Schneider Electric’s factories in Monterrey, Mexico, and Shanghai, China, have received prestigious recognition from the World Economic Forum, standing out for their leadership in adopting Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. The plant in Monterrey has been designated as a new “Advanced Lighthouse,” while the one in Shanghai has been named an “End-to-End Value Chain Lighthouse.” With these designations, Schneider Electric now has a total of seven factories recognized as “Lighthouses.”
These distinctions are part of the Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network, created in collaboration with McKinsey & Company in 2018, and promote the adoption of advanced technology to improve sustainability and operational performance. Within this network, participating factories stand out for their use of artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and data analytics to increase efficiency and competitiveness.
The Shanghai factory, which focuses on producing key devices for electrical systems, has managed to improve labor productivity by 82% and reduce order delivery time by 67%, by adopting automation and technologies such as generative AI-based maintenance. These advances have been crucial in meeting the growing demand from emerging energy markets.
In Monterrey, the plant has implemented autonomous robots and drones to optimize material handling, successfully reducing energy and water consumption by 30%. The application of machine learning and deep learning technologies has sustained an annual growth of 24% and decreased delivery times by 49% over the last three years.
Mourad Tamoud, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Schneider Electric, emphasized the importance of continuing to invest in digital technologies and in the necessary human talent to manage them, thus strengthening operational capabilities and mitigating industrial risks. Kiva Allgood, from the World Economic Forum’s Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains Center, praised the role of Lighthouses in transforming digitization towards more inclusive and sustainable standards.
Both factories are part of Schneider Electric’s Impact Supply Chain program, aimed at generating positive outcomes for both customers and the environment. This program seeks to empower people, reduce carbon emissions, provide reliable quality, and improve performance through cutting-edge technology and collaborative design.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
