Analysis by Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme reveals half of technology investment is focussed on data and system integration
Data and system integration technology is driving digital transformation and growth among SME manufacturers in Cheshire, new analysis from Made Smarter reveals.
More than half (18) of the 31 technology projects supported by Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme focussed on digital technologies which connect disparate systems and unify data residing in different sources.
As a result of integrating systems and consolidating data sources, business leaders have achieved real-time visualisation of their processes, been able to spot trends in production and labour, correct maintenance and quality issues, and minimise safety, business risk and operational downtime throughout their production.
Others are adopting robotics and process control automation, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), using sensors to collect critical production data to gain valuable insights about the efficiency of operation, additive manufacturing to reduce waste and fast track prototyping, while some are using immersive technologies to add value to their services.
Meanwhile, early adopters who have already captured data are now focussed on analytics and artificial intelligence to get more insight and value from their manufacturing operations.
Among those reaping the benefits are Precision Card Services (PCS), a Macclesfield-based manufacturer of recyclable and eco-degradable plastic cards for household names including Harrods and Cineworld, invested in a bespoke solution that can read a card, check against a data file in real time, and then encode it. The investment resulted in a £1.5m contract and a raft of new customers.
Alain Dilworth, Programme Manager for the Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, said: “Data and analytics are central to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, so it is encouraging that so many of this region’s makers are embracing the opportunities that these tools offer.
“Capturing the data from across their processes and bringing it all together in one place is a vital first step for many manufacturers looking to solve problems and recognise opportunities. It also becomes a platform for the next step, one which some are already taking, is to analyse the data using artificial intelligence.
“Over the last four years Made Smarter has supported 2,500 businesses with grant funding, skills training and leadership advice. We are keen to start more conversations with SME manufacturers about how we can help them.”
For further information visit madsmarter.uk
