In this week’s episode, we interview Caitríona Mordan, head of the Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM) cluster and a seasoned leader in the industry. Caitríona has extensive experience in the manufacturing industry as well as leading the cluster, funded by Enterprise Ireland. Based in Athlone, Caitríona’s role involves supporting SMEs in adopting digital technologies. Through business-to-business and business-to-research engagements, Caitríona helps SMEs navigate their digital transformation journeys effectively.

Throughout the article, Caitríona shares insights into her role, the cluster’s objectives, and the challenges and opportunities in digitalising the manufacturing sector. This article aims to provide practical advice for business leaders and C-suite executives looking to enhance their digital transformation efforts.

The ATIM cluster, as alluded to previously, focuses on encouraging digital adoption in the industry through business-to-business interactions. By showcasing successful digitalisations and organising discussions, SMEs gain invaluable advice from other companies in their field. Many digitalisation efforts can be very tricky to implement, they can be a minefield for companies to manoeuvre with a variety of unexpected issues. However, through meaningful discussions with other members, the cluster helps to guide companies through the difficulties that they may encounter, or even foster ideas which they would never have imagined themselves.

One of the cluster’s key roles is to help companies manage their digital solutions and stakeholders, and not simply just encourage companies to adopt digitalisation. The cluster encourages continued involvement from the members, through engagement and sharing their optimal solutions, companies can continue to find the best plan of action for their digitalisation journeys. This can save companies massive amounts of time by having a trusted source in direct contact which they can regularly refer to for advice. It helps to aid companies to continue in their journey and not give up before the benefits are truly felt.

There are a variety of different problems which companies encounter on their digitalisation journeys. The most notable of those being the “pace of change” as alluded to by Caitríona. Technology today is evolving at a rapid pace, in many scenarios, it is close to impossible to keep up. The only way to truly stay in line with the curve is through collaboration. Discussions with companies in similar scenarios can allow them to understand and predict the changes which technology will undergo in the future, and therefore introduce a plan to help adopt these. The Cluster highly encourages these discussions because it can clearly see the benefits which its members have felt as a result.

In addition to this, Caitríona mentions that talent acquisition is another serious issue for SME's digital adoption. This issue often comes hand-in-hand with rapid advancements in technology. Oftentimes, there are not enough experts or individuals experienced enough to help guide companies through new advancements in technology, or it is simply very difficult to find and employ these individuals. The key combatant here is about companies making themselves more appealing to young people. Caitríona states, “How do we find people? They're trying to move, maybe more into automation and everything, but still, it's about raising the bar in terms of how you can attract people.”

Another massive barrier to digital adoption is through a leadership mindset. Companies can sometimes be hesitant to adopt, integrate legacy systems or accelerate their digitalisations. This can be detrimental to the advancements of the company, falling behind massively in comparison to other competitors. Caitríona emphasises this by saying, “I think it comes down to leadership mindset, but there can be a fear. It's like, no one likes change.” A change in leadership mindset, to encourage digital adoption can have massive benefits for companies.

Caitríona makes particular note of data, and how data is the key influencer concerning decision-making. The cluster aims to be proactive and encourage companies to make decisions based on the data provided so that they can drive the company forward in the best way possible. Caitríona notes, "Data drives decision making. You have to be able to measure it effectively...How can we present How can they shape information and data in their organisation so that they can make key decisions that will drive their company forward in the best possible way?" 

Whilst the opportunity to have so many SMEs and cluster members to discuss and innovate is massively beneficial, if the collaboration is not effectively managed, the results will never be truly felt. The cluster thus, promotes early-stage feedback and collaboration amongst its members through events and connecting with people from a variety of different industries. Whilst they may not necessarily overlap from an industry perspective, they overlap massively from a digitalisation perspective.

Caitríona very effectively leverages this by formulating common areas of concern and innovation opportunities, she states, “I'm not going to go to my engineering companies or the construction companies with those type of initiatives (medical), because it's not in their interest. But digitalisation, sustainability will be the two key verticals. So I think regardless of the sector that companies are in, they face a lot of the similar challenges.” The key in this scenario is recognising where there is an overlap in the companies, and ensuring that the companies recognise this too, to avoid wasting valuable resources.

