Irish News

Irish Manufacturing Research announce Smart Industry Readiness Index

By Business & Finance
28 July 2021

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has announced a new capability, Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI), to evaluate companies and provide guidance on how to improve the adoption of digital technologies and processes to increase their competitiveness

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has announced a new capability, Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI), to evaluate companies and provide guidance on how to improve the adoption of digital technologies and processes to increase their competitiveness.

According to IMR, SIRI is the “first internationally approved Industry 4.0 assessment tool that is being adopted globally” as a method for companies to benchmark their level of digital maturity. SIRI was initially pioneered by the Economic Development Board in Singapore to drive transformation of Asian manufacturing organisations and has now been adopted by the World Economic Forum as the methodology for companies to use to drive their digital transformation on a global basis, across 15 different countries.

The Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) was created in partnership with a network of leading technology companies, consultancy firms, and industry and academic experts. SIRI comprises a suite of frameworks and tools to help manufacturers – regardless of size and industry – start, scale, and sustain their manufacturing transformation journeys.

Earlier this year, IMR achieved certification of three assessors to provide the assessments and guidance reports to interested companies in Ireland. Adrian Hovenden, Dr Niall Aughney, Dr Fergus Quilligan have successfully qualified as Certified SIRI Assessors (CSA), which is an internationally recognised standard for Industry 4.0 transformation using the SIRI tool and associated frameworks.

IMR’s Assessors can assist manufacturers in identifying their current state of digital (or Industry 4.0) maturity across three main pillars: process, technology, and organisation readiness. The assessment aims to equip manufacturers with the right understanding and tools to take the next step in their transformation journey. SIRI’s focus is to ensure that its recommendations are made to increase a company’s competitiveness and not to adopt new technology when other competitive factors have not been fully addressed.

Maurice O’Connell, COO of IMR said in a press release: “In creating SIRI, the WEF has identified that the pace of Industry 4.0 adoption is uneven across different industries and companies. Many Irish companies are grappling with the concept of Industry 4.0 and the value it may bring to them. The SIRI assessment really addresses that challenge and informs participating companies how to move forward on their Industry 4.0 journey, in a way that improves to their key business metrics.”