we make the difference. It is the
blend of the two. We will examine very
carefully what the targets and needs
of our customers are and develop the
solution accordingly.”
In the past, customers were looking
for production line efficiency. Period.
But now that need has spread into
the whole intralogistics equation.
Customers are looking to adapt and
integrate a total solution, so, to quote
a price competitively, BA Systèmes
needs to deliver on all parts within the
shed and its associate parts. With such
a high level of commitment required
by the customer, what reassurance
can Depont offer them that they have
selected the best solution? Part of the
answer lies in reassurance. “We enter
partnerships with our customers in
which they are fully comfortable with
the total cost of ownership. They can
commit knowing what their costs will
be over a 10-year period – it’s very
important for customers to understand
this,” he emphasizes.
Flexibility is built into the deal, too.
The opportunity to adjust and adapt
is always there. Is he saying that, in
that case, he will offer new hardware
at no extra cost five years down the
line if the customer feels in retrospect
he could have optimized further? He
qualifies the statement: “It might be a
matter of adapting the management
system or adjusting certain flows within
the system. Sometimes there might be
the need for one or even two AGVs
for the customer to reach their new
targets.”
That last option would be a rare
surprise, though, because KPIs are
shared and agreed at the outset of
the relationship, which means that
BA Systèmes is able to manage
performance with acute insight into its
customer expectations. Their solution
will be geared appropriately to ensure
they are happy their expectations have
been met, or exceeded.
How does an established AGV player stay ahead of the game?
Paul Hamblin
catches up with Laurent Depont, Business
Director at BA Systèmes to hear how the French market leaders
are innovating, 40 years on.
62
Logistics Business Magazine | February 2016
AUTOMATIC GUIDED VEHICLES (AGV)