From metal parts to Eco Factory: how BO-Solutions is accelerating towards the Factory of the Future

"We thought Make the Future was only for big companies... Until we got on board ourselves."     

"Factory of the Future? We? No, we are only a small SME." That was the first reaction of the managers of metal company BO-Solutions from Roeselare. But they jumped. And today, Nancy Van Damme and Bart Vandepitte are already experiencing the benefits of this process. "We would recommend the offer of Agoria and Sirris mainly to SMEs."

The factory hall of BO-Solutions , which specializes in making complex metal precision parts to measure, looks surprisingly clean and pleasant. White-painted walls and ceiling, northern daylight and super-economical but bright LED lighting provide a modern look. The polished concrete and pure air also contrast with many other metalworking companies. 

This conscious choice for a high-quality and comfortable working environment illustrates the company's quality standards. With an extensive fleet of fifty high-tech machines, the company is achieving strong growth and is striving for further expansion.

SME transforms into 'Eco Factory'

"We opened this new company building three years ago," says Bart Vandepitte of BO-Solutions. "Completely built with an eye to the future. It became a box that can move with an ever-faster evolving market and future. Walls and machines are customizable. The adiabatic cooling refreshes the air sustainably and energy-efficiently up to three times an hour, with a focus on people's health. The residual heat from the machines heats our hall. 880 solar panels provide the necessary electricity."

Sustainability has long been the hobbyhorse of co-manager and wife Nancy Van Damme. Three years ago, she chose to focus entirely on their company and focus on strategy, HR, communication and sustainability. The entrepreneurial couple has been an active Sirris/Agoria member for a long time.

With a new company building and the Make The Future process, the metal specialist is resolutely committed to innovation and growth. And yes, of course they chose the transformation theme: Eco Factory.

Growth trajectory, also for small SMEs

Van Damme: "We thought that a Factory of the Future label was only for large companies. But now we are grateful that Ben Van Roose, manager manufacturing community and Tjorven Denorme, community manager at Agoria and Sirris, gave us just that little incentive in the right direction. They convinced us: 'You don't have to be on stage next year, but step into the learning network and Make The Future process and decide for yourself what you do with it. You get quick wins out of it anyway.' And we can only confirm that."

The new building is already an example of Eco Factory. And the second transformation in the Factory of the Future process also reinforces the path already taken. BO-Solutions chose the theme Human-Centred Organisation.

Every employee gets development opportunities 

The SME from Roeselare has been focusing on its people, their happiness at work and personal growth for over 13 years. Comfortable workplaces with lifting equipment, healthy air, a lease-a-bike program, a company restaurant with darts and table football and regular information and team moments strengthen involvement. "Based on a competency matrix, employees with changing ambitions are given the opportunity to change or expand all or part of their range of tasks. Training is not a luxury for us, but a necessity in order to continue to guarantee our high level of quality and to remain competitive."

"We were suddenly sitting at the table with potential customers and received advice from fellow companies that saved us thousands of euros."
Nancy Van Damme, Bo-Solutions

The fact that training pays off can be seen in the career path that employees take. For example, a washer could grow all the way to CNC miller. The Make the Future process worked as a catalyst for this manufacturing company: from self-assessment with questions that already indicated what still needed to be tackled to concrete savings. It made them even more motivated to do more and better. "We learned a lot during the company visits to customers and competitors. We were also suddenly sitting at the table with potential customers and received advice from fellow companies that saved us thousands of euros."

Subsidies for digitisation and training

"Thanks to practical tips from fellow companies in the learning network, we were able to avoid implementation problems, which made the whole process much smoother."
Bart Vandepitte, BO-Solutions

A concrete example is the implementation of an MES system that links production, planning and administration. From the audit by Sirris, this quickly became a feasible project," explains Vandepitte. "The analysis mapped out what type of ERP system we needed. Our current system has already proven to be an excellent foundation to build on through a targeted but substantial upgrade. This approach saved us a lot of time and money. Thanks to practical tips from fellow companies in the learning network, we were able to avoid implementation problems, which made the whole process much smoother.

Van Damme adds: "As an SME, you don't have the luxury of specialized departments for every domain and you have to figure everything out yourself. Only you don't always know where to start. But then there is Tjorven from Agoria/Sirris who puts us in touch with the right Agoria and Sirris experts or companies."

Ready for internationalization

The 26 employees and two managers of BO-Solutions can now fully pursue their ambition. "Standing still is going backwards. We plan to grow to 40 employees, tap into new sectors and strengthen our international presence. We want to become the reference in West Flanders and far beyond for complex custom metal parts. And the recognition as Factory of the Future? We secretly dream of that."