Get the skills that you need to drive digital transformation in your business.
The Made Smarter Leading Digital Transformation Programme is a 14-week hybrid programme consisting of face-to-face workshops, online webinars and case studies from SME manufacturers.
Next cohort starts May 7th 2025
The Digital Transformation Programme will:
- Build your confidence and equip you with the tools to tackle digital transformation at your organisation.
- Help you assess what digital tools are suitable, available and accessible for your manufacturing business.
- Assist you in leveraging the opportunities that digital technology can open for your business.
- Motivate and unite your whole team or organisation in the transformation process and coordinate the adoption of digital technologies.
Digital transformation is crucial for building a resilient business that can weather turbulent economic conditions and thive in increasingly competitive markets. Made Smarter’s Leading Digital Transformation programme brings like-minded business leaders together and provides the tools, ideas, and leadership skills necessary to make the most of opportunities that digital transformation can offer.
This funded programme, with a mixture of online and face to face sessions, has been developed for Senior Leaders and Managers and is designed to fit with the demands of a busy SME.
What will you gain from this programme?
- Become a digitally informed, empowered leader.
- Gain real perspectives, from your team, about their readiness for digital transformation.
- Develop a digital strategy to help you to identify the priority right digital opportunities for your business.
- Learn how to prepare and help your business to make the most of the opportunities that digital transformation offers.
- See technology in action through case studies from other businesses.
- Gain actionable insights and avoid pitfalls from SME leaders who have adopted technology.
- Join a community of like-minded individuals where you can share challenges and opportunities.
- Learn how to engage and inspire employees and develop digital champions within your business.
- Access opportunities for digital technology adoption funding.
What topics does the programme cover?
- Business Diagnostic Survey (all staff) online survey tool to understand opportunity and readiness for implementation of new technology within the business and a 121 session to share the results of the survey with you.
- Reviewing your strategic objectives. Getting to know each other and building cohort trust, Business SWOT, PESTLE analysis, and setting initial priorities.
- Peer Learning Forums. Action Learning Forums – facilitated peer learning groups to help drive action within the programme. There are four sessions in the programme
- Leading Change. Introduction to the concept of managing change within an organisation and the impact of change to staff within the business.
- Opportunity Mapping. Introduction to process mapping and how to identify opportunity for change in your key processes
- Case studies from other businesses that have adopted digital technologies
- Managing Change and Measuring Value. Introduction to project management tools including SPRINTS and outlining success factors of cost, quality, time and impact using project scoping
- Visits to technology demonstrators:
NERIC (North of England Robotics Innovation Centre), a facility for robotics and automation specialisms including robotics for intelligent infrastructure, digital automation, and supply chain improvement based at the University of Salford
PrintCity, a 3D additive and digital manufacturing centre, home to manufacturing experts, designers, engineers and students based at Manchester Metropolitan University.
- Engaging Stakeholders. Who can help and who can hinder? Explore internal and external resources to support your projects.
- Making it Happen. How to effectively manage implementation by establishing project management tools for governance and decision-making (Project Forum)
- Showcase. Each delegate will present their project goals and showcase 1 initiative with their peers in an environment to help deliver success by encouraging challenge
How is the programme delivered?
- Delivered across 14 weeks through a blend of face-to-face workshops, online webinars and case studies from SME manufacturers who are already on the journey of adopting digital technology
- You will also join a community of like-minded individuals in sessions where you learn together and help each other test new ideas
- Time commitment is 3 hours a week after the induction day (Total of 32 learning hours)
- The online sessions will be recorded
Who is the Digital Transformation Programme for
This funded programme is for you if you are a senior leader of a North West based, SME manufacturing business.