Made Smarter UK

Successful digital adoption is not just a matter of implementing the technology. To create transformative change within your business, leaders must consider the impact on their business. Join the Made Smarter North West team for our next LinkedIn Live (August 14) where they'll talk to leadership & skills programme graduates to discuss how they lead change in their business. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dgpxWY_H

Increasing productivity and reducing waste are two key benefits from investing in digital technologies. N & J Aluminium Linings, an aluminium fabrication business based in Lancashire, engaged with Made Smarter to improve efficiency and win new client contracts. After implementing CAD technology, the family-run business increased revenue and created new jobs. They also benefited from the Leading Digital Transformation programme, arming themselves with a digital strategy for the future. Read their story: https://lnkd.in/eCJjRygf #MadeSmarter #ukmfg #digitaltechnology #leadership #digitalisation #decarbonisation #businesssupport

Meet Mike, the manufacturing business owner, who worked with Made Smarter to find ways to improve his business and increase productivity. Start your journey today: https://lnkd.in/dM4DG6dy

A manufacturer of winter fuel products has doubled productivity, boosted profits, and created new jobs after taking a data-led approach to operations. Logs Direct, based in Lancaster, has become a UK leader in the production of kiln-dried wood. With the support of Made Smarter, it invested £40,000 in a real-time kiln monitoring and heat-recovery system. Real-time access to live data from the kiln has improved control of the process, cutting down drying times by half, doubling capacity and producing a superior product. The project has supported turnover growth of 15%, created five new jobs, upskilled two roles, and reduced energy bills by a third. Read their success story and others here: https://lnkd.in/e8ay2dJx #MadeSmarter #ukmfg #digitaltechnology #leadership #digitalisation #decarbonisation #businesssupport

Rutland Plastics, a manufacturer of a wide variety of plastic parts has accelerated its digital journey with the support of Made Smarter East Midlands. Thanks to match-funding from Made Smarter, Rutland Plastics acquired a new handheld CMM. This advanced tool allows for accurate in-situ measurements, reducing machine downtime and improving overall quality. Watch the case study to find out more.

Made Smarter is giving SME leaders the knowledge and confidence to invest in digital technology. In this blog, we look at two up-and-coming technologies, which may appear to be reserved for large corporations, but in reality, they are accessible to companies of any size. Robotics and the industrial Internet of things have the potential to reap significant benefits in many companies. Here’s how: https://lnkd.in/eGy4Bbf2

Today Made Smarter North West launched their Digital Champions Network 🤩 This new initiative brings together dozens of participants of the adoption programme to forge stronger links between Made Smarter-supported SME #manufacturers. As a peer network it enables businesses to learn from one another, share and discuss new ideas, and grow by working through challenges together. It also connects #digitalchampions at different stages of technology adoption to share learning and experience. The launch event at the MTC - Manufacturing Technology Centre in Liverpool is the culmination of five years of work by the North West adoption team. There were learning roundtables and a panel discussion featuring Made Smarter advisers Will Kinghorn and Claire Scott, alongside Mark Sutherberry, Senior Business Development Manager at the MTC, and Max Barnett, Sales and Marketing Engineer at CNC Robotics Ltd. There was also a tour of the MTC, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult-backed demonstrator which showcases how #advancedmanufacturing equipment can be applied to industry to support skills, productivity and growth across UK manufacturing. Ruth Hailwood Chartered MCIPD, Made Smarter's Head of Organisation and Workforce Development, said: “We are excited to launch this initiative which has the potential for us to create momentum across SMEs in the region. Peer networks enable manufacturers to learn from each other and accelerate digital adoption.” To find out more visit: https://lnkd.in/gYEqJ9df

Two regions where the Made Smarter Adoption programme is having great success have been highlighted as the best performing in the UK. The 2024 Make UK/BDO Regional Manufacturing Outlook is an annual snapshot of the manufacturing sector. It spotlights the sector's contributions in terms of output, orders, employment, and investment, benchmarking against both the national average and the previous year's figures. This year’s report identifies two specific regions excelling: the North East, which is leading the country in output and orders; and the North West which has demonstrated robust figures in those key areas. Both regions have Made Smarter programmes offer access to business support and advice around technology and digital transformation. Other regions include Yorkshire and the Midlands. To learn more about how Made Smarter is helping SME manufacturers and can help your business visit: https://www.madesmarter.uk #MadeSmarter #ukmfg #digitaltechnology #leadership #digitalisation #decarbonisation #businesssupport

Made Smarter is the go-to source of straightforward advice on manufacturing technologies for SMEs. Earlier this month we launched the Made Smarter book, Digital Transformation in Your Manufacturing Business – A Made Smarter Guide. Find out more about the book and how Made Smarter is supporting SME manufacturers here: https://lnkd.in/ea_Xy3rp

The Made Smarter team were out in force this week for the Siemens Transform event at Manchester Central 🦾💫 And we weren’t disappointed. A fantastic #technology showcase event, we met robot helpers, took in the incredible tech being used in the automotive industry, learnt about digital threads from AMRC, and delved into #sustainability goals in #manufacturing. But it all has to start somewhere, and that’s with SMEs. We are proud to play a part in helping UK SME #manufacturers on their own digital adoption journeys. Made Smarter in the North West has invested £6.8m into SMEs and we have regional programmes across the country doing an equally great job. As Donna Edwards, managing director of the Made Smarter adoption programme said during her panel event Disruptive Industrial Leadership: “We are building confidence in SMEs to actually invest in technology. “We’re talking to them about improving their productivity, upskilling their workforce and finding out their barriers, blockages and bottlenecks.” Alain D., Steve Cleaver, Kevin Smith, Brian Holliday, Juergen Maier CBE FRS FREng, Jonathan Richards FCIM MA B’Eng(Hons), Jessica C Morrissey, Lucy Roue