The University successfully applied to take part in a Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) via Innovate UK. This is the first mKTP in the Faculty, and demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between people, process and technology that is embodied in digital transformation.

The 27-month mKTP project will see staff from BCU guide the company in developing and implementing a digital transformation strategy to achieve end-to-end process improvement, transforming service provision. This will involve:

• Creating a shared vision in the organisation for transformative change.
• Improving the organisation’s transformative capability.
• Developing a methodology to transform the organisation from solely providing IT services to generating revenue through customised IT management consultancy.
• Applying technologies for evidence-based data-driven decision making.

The mKTP builds on current work in the Department for Digital Transformation to develop strategies and toolkits for digital transformation in SMEs, supporting the continuous improvement needed for the development of SMEs at different stages of digital maturity.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is a UK-wide programme that has been helping businesses for the past 40 years to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK Knowledge Base. In a KTP or mKTP, the University employs a graduate or postgraduate (the Associate) to work on site with the company, jointly supervised by company and university staff. 

For this project, the mKTP Associate will be supported by Academic Supervisor Deb Evans, who leads the Digital Systems and Change Team within the Department of Digital Transformation.  She has worked extensively with senior management of businesses throughout the UK on a range of innovation projects, including projects focusing on the creation, development and implementation of transformative change in traditional artisan SME companies.

The Lead Academic for the project is Professor Sharon Cox, Head of Department for Digital Transformation in CEBE. Sharon is an applied researcher seeking to ensure digital transformation brings inclusive benefits to society through the development of problem structuring tools, information models and technology-led change processes.

Minster Micro Managing Director Susan Marlow said “Minster has been working in partnership with BCU for many years now, so I am delighted that this project will allow us to work even more collaboratively with their team. I am really excited by the innovations that working with BCU on this project will bring into Minster, as this will allow us to provide an even better solution for our customers which in turn will bring long-term efficiencies into their businesses as well as our own.

“This marks the beginning of our next stage of growth as an SME IT solutions provider, and will create additional jobs both in the short term and in the future.”

 Find out more about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and how your business can benefit from engaging with our KTP team and Birmingham City University academic expertise.