Case Study: Créneau Machines and Yapla

Modernizing Nonprofit Management and Industrial Networking in Regional Manufacturing Sector

Executive Summary

Créneau Machines, a manufacturing excellence cluster bringing together companies from across Quebec, undertook a complete modernization of its association management.

By adopting Yapla, the organization centralized membership management, events, communications, and payments, while integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize industrial matching of needs with available products and services.

Key results:

• $275,000+ in new business opportunities
• 5,000+ potential industrial matches identified
• 40% operational time savings
• 140 hours/year saved on external resources
• Stronger recognition as a digital leader in their regional manufacturing sector

About Créneau Machines

A Key Manufacturing Network 

Créneau Machines is an organization that focuses on collaboration in order to drive innovation and competitiveness in companies specializing in machine design, manufacturing, and metal processing.

The organization brings together a dynamic ecosystem of manufacturers, researchers, and institutional partners working to modernize production processes and accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies.

Its mission:

• Support the growth of the machine design and manufacturing sector through customized, collaborative, and innovative projects
• Strengthen the regional manufacturing ecosystem while driving business growth, innovation, and global visibility
• Foster collaborative innovation and business connections through collective projects, notably in partnership with NGEN (Next Generation Manufacturing Canada)

Challenges Before Adopting Yapla

The Need for a Unified Management Platform

The team needed to structure and manage several core activities:

• Membership and renewals
• Newsletters and ongoing communications
• Events, training sessions, and plant visits
• Website management and industry information sharing

Without a centralized platform, each process relied on a different tool, significantly increasing administrative workload.

Data Complexity and Time Loss

As the network grew, Créneau Machines faced:

• Maintaining hundreds of data fields 
• Dealing with multiple complex forms
• Limited ability to efficiently analyze their members’ needs 

Identifying potential business connections required manual data extraction, making the process of matching manufacturers slow, costly, and inefficient.

Limited Impact of Manual Industrial Matching 

Identifying complementarities between companies—equipment, needs, expertise—was time-consuming and prevented the organization from offering a structured, repeatable industrial matching service.

The Yapla Solution: Centralization, Automation, and Innovation

Why Yapla?

Since 2017, Créneau Machines has used Yapla to manage everything within a single platform:

• Memberships and renewals
• Online payments
• Event management and registrations
• Communications and newsletters
• Website management
• Data collection and analysis

“Yapla provides a complete solution that meets all of our organization’s technology needs. The team is responsive, proactive, and supportive at every step. Thanks to them, our collaboration is strong and efficient.”
 — Amélie Germain, Project Manager, Créneau Machines

AI Integration: Turning Data into Actionable Matches

With Yapla AI matching, data from member forms is now analyzed automatically. The team gains access to:

• Real-time dynamic dashboards
• Relevant groupings based on needs and expertise
• Targeted matching recommendations for events

The result: a structured industrial matching service that delivers direct value to members.

Results: Efficiency, Growth, and Economic Impact

Measurable Economic Outcomes

• $275,000+ in new business opportunities
• 12+ contracts directly linked to matching
• 90% of participants formed a new business relationship
• 42% of participants planned concrete collaborations

Accelerated Collaboration and Innovation

• 5,000+ potential matches generated
• Equipment utilization increased from 25% to 95%
• Matching events evolved into a strategic growth lever, not just mundane networking activities

Operational Efficiency Gains

• >40% time savings
• 140 hours/year saved on external resources
• Faster decision-making with actionable data available in just a few clicks

A Stronger, More Structured Member Experience

• Improved online visibility
• Customized post-event reports
• More targeted programming
• Increased recognition as a leader in digital manufacturing innovation

“Using Yapla’s AI solution allowed us to generate over $275,000 in real business opportunities for our members and bring their equipment utilization up from 25% to 95%. A major value-add that strengthens engagement within our network.”
 — Amélie Germain, Créneau Machines

Looking Ahead: A Long-Term Partnership Supporting Regional Manufacturing

Strategic Objectives for the Coming Years

Créneau Machines and Yapla continue their collaboration to:

• Maintain monthly support and training sessions
• Highlight the value of industrial AI-powered matching
• Strengthen the digital transformation of regional manufacturers
• Position Créneau Machines as a key player in manufacturing innovation in Quebec

With Yapla, the association reinforces its central role in the manufacturing ecosystem and demonstrates that digital transformation can deliver concrete, measurable business results.