Join Shoestring
In response to UK demand, individual UK manufacturers can now join the collaborative community that is developing Shoestring offerings by making a company purchase of a starter solution package or an annual membership.
Why do manufacturers like Shoestring?
Shoestring gives companies an easy way to start seeing how digitalisation can transform the business. The Shoestring programme:
- Gives confidence and digital skills to non-technical staff
- Builds awareness of how digitalisation can improve your business
- Opens up peer-to-peer networks and facilitates technical support from experts
- Enables self-deployment of low-cost digital starter solutions
“Shoestring allows PIL Membranes to realise its vision. It makes Manufacturing 4.0 affordable to SMEs. The annual membership is great value, it provides so much more than low-cost solutions, from building awareness of what is possible to giving access to experts and a peer-to-peer network.”
Jerome Faissat | Managing Director, PIL Membranes Ltd
Up until now Shoestring has only been available to companies as part of government-funded programmes. These government programmes, such as the one in Western Australia and the scoping studies in Egypt and Scotland, play a crucial part in the development of Shoestring’s low-cost, low risk approach to help smaller companies to get started with digitalisation. This initiative means more UK manufacturers can be involved. It will help us to reach a wider pool of companies, further tailor the Shoestring offerings to the audience’s needs, whilst also enabling more companies to benefit today from Shoestring.
Available to buy in the UK
Annual membership to Shoestring
Benefit from full access to the online technology support and networks, shopping lists and instructions for all the available starter solutions as well as a place on up to three technical support programmes (per year) designed to assist implementation of a Shoestring starter solution.
Cost: £1200 (per year)
Shoestring starter solution package
Choose a starter solution and access the solution’s shopping list and instructions, online technology support, as well as a place on one technical support programme led by a Shoestring engineer.
Cost: £400 special early adopter price (reduced from £800)
Starter solutions:
Why buy a starter solution package?
Shoestring’s starter solution packages** are designed to give companies an easy way to get started with digitalisation. They enable companies to build and deploy simple, low-cost digital solutions in their factory so that they can see how digitalisation benefits their business, building in-house digital skills along the way.
The starter solutions used in each package are designed to provide a practical learning experience. Companies choose a solution that addresses one of their most pressing business needs, keeping employees engaged and invested in the activity. We currently offer training around three starter solutions (power monitoring, job location tracking and scrap monitoring) with more solutions coming soon.
Each starter solution package:
- Can be built and deployed by non-technical staff
- Is supported with a technical training and support programme, instructions, an online forum for problem solving
- Facilitates peer-to-peer support as well as access to experts
- Provides a detailed shopping list of the low-cost electronic components (all available online from major resellers)
- Includes the software required to connect the components and deliver easy-to-understand dashboards.
** We are currently offering a special early adopter offer on a first come first served basis – £400 for a starter solution package (reduced from full price of £800).