Any business, small or large, needs to keep improving to be able to stay competitive. Digitalising aspects of your manufacturing business can help to identify inefficiencies, improve processes and provide simple data for better decision making and importantly, it can now be quick and easy.
The Shoestring Digital program, first developed by Cambridge University with the support of the UK Government, provides a range of simple, easy to use digital tools aimed at increasing efficiency and improving decision-making.
The program provides the support to get started, together with the following simple digital tools/solutions to meet real business needs:
- job location tracking
- scrap monitoring
- power monitoring
- downtime monitoring
- air quality monitoring
- temperature monitoring.
Shoestring Digital offers simple digitalisation for small to medium enterprises (SME) with low-risk solutions that can be installed one at a time and are simple enough to be operated by existing business employees. It allows business to investigate digital solutions while realising small but tangible improvements in priority areas such as quality, productivity and/or sustainability from day one.
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The adoption of digital technologies is essential for WA businesses to maintain international competitiveness as trading partners, customers, and suppliers. Australia is underperforming in digital adoption and SMEs risk being left behind as other markets move forward.
Despite significant incentives and support offered by national governments around the world, uptake of digitalisation by SMEs has remained low.
High costs and complex technologies that accompany corporate-scale digital solutions present significant barriers to SMEs.
Research shows that effectively addressing SME-needs requires a new approach; one that is driven from a clear understanding of what SMEs want from digitalisation. The Cambridge Shoestring initiative is the leader in delivering simple low-cost digital manufacturing solutions for SMEs.
Digitalisation can deliver better customer experiences, enhance consistency and quality, combat labour shortages and boost competitiveness in local and international markets.
Many small and medium enterprise manufacturers want to digitse their work processess, but are unsure of where to start.
Shoestring Digital WA provides them with an affordable, low-risk way of introudcing a digital solution to their business.
View this video to learn more about the program.
Success stories
Across Western Australia, five local businesses have proven how simple, low-cost digital solutions can make a big difference.
Through Shoestring Digital WA, they each trialled practical technologies to solve real-world challenges, from tracking energy use and streamlining production to reducing waste and improving process efficiency.
These short stories showcase how small changes in digital manufacturing can lead to smarter decisions, more confident teams, and measurable savings.
Be a part of this initiative
The department supports digital adoption and digital literacy in the food and beverage manufacturing sector and invites you to participate in a free program designed to encourage the uptake of digital technology.
Small businesses, service providers and educational institutions keen to be involved in the development of additional resources, programs and tools, are encouraged to apply.
We consider Shoestring is a positive and disruptive step in the right direction with the potential to generate significant benefit for SME businesses. The benefits will extend far beyond the WA context as other regions recognise the power of this model and come on board allowing Shoestring the development runway (budget, space and time) to fully develop into the transformational industry development tool that it can be.
Andrew Duff, Research Report Author, DPIRD Western Australia