Case study: Orano and the implementation of the Uppler solution

Orano is a world-renowned company focused on the management of the complete life cycle of nuclear fuel, including mining, processing, recycling and nuclear waste management. The company is determined to minimise the environmental impact of its operations while optimising its costs and increasing its operational efficiency. To achieve this, Orano has sought to integrate a technological solution capable of facilitating the re-use of equipment and reducing nuclear waste.

Baptiste Garnier discovered Uppler while exploring various options to improve Orano’s operations. After considering several alternatives, including Izberg, Orano chose Uppler for its competitive advantages:

• Lower initial cost: Uppler’s initial setup was €40,000 compared to €60,000 for other alternatives
• Competitive recurring costs: licensing, TMA (Third Party Application Maintenance), support and hosting costs were also more affordable with Uppler
• B2B solution: Uppler offered an all-in-one solution designed for B2B, ready to use and customisable, which was crucial for Orano
• Interoperability: the solution could easily integrate with Orano Group’s Information System (IS) and support a circular model where all users can buy and sell
• Support for internationalisation: Uppler took into account scalability, languages and currencies, as well as the security context linked to sensitive data, which is crucial for the nuclear industry

Why our solution?

Orano chose Uppler for several strategic reasons:

• Significant financial savings: the implementation of Uppler has enabled Orano to make substantial savings through the reduction of operational costs
• Flexibility and adaptability: the Uppler solution has proved to be extremely flexible and adaptable to Orano’s specific needs, particularly in terms of customisation and integration with the existing IS
• Facilitating re-use and sustainability: Uppler has enabled the creation of a dedicated marketplace, the Nuclear Market Place (NMP), facilitating the sharing and re-use of equipment, thus contributing to the reduction of nuclear waste
• Responsiveness and customer support: Uppler offered responsive customer support and personalised assistance, which facilitated the implementation and adaptation of the solution to Orano’s specific needs

Implementation of the Marketplace

The Nuclear Market Place (NMP) was launched in response to the need to optimise costs and promote re-use. This platform enables players in the French nuclear industry to share industrial equipment.

NMP features

• Catalogue of products and services: available for hire, loan, sale or donation
• Reduction of nuclear waste: facilitates the re-use and recovery of under-used equipment
• Secure transaction management: the platform offers secure transaction management functionalities, guaranteeing data confidentiality and security
• Performance monitoring and analysis: monitoring and analysis tools enable the efficiency of the platform to be measured and operations to be continually optimised

Product categories on NMP

• Handling: lifting equipment, remote handling, scaffolding.
• RP Measurement: nuclear or conventional measurement equipment, radiological detection.
• Electromechanics: maintenance and dismantling equipment.
• Tools: manual or electric tools.
• Consumables: operating outfits, PPE, seals, filters.
• IT: hardware and software.

The results

The implementation of the Uppler solution at Orano has led to significant results:

• An improved exhibition experience for exhibitors and vendors
• 3,400 products reused thanks to pooling
• 683,000 in value re-used to date, with a performance target of €1,000,000 by 2024.
• 706,000 in savings on new purchases and waste disposal
• Optimisation of resources: by optimising the supply chain and promoting re-use, NMP has contributed to substantial savings and a sustainable approach to limiting nuclear waste
• Waste minimisation: Orano has minimised waste by encouraging the reuse, refurbishment and recycling of products
• Moving towards sustainable models: The company has moved towards business models based on rental, donation, loan and purchase of refurbished products

Conclusion and future prospects

The implementation of Uppler at Orano has resulted in significant savings. Thanks to its flexibility and adaptability, the Uppler solution has proved to be a strategic choice for Orano, contributing to efficient optimisation of resources and a substantial reduction in operational costs.
The cost reduction of €600,000 to €700,000 demonstrates the importance of the Uppler solution for Orano. By optimising the supply chain and promoting re-use, NMP is not only contributing to substantial savings but also to a sustainable approach to limiting nuclear waste.

Long-term plans

Orano plans to open the platform to external sellers, improve the front office, and implement dropshipping to create additional revenue while continuing to improve the platform and support. These initiatives should not only enhance Orano’s operational efficiency but also contribute to a sustainable circular economy in the nuclear industry. Orano aims to maintain its leading position in sustainable innovation and resource efficiency.