AI toolkit for SME manufacturers
Made Smarter has launched a free toolkit for real production environments, from early scoping to scaled industrial use.
The government and industry-backed programme aims to help small and medium sized manufacturers identify where artificial intelligence (AI) can deliver measurable business value on the factory floor instead of focusing on complex technologies.
This will help businesses identify where AI can reduce low-value work, improve decision making and strengthen day-to-day operations.
AI Adoption in Manufacturing: A Practical Toolkit was co-authored by Made Smarter North West and Professor Chris Dungey, UK Government AI Champion for Advanced Manufacturing at the Department for Business and Trade and Chief Technology Officer at the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
Dungey says, ‘AI has moved quickly into everyday business, but for many manufacturers, especially SMEs, it still feels complex, distant and risky. That is why practical adoption matters more than technical novelty.’
The toolkit addresses barriers facing SMEs, offers a clear ‘scan, pilot, scale’ framework, and uses real-world case studies to illustrate how manufactures are already applying AI to improve design workflows, order processing, customer interaction and machine performance monitoring.
Kevin Smith, Lead Technology Adoption Specialist at Made Smarter North West, says AI is ‘no longer out of reach for SMEs’ and that ‘by starting small, testing safely and focusing on real business value, manufacturers can turn AI from an abstract concept into a practical tool for growth’.
