A RACE AGAINST TIME BETWEEN TRUSTED PARTNERS

During 2021, SOMFY recorded a declining rate of service. This resulted from the global electronic components shortage that began in 2020 and affected SOMFY and other manufacturers using this generation of components. This structural crisis was linked to the lack of industrial capacity and acerbated by the sharp upturn in global demand in the second half of 2020, driven in particular by electrified automobiles requiring a significant number of components.

The Smoove remote control, with over 3 million units produced annually, is a flagship product for SOMFY. It accounts for half of the remote control sales and is often purchased in conjunction with other equipment marketed by the Group. To restore the service rate degraded by this shortage, SOMFY started redesigning about forty electronic boards equipped with new-generation components that were more readily available on the market. At the same time, the Group purchased large quantities of components on the market to prevent any future shortage.

The Group started by contacting its leading supplier ACTIA Group, the main manufacturer of the Smoove remote control electronic board. In addition, they depend on ST Microelectronics and NXP—designers and producers of microcontrollers—and Clayens NP, plastics manufacturer. All of them are French or European partners with whom SOMFY has established close ties. In the summer of 2021, ST Microelectronics, NXP, and SOMFY started designing and developing new electronic boards in record time. The work focused on application and software solutions to control the remote control. Most importantly, microcontroller manufacturers are committed to allocating sufficient amounts of product to restart large-scale board production. ACTIA Group and Clayens NP are industrializing new production means by integrating new specifications to double production capacity in less than six months. From 26,000 remote controls per week before the crisis, production at the Zriba plant in Tunisia passed the 50,000 unit mark in Spring 2022. A few months later, SOMFY was in for the win: We had eliminated all of our delivery delays.

Beyond our exceptional team engagement, four reasons explain how this challenge was successfully met.

​An unprecedented organization.

A part of the R&D and purchasing teams responsible for developing new offers quickly switched their focus to redesign. The success of this organization is due to the cooperation between the "new offers" and "series life" teams, which usually work on the product's life cycle at different stages. 

​Trusted partners. 

The Group succeeded in bringing on board long-standing and close partners. This is how SOMFY, with less weight than the sector giants, was listened to and given priority by ST Microelectronics and NXP, two behemoths of the electronics industry.

Bold choices that pay off. ​ 

SOMFY committed to a purchase volume before product qualification to secure component purchases. Another bet was taken on the robustness of its development, with the Group starting manufacturing without waiting for final sample validation.

An ecosystem of European players.

While the health crisis strained global supply chains, SOMFY turned its preference to regional players who are geographically and culturally closer to us.

SOMFY was also preparing the new generation of Smoove controllers on the sidelines of this crisis. The Group is still working with ST Microelectronics, ACTIA Group, and Clayens NP and will continue to build on the positive and long-lasting relationship that has been built through the crisis. It is a way for SOMFY to thank our partners who doubled down when the odds were not looking good. This nourishes a lasting partnership.