Kurago has developed an audit system that allows the diagnosis of the digital maturity for industrial companies

The Spanish technological company, has developed a diagnosis system that enables a better understanding of the digitization of companies in the sheet metal cutting industry.

The Spanish engineering company Kurago, specialized in the development of industrial software, has launched an innovative system that enables digital maturity level diagnosis of companies in the sheet metal area, a key one in the manufacturing industry.

The audit system, which is called Digital Maturity Model (DMM), allows Kurago’s engineers to assess the degree of maturity of a company through a comprehensive questionnaire without the need for laborious processes and systems audits. This level is the starting point for selecting and implementing the right production and managing software solutions. As Jesús Martínez, general manager of Kurago, points out, “To become a digital factory, a company must first know where it stands, what its needs and objectives are, and what resources it has”.

The system defines five digital maturity levels, based on the processes in place and applies, data management, infrastructure, and the qualification level of its human team, one of the most critical issues in this assessment.

To become a digital factory, a company must first know where it stands, what its needs and objectives are, and what resources it has

Thus, a company can be a starter, explorer, player, challenger, or champion depending on its automation level, analysis capacity, or process optimization. But, as Martinez explains, “It is not a question of trying to make all companies reach the champion level. They must be aware of where they are, in terms of digitization, and maximizing their resources within their position. This awareness will allow them to be agile to adapt to different scenarios in a market situation in which change has become the norm”.

Kurago has developed the Digital Maturity Model (DMM) in its centre for excellence in Bilbao. The diagnosis helps to visualize the steps to succeed in becoming a digital factory: “Only by knowing where we are starting from, is it possible to get the right actions that can help us reach the objective successfully,” points out Martínez.

A tool to optimize digitization investment

For Asier Ortiz, technical director of the Basque company, “the current situation has generated a dizzying need for digital tools with full functionality available from anywhere and with any device and network access capacity. In the current situation, many companies were not at the digitization level they thought they were. This situation may be shocking, as it shows how much money and resources companies have been invested in the digitization process, without covering the real needs. It is essential to have both the tools and the partners to guarantee its evolution beyond specific situations and technologies”.

Ortiz recalls that “knowing the digitization level in which we are, enables us to do more accurate projects both in time and form. This first step can increase the success rate in the implementation of solutions. The application of sophisticated tools that don’t take into account the real needs of a company can be avoided. In the long term, this ends with the implementation of expensive systems that end up being under-exploited due to a lack of adaptation. The situation usually leads to frustration from the end-user, who may not perceive any improvement in the management of his production.”

Uses in other industrial sectors

The Basque company, recently recognized as Microsoft Gold Partner, plans to apply this digital maturity diagnosis model to companies and organizations in other industrial sectors soon. Its application could be of great interest to assess different industries or organisations from different sectors or geographical areas with their digitization. As Ortiz points out, “If it were to be applied to a relevant number of companies, we could get to know the trends in digitization in a given country, or in a certain sector.”