Lely strives towards circular dairy farming. The same ambition is in place for our own products and services. To set a good example we are raising the bar in sustainability:  a program has been started in which Lely commits to be carbon neutral in its own operations by 2030. We bundled initiatives from different departments and expertise to create a series called Sustainability Stories. With these stories we showcase our sustainable and circular projects. In this story we highlight the refurbishment of the E-link for milking robots.

We spoke with Jörn Schulte, Senior Buyer at the Lely Campus in Maassluis.

Refurbishment process

Refurbishment is the process of repairing or modifying an object that is waste or a product to restore its performance or functionality within the intended use, with the result of making a fully functional product. The main difference between refurbished and used products is that refurbished products have been tested and verified to function properly, which makes them free of defects: “At Lely we started a trial period of refurbishing E-links of the Astronaut milking robot. The high-performance touch screen monitor is designed to maximize productivity and consists of hardware and software. Monitors that are returned due to a variety of reasons, are now being refurbished into high-quality Lely equipment at a great value. They offer the efficiency and flexibility our customers need at a lower price. This project was realized by a cross-functional team at Lely, working together with Product Management, Warranty,  Planning, TSS and other expertises.”

Long-term plan

The first batch of 200 returned monitors will be cleaned, tested, calibrated and prepared for reuse: “We work together with our partner Prodrive to meet the Lely standard in technology. All refurbished products are supplied with the latest software updates and a guarantee. We now have the first products available in our spare parts shop, which are pushed into the market by our local Lely Center facilities and dealer network. By doing so we need to look into our returns management system and roll out a long-term plan. Something which is now being analyzed by me and other Lely colleagues. Not only the E-link, but also other electronics can be refurbished. We facilitate the second life of products by offering refurbished equipment at a lower price. All returned products have a value and the raw materials are scarce. It helps us to reduce Cost of Service for our customers. Also, we can optimize the supply chain as a whole.”