Ukrainian manufacturing enterprises can take part in the free 10-week practical DIGI4TAF programme focused on digital transformation, production efficiency and modern management tools.
For furniture and woodworking companies, this is an opportunity not simply to learn about digitalisation, but to analyse their own production processes, identify points of loss and, together with experts, develop concrete steps for improvement.
In manufacturing, problems often begin not with a lack of technology, but with a lack of clear and accessible data. A manager may not always have a real-time view of equipment utilisation. A workshop manager may spend time finding out the status of orders. Information about inventory, defects or completed operations can be scattered across Excel files, messengers and paper records.
DIGI4TAF offers a systematic approach to these processes: where the company is losing time and resources, what data is needed for management, what should be digitalised first, and which solutions actually match the scale of the business.
“At the start, an enterprise undergoes a digital maturity assessment and develops a roadmap for further development. Selected companies can receive up to 20 hours of individual expert support,” says Olha Trofymova, Director of Quality Centre LLC and Head of the DIGI4TAF team.
For an owner or director, the programme can help move production management away from constant clarification and towards a system where key information is available in measurable data.
The focus includes production losses, equipment utilisation, KPIs, digitalisation of individual processes, ERP and MES capabilities, as well as the use of AI for working with data, documents and routine operations.
Another important advantage is that companies can involve not only their management, but also their production teams. This makes it possible to approach digital transformation not as a separate IT project, but as a change in the company’s day-to-day operations.
Production managers work where the real cost of poor coordination becomes most visible: delays, downtime, overloaded areas and unclear order statuses.
DIGI4TAF covers Lean, VSM, OEE, 5S, production KPIs, planning and dispatching, digital operation tracking, ERP-lite and MES-lite, as well as QR and barcode systems.
The goal is to learn how to obtain production information systematically rather than collect it manually from different sources. The training is focused on real processes in furniture and woodworking enterprises.
At workshop level, digitalisation does not necessarily mean implementing a complex and expensive system.
The programme covers simple tools for assigning shift tasks, recording completed operations, defects and working time, as well as Kanban, 5S, QR codes, Google Forms and Sheets, and basic production metrics.
Some of these solutions can be introduced at the level of an individual workshop and gradually developed into a broader system based on the company’s actual needs.
For a technologist, digitalisation is directly connected to the efficient use of materials.
The programme covers cutting optimisation, digital tracking of material remnants, 9R strategies, LCA, material traceability, as well as European requirements such as ESPR, EUDR and the Digital Product Passport. CAD/CAM and PLM are also covered.
The practical redesign lab allows participants to work not with an abstract example, but with an actual product from their own enterprise — assessing its materials, construction, repairability and compliance with future European market requirements.
Today, a product’s design is about more than strength, appearance and cost.
The programme covers ecodesign, design for disassembly, repairability and durability, as well as ESPR and the Digital Product Passport. The technical component includes CAD/CAM, PLM and digital twins.
Participants will be able to apply these approaches to an actual company product and see how product requirements change when its entire life cycle is taken into account.
When information about defects is collected but does not provide a clear picture of their causes or recurrence, digital tools can change the way quality is managed.
DIGI4TAF covers digital defect control, electronic checklists, internal audits, root-cause analysis of non-conformities, batch traceability, reporting, Kaizen and production operation control.
The goal is not simply to record the fact that a defect occurred, but to understand where, when, at which operation and how frequently the problem occurs.
For companies working with timber and exporting their products, material traceability is becoming increasingly important.
The programme covers EUDR, FSC/PEFC, digital tracking of materials and batches, supplier data, inventory management and preparation of information for the Digital Product Passport.
A separate module for logistics and warehouse managers focuses on digital inventory management, QR and barcode systems, material and order movements, batch traceability and the integration of warehouse data with ERP/MES.
European customers are increasingly looking beyond price and delivery times. They are also asking about material origin, product composition, environmental characteristics and compliance with market requirements.
DIGI4TAF helps systematise work with ESPR, EUDR, the Digital Product Passport, Green Claims, Right to Repair, REACH and FSC/PEFC requirements.
The programme also covers the use of AI for commercial tasks, including proposals, documents, analytics and reporting.
One of the challenges of digital transformation is the large number of potential solutions and the lack of a clear sequence for implementing them.
Participants can assess their company’s digital maturity, identify Quick Wins, develop a roadmap, explore Lean approaches, assess ERP/MES options, build a KPI system and determine where AI can be applied.
For selected enterprises, up to 20 hours of individual work with experts can help turn a general idea into a concrete pilot solution.
Product sustainability does not begin with communication. It starts with how a product is designed, manufactured, used, repaired and managed at the end of its life cycle.
DIGI4TAF covers 9R, ecodesign, LCA, repairability, durability, design for disassembly, production residues, ESPR, EUDR, Green Claims and the Digital Product Passport.
The practical lab makes it possible to connect these approaches with a specific company product and its production processes.
Digitalisation is just as relevant to the finance function as it is to production. When a company has structured production data, it becomes easier to assess not only the number of downtimes or defects, but also their economic impact.
The programme covers digital production data collection, KPI dashboards, automated reporting, data analysis, AI for documents and reports, and assessment of the economic impact of digital solutions.
Automation should not begin with choosing software. It should begin with understanding the process itself.
That is why IT specialists participating in DIGI4TAF will work with low-code tools, Google Forms/Sheets, ERP-lite, MES-lite, QR and barcode systems, production KPIs, dashboards and AI — all connected to real production processes and the company’s internal data.
Digital transformation cannot work if one person uses a new system while the rest of the team continues working in the old way.
DIGI4TAF allows enterprises to involve representatives from different functions in the training: managers, technologists, foremen, designers, quality specialists, logistics, finance and IT professionals.
For HR teams, this is an opportunity to assess the digital competencies the workforce needs and prepare employees for changes in production processes. There is no limit on the number of participants from one enterprise.
DIGI4TAF is implemented as part of the project “Supporting the Recovery and Development of Industrial Sectors in Ukraine through Digital Transformation and the Development of an Innovation Ecosystem.” The project is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) within the UNIDO Green Industrial Recovery Programme for Ukraine, with financial support from the governments of Austria and Bulgaria.
The training component is delivered by Quality Centre in cooperation with sectoral and regional partners, including the Lviv Furniture Cluster.
Participation in the programme is free of charge for enterprises. It is an opportunity to access international and sector-specific expertise, assess the company’s digital maturity, train its team and identify practical solutions that can be implemented in production.
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