The Made Smarter Adoption programme in the North West has worked with more than 1,200 businesses since 2019, supporting them to introduce digital tools and technologies to help boost productivity and growth, and navigate the impact of Covid-19.
Among these, 160 businesses have secured matched funding to develop projects using technologies which enable them to integrate systems, capture and analyse data, and even create simulations of their plants and processes. Others are using 3D-printing, automation, and robotics to solve business challenges and meet increased demand.
These manufacturers are upskilling 1,822 roles to meet the demands of these emerging technologies and ensure successful digital transformation.
But SME leaders are also navigating the cultural challenges of digitalisation: good digital leadership; bringing the team along on the journey; effective communication of the benefits of change; capturing the technical skills and know-how of older workers before they leave the industry; attracting new digital talent into the organisation; and plugging skills gaps.
Made Smarter is supporting manufacturers in a variety of ways to meet these challenges, including organisation and workforce development (OWD) advice to enhance business performance through people, and a leadership programme designed to equip managers and directors with the strategic view and the skills needed to pursue smarter manufacturing. Digital technology internships are helping embed digital natives with fresh perspectives into a business, while digital transformation workshops can identify the challenges associated with going digital and develop a bespoke roadmap for technology implementation.
Ruth Hailwood, organisational and workforce development specialist adviser for Made Smarter, said: “Choosing and implementing the right technologies and solutions is only one part of digitalisation.
“Technologies are tools, but digitalisation is all about connecting systems and processes and sharing data to inform decisions made by people.”
DM Engineering, based in Maryport, launched in 2019 as a start-up engineering firm offering precision machining, manufacturing, and site-fitting services to a wide range of customers in West Cumbria.
With an ambition of becoming a fully connected digital manufacturing facility, Made Smarter supported the business to invest in Solidworks (3D Modelling) software replacing time-consuming 2D methods.
Darren Martin, owner, said his team has embraced the opportunity to upskill to keep up with the digital manufacturing landscape.
"I have a small team of handpicked engineers with old school engineering values but a forward thinking approach to modern manufacturing methods,” he said.
"New technologies can be daunting for some engineers. But my team is onboard. They’ve seen the benefit of having the most up-to-date software, saving time and effort by reusing designs from previous, similar jobs, and having opportunities to do more challenging and highly technical work."
Arden Dies, a die and tooling manufacturer based in Stockport, has worked with Made Smarter to create a digital roadmap, taken onboard digital interns Ursula Ackah and Tom Brine who specialise in 3D printing, and enrolled operations manager Sarah Poynter on the leadership programme. The collective result is that 20 of its workforce have been upskilled.
Poynter said: “We have always invested in the best technology and machinery, but there are historic challenges that need our focus if we are to capitalise on the next stage of our growth.”
“We are a traditional manufacturer, so change can be scary. We are on the journey and starting to see the benefits of educating the whole team, top to bottom. We have also focused on improving leadership and project management skills to help drive our digital transformation and better communicate changes that are essential for organisation.
"We have developed in-house training on waste and lean manufacturing to change the culture and mindset across the shop-floor, encouraging the workforce to question if there is a better way to do things. And we have two Made Smarter interns with expertise in additive manufacturing to mentor and share their skills across the business to imbed that knowledge.”