In addition to this, companies can also benefit massively from collaboration with larger companies. Smaller start-ups and SMEs can struggle in a variety of different ways ranging from funding to number of employees. By working with larger corporations, they can effectively tackle these issues and gain massive amounts of knowledge from larger companies who see their issues on a day-to-day basis. Caitríona oftentimes acts as the link or conduit for the smaller companies. She reiterates, “It's about delivering elements that are a bit more bespoke, so they're a bit more targeted at the level, trying to get the medium and the average levels to where these companies are at.”

In the era of rapidly advancing technologies, and with the accelerations in companies’ digitalisation efforts, a significant proportion of resources and time has gone into understanding future trends and finding ways to leverage them. They are essential to a company’s growth today and their ability to remain competitive, As companies recognise this importance, the cluster helps them prepare for future trends by matching them with research opportunities and projects. One key trend that Caitríona has recognised is a shift in different companies' perspectives, they are recognising that tackling a lot of their issues is not sustainable on their own, teamwork is how they innovate. "Companies are definitely more willing to collaborate because they realise they can't do it on their own," Caitríona notes. In this way, specialised companies are beginning to work together to benefit each other, creating a very symbiotic relationship between them.

Furthermore, Caitríona emphasises the importance of recognising that with disparities in talent acquisition and availability of workers, they need to leverage digital tools instead, to remain competitive. This is a massive trend which will begin to be felt over the coming years, with more and more companies recognising that lack of talent and workers can, in some cases, be combatted with their digitalisation efforts. Caitríona explains, “If companies don't have enough people coming through their doors, they need to understand and leverage digital tools to remain competitive." Digitalisation cannot necessarily replace workers, but it can help companies to expand and grow when the availability is not there.

Caitríona concludes the interview with the long-term goals of the cluster along with some strategic advice. The main long-term goal of the cluster is to expand its membership and reach as a result of doing so. More importantly, however, Caitríona intends to expand into more in-depth specific areas, so that the benefits can be felt by all members of the cluster. She has placed significant importance on companies who are being disruptive, and making enticing advancements in their respective industries. She notes, “How are we bringing in, maybe hospitals and those entities that are really part of making a disruptive change, but that ordinarily wouldn't be in a room, or that would be difficult, maybe, to engage.” This also highlights how the cluster is trying to connect companies with organisations which they would probably never have had the opportunity to speak to otherwise.

Caitríona provides some fantastic advice in a variety of different areas. She advises companies to embrace transparency of their issues and willingness to adopt so that they can benefit from the advice of other companies and technologies. The fear factor and hesitancy of SMEs to adopt new technologies and discuss their issues is completely understandable, oftentimes thinking of the worst-case scenario in contrast to the best-case scenario. However, if companies continue to think this way, they will be swiftly left behind as competitors continue to adapt. “Openness is key,” she emphasises, stressing the importance of being receptive to new technologies and ideas, as well as sharing their common problems.

Another critical piece of advice Caitríona provides is to embrace interdisciplinary teams. Business leaders must be willing to integrate a variety of disciplines and workers, to get the most out of all specialties with different problems. Caitríona advocates for the integration of software engineers and other tech specialists into traditional manufacturing roles. This diversification of skills ensures that companies are well-prepared for their digital adoptions. Caitríona notes, “And you need teams that you never needed before. You need personnel that you didn't need before.”

In summary, the Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM) cluster, under Caitríona Mordan's leadership, plays a pivotal role in supporting SMEs in their digital adoption journey. By fostering collaboration, addressing common industry challenges, and providing strategic advice, the cluster helps companies overcome barriers such as rapid technological change, talent acquisition, and leadership mindsets. Caitríona's insights emphasize the importance of openness, interdisciplinary teams, and strategic partnerships, ensuring that SMEs not only survive but thrive in the digital era. The cluster's ongoing efforts to expand membership and deepen industry-specific support promise continued innovation and growth for its members.

In addition, we here at Trout could provide collaboration as well as expertise in an SME’s digital transformation, read more or book a free consultation below.

Watch the Interview in Full Below 👇