How can you launch a digital transformation project within your manufacturing company without going through a year of strategic planning?

We know that if you operate a manufacturing SME, finding the time and resources to launch innovative technology projects is difficult.

We recently helped an aerospace supplier realize their ambition to optimize their operations by assessing the digital maturity of their critical & value-add business processes.

Our mandate: provide their executives with a concrete roadmap to determine next steps and assist them in selecting a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to support growth in Canada and the USA.

What triggered this project?

Their ERP, a local solution in place for several years, was no longer meeting their needs. Many of the company’s processes were supported by end-user computing tools (Excel, Outlook, etc.), and the lack of integration between systems, such as timesheet and payroll, resulted in a lot of manual work and a high risk of errors.

Despite the growing number of irritants with their ERP, our client expressed their concerns about the challenges of choosing and transitioning to new technologies.

What were the most important elements to consider?

In many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) human resources are stretched thin, often combined with recruitment challenges. It was therefore important for our client to ensure, on the one hand, optimal employee productivity, and on the other hand, a continued commitment of the employees to advancing technological initiatives. The openness and the alignment of senior management with employees on the need for change management is an essential factor in reducing risk and increasing adoption pertaining to technology changes.

Taking into account the company’s industry and operations, and their specific requirements, was also a critical success factor. For instance, the prospective technological solution had to enable the traceability of raw materials required by the aerospace sector.

How did Akiri Consultants help?

We supported our client throughout the following steps:
– A diagnostic of the current situation,
– The identification and prioritization of digital transformation initiatives,
– The publication of a digital transformation roadmap,
– The identification of critical business requirements to be met by a modern ERP system,

– The final software selection (RFP, demonstrations, and comparative analysis).
The client was able to benefit from a combination of provincial and federal ESSOR and CDAP programs.
By combining these government grants, up to 80% of the digital plan and software selection can be funded. With the ESSOR program, it is possible to obtain up to $20,000 for the duration of the program. CDAP adds an additional $15,000 in support. Clients can therefore benefit from a maximum of $35,000 and/or 80% when both programs are combined.

Once the diagnostic, digital plan and software selection have been completed, the SME may be eligible for grants and interest-free loans for the acquisition of the selected technologies.

If you recognize yourself in the challenges faced by our client, or if you are interested in the ESSOR and CDAP programs, please contact us for further details.