Working in partnership with the University of Cambridge and their Institute for Manufacturing – the D4M programme includes the ‘Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring’ service which provides an accessible entry-point into digital adoption.
Shoestring uses a step-by-step approach to support non-technical people in using simple off-the-shelf technology to create low-cost, low-risk digital solutions – providing companies with immediate benefits without disrupting core operations. A true example of the ‘art of simple’.
Training materials, expert advice, and facilitated peer meetings ensure comprehensive support for successful implementation, fostering a culture of digital innovation and confidence across your business.
The thought of creating a digital roadmap and embarking on full scale digital transformation can be scary, so Shoestring helps companies get started on the process of exploring digital options. It does this by taking a low-risk approach through adding digital solutions in an incremental manner whilst also providing the support needed to make sure the solution is implemented correctly and can deliver results.
In this way, Shoestring is bringing digital solutions into many small-scale manufacturing environments for the first time, helping them put a ‘toe in the water’ in the digital space, and so giving them a proof of concept and confidence to digitalise further.
The Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring programme is an affordable, non-invasive, easy to implement approach for companies who want to start trying out digital solutions right away.
The project integrates low cost, off-the-shelf technologies such as QR scanners, WiFi cameras, sensors and micro-computers, along with openly available software, into digital solutions for industry – all from as little as £200.
Digital Manufacturing on Shoestring aims to help small-to-medium sized manufacturers by:
Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring was conceived in 2016 by Duncan McFarlane, Professor of Industrial Information Engineering at the University of Cambridge Engineering Department. In response to the UK Government’s 2017 Digital Strategy, the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring initiative was officially launched in 2018 – a collaborative project bringing together a range of people working in the manufacturing industry, alongside university researchers, to adapt low-cost accessible technologies for companies to use.
With input from more than 450 companies in the UK and overseas, Shoestring has built up an accurate picture of the common digital challenges facing small-to-medium sized companies today; many of which can be matched and addressed with a low-cost solution.
