Academics’ toolkit offers digital steer for SMEs 

Project leaders associate professors Dimitrios Dousios and Tony Karatzas say the InterAct DigiServe facility will help overcome the growing divide between small to medium enterprises’ and larger firms’ digital transition.

Supply chain expert Karatzas said: "Over 90% of UK manufacturers are SMEs, yet there’s been little guidance on digital servitisation. This toolkit helps SME leaders unlock its potential and embrace the future of industry.”

The project, which combines an interactive website and toolkit, is supported by government-backed digital adoption programme Made Smarter’s InterAct initiative.

It focuses on technologies including the Internet of Things, blockchain and AI with the aim of transform companies’ operations, boosting competitiveness and reducing environmental impact.

Added Karatzas: “It’s a great example of Government-backed research providing practical solutions for digital transformation. We aim to encourage more industry engagement, research, and policy support to help SMEs thrive in the digital age."

Karatzas and his colleague, associate professor in entrepreneurship, Dousios ,and associate spent eight months researching the project, examining appropriate digital servitisation models.

They identified four types: add-on (extra services for existing products), use-based (company-owned products for customer use), solution-oriented (outcome-based contracts), and platform (connecting users to services).

In addition, a survey of 352 SMEs helped pinpoint seven factors most likely to favourably or negatively impact business success.

Commented Dousios: “Our research shows that SMEs can achieve high performance across all digital servitisation models, depending on how well the model aligns with the organisation's context and design. 

“There is no single formula for success. SMEs with different characteristics can still thrive. 

NEWS: Made Smarter has launched its new £1million funding round to support technology projects among SME manufacturers in the North West. It provides matched funded grants of up to £20,000 to aid adoption.

Pic: SMEs struggle to emulate the digital transition achieved by large firms such as Siemens' Congleton site.