How the arrival of a robot led to the technological and organisational transformation of a very small enterprise

CFT Industrie specialises in the bending and assembly of cables, tubes and sheet metal. It has 12 employees and a turnover of 2.5 million Euros. Change in ownership of the company in 2011 brought with it the opportunity to buy a welding robot which increased productivity in a major way, but which also changed company management. Because of the support given by Cetim to the ROBOT Start PME programme, CFT Industrie moved towards a form of management which was much more participatory and collaborative. It was the welders who championed the robotization project, defined the specifications, and met the suppliers. This made adoption of the technology easier. This success enabled CFT Industrie to move forward: all the employees are committed to the construction of a Group-wide vision (with a total staff of 85) through a variety of certain actions, whether it be the purchase of a ‘cobot’ (a collaborative robot) or the installation of beehives on the company’s premises.