New toolkit created to aid SME manufacturers with digital technology adoption

Researchers from Leeds University Business School have created a toolkit that will facilitate decision-making around digital technology adoption.

The Toolkit was developed as an outcome of a UKRI-funded research project led by Dr Hanh Pham from the International Business Department and Prof Chee Yew Wong and Dr Richard Hodgett from the Department of Management and David McKee, CEO & CTO of Slingshot, consultant CDM.

Dr Hanh Pham commented:

Results from the survey show significant positive impacts of some IDTs for adopters on several indicators of operational performance, export performance and financial performance. This speaks to the important benefits to be reaped by UK manufacturers that successfully implement IDT adoption. We know that adopting IDTs can be challenging for UK SME manufacturers, so we wanted to develop a toolkit that would help make the process of deciding what industrial digital technologies are right for your business more straightforward and less risky.

The project dissemination workshop, held on 13th July at the University House, had nearly 90 attendees (both in person and online) from industry, business practitioners and academics. The final project outputs, including the project report & the toolkit, will be launched on the project website and the funder’s website by the end of August.

A press release has been published by Business Daily and can be viewed here.