CGI recently briefed NelsonHall on its capabilities for the manufacturing sector and how it is addressing opportunities around digital manufacturing/Industry 4.0.

CGI’s service portfolio for digital manufacturing addresses the manufacturing sector also other industries with similar needs around supply chain and distribution operations, including retail/distribution, and life science/pharma. Key clients include Michelin, STMicro, Carrefour, Schneider Electric, BMW, ThyssenKrupp, DSM, Airbus, BRP, Sanofi. CGI focuses on several offerings

• Supply chain optimization and transformation
• MES and its MES operation center
• Data management, including analytics
• Digital, including IoT and mobile.

CGI has experience in MES implementations and migrations around Invensys/Schneider Electric. Globally, the company has ~2.8k supply chain experts, of (which 350 are based out of its Supply Chain CoE in Lyon, France) specializing in supply chain optimization and transformation. Digital comes into play around data, mobility, security, and IoT. The integration of MES systems with internal systems brings a wealth of data and a key focus is capturing and analyzing data from these.  CGI is currently developing use cases, for example using IoT for predictive maintenance, and energy management.

Many manufacturing clients are headquartered in Europe, principally in France, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden. While its client proximity model remains a major feature of its approach, CGI is also driving coordination of its manufacturing expertise across geographies.

Work on IP identification and creation continues. One example of CGI’s IP in manufacturing is a solution that supports the sharing of product design data across teams. CGI initially developed this for Volvo Cars, to drive collaboration with its then new owner, Chinese automotive OEM Geely.

A key asset is its Manufacturing Atlas methodology for conducting projects that focus on process, material, asset, and information optimization and standardization. CGI estimates it has used the methodology with ~ 100 clients. One example of a project is one for Dutch life science firm DSM, for whom CGI provided upstream consulting around manufacturing IT, and MES standardization. The engagement led to a MES application management contract. Recent work for DSM includes the creation of use cases and the implementation of an IoT solution, connecting industrial valves, collecting and analyzing data, creating a predictive failure model.

Another example of service expansion is cybersecurity services around devices, as part of a seven-year contract with DSM.

Digital brings new engagement models and in September CGI France will launch a CoE in the Lyon region focused on intelligent supply chain, showcasing existing technologies and use cases, which it can use for conducting workshops and sharing best practices. The CoE builds on the ~10k personnel the company has in France servicing major manufacturing clients including Michelin, Schneider Electric, Carrefour and Auchan (retail), Sanofi (pharmaceuticals), Total (oil), and Renault Trucks.

This follows other investments by CGI France: in 2015/2016, it set up a retail and consumer goods CoE/client showcase in Lille and a digital transformation CoE in Montpelier & Toulouse.

We will be commenting on the launch of CGI’s Global Supply Chain Center of Excellence in Lyon and on the company’s progress in its service portfolio expansion globally later this year.