New Technologies as Industrial Performance Tools, the Case of Cordé Électrique

Lise déziel, PDG de Cordé Électrique Inc.

by Nicolas Sacchetti

Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the performance of the production chain. However, without a seasoned culture of continuous improvement, performance will be short-lived. Lise Déziel, CEO of Cordé Électrique, shares her experience with the technological shift in her electrical harness company.

Not to be confused with it. Cordé Électrique is not in the mountaineering or horseback riding business. An electrical harness is a group of wires put together to power machine components, such as the headlights of a car. Déziel's company manufactures these electrical harnesses for use in ground transportation vehicles, medical equipment, and household appliances.

With 15 years of experience in the electrical field, in 2010 Déziel founded Cordé Électrique. Initially, her goal was to become an entrepreneur with a dozen employees. Three years later, she had reached 45 employees.

Performance in the Production Line

During a visit of the factory to a customer, he remarked on the loss of time on the production line. Déziel realized at that moment that her company could be more efficient. There was indeed too much manipulation on the production line.

The CEO had lost the ability to aim efficiently. The full order book and the ever-increasing workload had prevented her from reflecting on the evolution of her company. This event marked the beginning of the 4.0 journey.

"Lise, you need to look at what's going on around you. Be inspired by the best and become a leader instead of just a manager."
- Lise Déziel, CEO of Cordé Électrique

She then worked on building a team with complementary strengths and personalities in electrical engineering, industrial mechanics and programming. For Déziel, performance is a question of leadership, interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. This allowed her to build an autonomous team balanced by additional strengths.

Communication

She has worked with her team to establish the company's vision through open and honest communications, namely: "optimize all the company's processes, carry out the North American expansion plan and consolidate our position among the best companies in the Québec industry.

Cordé Électrique was thus able to draw up an action plan in order to begin the 4.0 shift. It is by relying on state-of-the-art technologies that the company ensures the quality and durability of their electrical harnesses. It is also important to remember that 4.0 requires annual investment in technology improvements and ongoing training of personnel to remain at the forefront of the market.

Awards

In April 2017 - Lise Déziel won a Envol, the name of the trophy in the Les Mercuriades competition, in the Lowe's Productivity Increase category: "[This Envol] rewards an innovative strategy that has increased the company's productivity, resulting in particular in increased organizational efficiency."

In November 2019, Lise Déziel also won the Industry 4.0 Leader award at the Women in Manufacturing Summit conducted by Sâadia Lakehal, CEO of Emperia Industries Connect.

The art of inclusive management leads to sustainable performance. "Innovation can only be stimulated, it cannot be imposed," says Déziel.

This content has been updated on 2022-12-09 at 0 h 04 min.