Six months after the government-backed £20m Made Smarter North West pilot was launched, details have started to emerge about the first group of pioneering SMEs adopting more hi-tech production methods to drive efficiencies and boost competitiveness. Here Programme Director for the Made Smarter North West Pilot, Donna Edwards, explains what it is, why it matters and what difference it can make.

A short while ago, we revealed details of the first nine companies in the country to benefit from a government funded programme designed to boost UK manufacturing productivity and growth through the adoption of digital technology. The businesses include engineering firms which produce parts for the nuclear and aerospace sectors, and a specialist manufacturer of crane and lifting equipment.

This first tranche of firms to grasp the opportunity offered by the pilot scheme are set to introduce advanced manufacturing methods which include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), 3D-printing and robotics.

The government review behind Made Smarter identified that UK manufacturers will increasingly need to compete by adopting Industrial Digital Technologies (IDT).

Improvements in machine efficiency and creating a workforce fit for the modern-day manufacturing sector will positively impact the UK’s lagging productivity - a key drag on the UK’s economic performance. That is why we are encouraging SMEs to invest in smarter working to re-energise the UK’s manufacturing base, a transformation of the supply chain which will benefit larger companies and the wider economy.

Made Smarter aims to help SMEs tackle the barriers to technology adoption. Access to fully funded, impartial, specialist advice will help you to understand what is possible for your business and the benefits and growth it will bring. There are also match-funding grants available to support firms ready to invest in new solutions. Many companies think new digital technologies will be hard to integrate into their existing operations, and some may be fearful that changes may lose them their long-established heritage ‘brand equity.’

Made Smarter recognises these issues and introduces interventions which can make a real difference to their bottom line, while retaining the distinctive character of the business.

Other support includes how to bring staff along on the digitalisation journey, as a great barrier to IDT adoption is the lack of skills. Access to students to help with the identification of potential solutions and technology implementation and to support the upskilling of existing employees, is also available. Made Smarter has set an ambitious goal to reskill and upskill a million workers over the next five years. Whilst, the Made Smarter Pilot Leadership programme delivered by Lancaster University Management School will equip business leaders to drive the change, with confidence.

Businesses across the North West are already seizing the opportunity Made Smarter offers them and over 300 businesses have already begun their journey.

Case study – Graham Engineering Ltd
One such company, Graham Engineering Ltd (GEL), based in Nelson, Lancashire, specialises in the welding and fabrication of complex stainless-steel solutions for the nuclear, aerospace, health and security sectors. The family-owned firm intends to increase its market share in these sectors by becoming more competitive and increasing flexibility in its manufacturing methods, while maintaining the highest quality of product.

By investing in new digital technology to integrate the software to complement its high-tech equipment, GEL will further streamline their existing workflow through the factory, from order to shipping.

In addition, GEL have identified future investment for further digital technology such as machine vision and AI to improve the rigorous, highly-skilled but labour-intensive inspection processes.

Paul Ashworth, IT Manager at Graham Engineering Ltd, said: “As a forward-thinking business we will speed up the process of taking customers’ requirements through from design to manufacture and delivery by upgrading and integrating disparate technologies.

"This will generate a smoother flow of operations in-house, and with both our customers and our supply chain.

"Efficient and systematic working processes with reduced scrappage will lead to increased profitability enabling the company to remain competitive across their various market sectors and provide added leverage into new markets.
"The next generation of engineers expect and demand cutting-edge technologies in their workplace. This investment will help to embed the perception of our organisation as a high-tech, innovative company with a vision for growth through sustained quality and diversification."

Case study - T&R Precision Engineering

T&R Precision Engineering, based in Colne, Lancashire, is keen to embrace new technologies as a means of securing its future.

The business produces parts for the aerospace sector and wants to use digital technology such as IIoT, automation, systems integration, data analytics and cloud, to apply its innovative ideas and intellectual property to current off-the-shelf machinery.

T&R believes the move will massively increase productivity and efficiency, upskill its workforce, and firm up its plans to expand its manufacturing space by 10,000 sq ft.

It predicts the investment will see a 33% revenue growth over the next three years, mostly from export sales to the USA.

A reduction in the number of machines required to manufacture specific components will cut power consumption and hence their carbon footprint, as well as reduce scrappage rates.

Tim Maddison, Managing Director at T&R Precision Engineering, said: “This project will lead to a critical advancement in our machining capability.

“New machining methods and component handling along with the integration of IT software will push the boundaries of our current manufacturing thinking. The up-skilling of our engineering, operations and quality personnel will be essential to take advantage of the technology advancements we need to implement to secure future extended contracts.”

These examples are at the heart of the Made Smarter Pilot programme. Yet even having early adopters endorsing the incredible commercial benefits of the Made Smarter proposition, knowing where to begin the journey can be daunting.

We are therefore mindful not to blind manufacturers with complex science, jargon or unrealistic goals.

Instead, we are working with businesses to utilise their insight and experience to inform what interventions could make a real difference to their bottom line, while still ensuring they retain their distinctive character.

To help with that we offer local manufacturers the option of a ‘digital audit’ which is funded via the £20m Made Smarter pilot programme. This involves one of our advisors visiting a company’s premises to assess what kind of technology could improve one or more their processes, with no commitment to proceed.

Other areas of support we can offer include how to get company staff and partners to buy-into the process of change from an operational perspective, and how to help build the investment argument to convince senior colleagues of the potential returns on offer.

I’m confident that once a business has had a taste of what Made Smarter can do for them they’ll never look back, which is why I’m very excited about what we can achieve together.