Manitou Group

With more than 5,000 employees worldwide, the company designs, assembles and delivers tools suitable for companies in the agricultural, construction and manufacturing sectors. 

Manitou Group’s approach commenced with a critical goal in mind: The group sought to digitize its checklists and audits to standardize processes across its ten production sites. 

It was a complex task, since various sites used an array of fractured digital solutions, while others preferred the traditional manual approach. Reducing paper consumption is one of the Group’s many objectives in terms of optimizing resources.

A first step towards digital transformation

The path to embracing SafetyCulture was a carefully planned process. Its US office had already integrated the SafetyCulture platform into its operations. In France, Manitou Group began exploring potential use cases in 2018 and saw its full-scale rollout in 2021.

Manitou Group took a pivotal step in 2019 when it appointed key users for each production site and market, dedicating four to five months to develop checklists tailored to its unique operations. In 2022, the company succeeded with the full rollout of Final Control audits.

Manitou Group’s operators work on production lines dedicated to telescopic handlers, forklift trucks, aerial work platforms, skid steer loaders and earthmoving equipment. Once production is completed, employees systematically perform quality control at each stage of the manufacturing process before sending the order to customers.

What sets Manitou Group’s journey with SafetyCulture is the long-term vision of its leaders. They meticulously anticipated their future key users, sites, and checklist content, contributing to a smooth and effective rollout. This led to a smooth and efficient deployment.

Beyond the improvement of Manitou Group’s workflows

Data collected by frontline workers is automatically processed overnight and exported efficiently via an API to Manitou’s database, ensuring no valuable information is lost. Over 100 employees are entrusted with HSE field audits. 

Their tasks include verifying about 40 HSE questions on ten topics such as: extinguisher compliance (emergency situation) and ensuring proper waste disposal (workplace environment), conducting one audit per month. 

Furthermore, hygiene, safety and environment audits have been successfully digitized and are set to be translated into various languages. 

Thanks to effective training and a visualization of the final audit reports, Manitou Group managed to overcome initial reservations among some staff, who were not particularly tech-savvy. This transformation also extended to the French, Italian and Indian sites fully embracing the SafetyCulture platform. 

The digital solution has also found applications in multiple departments located in Manitou Group’s headquarters in Ancenis, from production and logistics to internal audits. SafetyCulture is an essential solution, meeting most of Manitou’s needs.

It streamlines Manitou Group’s data tracking and follow-up processes, replacing the days of manual archive searches. SafetyCulture’s support team and dedicated representatives earned high praise for their assistance. E. Ginez, sharing her perspective, emphasized the platform’s user-friendliness and the quality of training materials provided. She says being a SafetyCulture customer should mean “feeling the sense of community, and being able to exchange invaluable tips and ideas.”

Bringing long-term organizational goals to the next level

Manitou Group has experienced tangible benefits. Time savings have been substantial for their frontline teams, and their commitment to environmental sustainability is evident through a notable reduction in paper consumption. Their dedication to standardizing processes has been successful, bridging multiple sites in both France, Italy and India.  

Looking ahead, Manitou Group is considering using multilingual template audits in English, Italian and French to further standardize their operations. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate manual entries entirely in their production audits, steering towards a future of digital efficiency and sustainability. Manitou Group’s journey is a testament to the power of vision and effective digital transformation, with SafetyCulture as a trusted companion.