Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS)
About this good practice
Manufacturing productivity in Scotland and across EU regions lags competitor regions. SMAS is helping address this in Scotland by supporting companies; Identify cost savings and efficiencies, Adopt digital technologies, Build sustainable change and Identify supply chain opportunities.
SMAS has a dedicated team of 22 practitioners with extensive industrial experience. They guide businesses through immediate tactical challenges as well as longer term strategic change. Each practitioners has a minimum of 15 years’ experience in manufacturing. This gives SMAS a wealth of knowledge that can connect businesses to an incredible network of support. Their ‘fresh pair of eyes’ approach challenges businesses to prepare and plan for the future. Their role is to support improvements in productivity, culture and behaviours from the shop-floor to the boardroom. Improvement projects can be tailored to solve an immediate business issue or focused on a more significant change programme.
The service is delivered by the SMAS team within Scottish Enterprise. The SMAS service is available to manufacturing businesses across all sectors and of all sizes located in Scotland.
Resources needed
The SMAS service is delivered by 22 experienced practitioners that have extensive manufacturing industry experience.
Evidence of success
Over the last two years SMAS has delivered:
• 436 asset audits to business that have help businesses understand how to make their next capital investment decision – leading to productivity improvements
• £55m of productivity savings to business through reduced lead time, inventory – improved quality and yield etc.
• Deliver Manufacturing 4.0 programme – awareness raising through including two national conferences to over 700 people and detailed company support to 50 companies
Potential for learning or transfer
The SMAS model was promoted during the 2017 Scottish OSDD to S34Growth partners and stakeholders. Following on from this the SMAS model has been shared in detail with partners in Tampere and relationships with Catalonia have led to a planned learning journey for Scottish companies to learn more about advanced manufacturing activities of joint interest.
Scotland’s new Manufacturing 4.0 Service has ignited interest from other partner regions with SMAS willing to share details of the model with interested parties.