Acceleration of Digitalisation in Manufacturing SMEs Through Capability Maturity Assessment

Digitalisation enables organisations to redesign their value propositions, processes and systems. The value created by digitalisation makes it attractive for many other organisations; however, despite the undeniable benefits, numerous manufacturing SMEs continue to struggle with adopting digital tools to create value for their business. Consequently, the level of digitalisation in the manufacturing sector lags behind that of other industries. Various maturity models exist to assess organisations’ level of digitalisation, such as SIRI, IMPULS, and DDX. These maturity models are extensively designed and utilised to assess digitalisation in larger organisations. This study applied a tailored digital capability maturity assessment tool to evaluate ten manufacturing SMEs in the United Kingdom. The objective was to develop firm-specific digitalisation roadmaps aligned with each organisation’s strategic goals and operational context. The assessment revealed diverse digital maturity profiles across the firms. Some SMEs had invested in digital infrastructure but lacked the skills or processes to generate value. In contrast, others demonstrated strong data-driven decision-making capabilities but lacked the infrastructure to scale digital initiatives. These contrasting patterns underscore the importance of a balanced digital capacity and maturity approach. As an outcome, all ten SMEs received customised digital transformation roadmaps. Notably, six firms began implementing capability-building initiatives, including investments in digital infrastructure and workforce development. These findings suggest that effective SME digitalisation requires both technological readiness and organisational alignment and highlight the need for maturity models that accommodate SME-specific constraints and strategic priorities. This study employed a digital capability maturity assessment tool.