Development of an AI Maturity Model for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

The relevance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for manufacturing and service operations in the industrial sector is growing rapidly. Various economic actors, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) that are the backbone of the European economy, are already well aware of specific use cases of AI in the industrial context and demand effective AI solutions to their challenges. However, existing approaches and models for identifying the appropriate AI use case for efficiency improvement potentials can cover the growing market demand to a limited extent only. Uncertainties about the actual capabilities, a lack of a strategic focus, missing success metrics, poor data quality, or false expectations of AI systems can all lead to failure of AI projects. To counter this, an AI maturity assessment can assist companies to overcome challenges on the way to a sustainable planning, deployment and adaptation of AI in industrial applications. This paper examines the need for a holistic method and presents the Fraunhofer IFF AI Maturity Model – a method based on the needs of SME in the manufacturing industry.