AI Purpose
Checks that your AI work serves real business goals and stays ethical and compliant. Covers AI strategy, how you organise for it, risk management, and the workforce changes needed for AI to stick.
8 dimensions
You are putting money into AI. Is your operation ready to scale it?
Few manufacturers can answer that with evidence. As a Certified AIMRI Assessor, NORCENT measures your AI readiness across 3 building blocks, 8 pillars and 20 dimensions, so you know where to invest first, get leadership aligned, and move from buying AI tools to running an intelligent enterprise. AIMRI is the first readiness index built around AI for industry.
Framework by INCIT, co-developed with Detecon. Scientific advisors: TUM, University of Maryland and Tecnológico de Monterrey.
AIMRI Assessment
Report ready
3.4out of 5.0
AI readiness score
12 / 20Dimensions
~2 daysOn-site
6Bands
Illustrative sample. Your report reflects your own evidence.
20AI maturity dimensions across the enterprise
8Strategic pillars, from purpose to operations
56%Year-on-year growth in AI / GenAI investment, 2024 vs 2023Source: INCIT industry analysis
2×AI leaders invest double their peers in digital & AISource: INCIT industry analysis
The AIMRI framework
Three building blocks. One AI transformation path.
AIMRI looks at AI readiness from end to end: why you are doing AI, what it runs on, and how it changes the way you operate. Each building block breaks down into pillars and dimensions that we score during the assessment.
Technology & Data Foundation
Looks at the infrastructure, the data lifecycle and the model management you need to scale. Well-structured data, enough compute and disciplined model operations are what make AI repeatable instead of one-off.
6 dimensionsIntelligent Enterprise
Where AI starts to change the business: better decisions, smarter operations and people working alongside AI. Assesses how far AI has adapted and augmented operations, the supply chain and product lifecycle management.
6 dimensions
Choose your depth
AIMRI 12 or AIMRI 20.
Both cover the same three building blocks. They differ in how deep they go into pillars and dimensions.
AIMRI12Start & Scale
For companies that mostly buy AI capabilities and want a solid first reading of their readiness.
3Building blocks
6Pillars
12Dimensions
AIMRI20Advance & AI Future-Ready
For companies that both build and buy AI and want it to become a strategic differentiator.
3Building blocks
8Pillars
20Dimensions
AIMRI takes organisations from adopting AI capabilities to running autonomous, intelligent operations at scale.
| Criterion | AIMRI 12 | AIMRI 20 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | A lighter assessment of 12 of the 20 dimensions, giving a foundational view of AI readiness. | A full assessment of all 20 dimensions, for a robust and detailed AI foundation. |
| Who it suits | SMEs and manufacturers building a basic AI foundation, mostly buying AI capabilities with limited in-house resources. | Organisations aiming to lead in AI, with dedicated teams and in-house development, often with AI use cases already live. |
| Objective | Make sure the company is equipped to use AI and keep pace as the industry becomes AI-driven. | Build an advanced foundation to use AI to full effect and become a best-in-class AI leader. |
The manufacturing AI problem, and how AIMRI solves it
What holds manufacturers back from AI.
Industrial AI runs into the same obstacles again and again. AIMRI answers each one with a specific part of the method.
The challenges
Unclear where AI pays off
Teams struggle to say which processes would gain most from AI, so investment goes to whatever is loudest rather than most valuable.
Weak foundations
Many plants lack the data infrastructure and skills AI depends on, and legacy systems have to keep running alongside new AI with no clear path between them.
Tangled dependencies
Operations are so interconnected that it is hard to isolate where AI should go first, which makes the starting point the hardest decision.
The AIMRI approach
A complete assessment
One structured framework covers the whole operation, from AI strategy and governance to day-to-day operations and human-AI collaboration, for an unbiased picture of readiness.
→ 20 dimensions scored on verified evidence, not self-assessment
Gaps you can measure
Improvement areas are benchmarked against industry standards, so money goes to proven gaps instead of assumptions.
→ Prioritisation Matrix ranks gaps by cost impact and KPI proximity
Leadership on the same page
Data-driven findings turn vague AI ambitions into one shared, prioritised plan that every level of the business can back.
→ Every assessment ends with a leadership debrief and roadmap
Proven impact
What AI delivers on the factory floor.
Results from real AI deployments show what becomes possible once the right capabilities are in place at the right time.
IT equipment manufacturing
42%Increase in OEE
44%Shorter line changeovers
AI-driven automated assembly and testing raised Overall Equipment Effectiveness by 42%.
AI scheduling for warehouse and logistics cut line changeover time by 44%.
Electronics manufacturing
33%Lower building energy use
60%Less line material waste
Automated, AI-managed energy efficiency reduced building energy consumption by 33%.
AI-assisted resource recycling cut carton waste on the line by 60%.
Basic materials manufacturing
35%Less unplanned downtime
11%Less coal per tonne
Predictive AI for equipment maintenance and scheduling reduced unplanned downtime by 35%.
AI control and optimisation of key cement processes lowered coal consumption per tonne by 11%.
Figures as published by INCIT for the AIMRI programme.
The investment case
AI leaders are pulling ahead. Here is the gap.
Leading organisations are putting far more budget and people behind AI, and the distance to everyone else keeps growing.
Leaders invest twice as much in digital and AI as their peers.
Growth in AI / GenAI investment among leaders, 2024 vs 2023.
More staff dedicated to digital and AI work at leading organisations.
Share of the workforce being trained in AI / GenAI at leading manufacturers.
Source: INCIT industry analysis.
The AIMRI assessment
From kick-off to roadmap in three phases.
Structured and light on your operations. A typical assessment takes 2 to 3 days on-site, run end to end by NORCENT's Certified AIMRI Assessor and built on the LEAD cycle: Learn, Evaluate, Architect, Deliver.
Plan & Prepare
2 to 4 weeks before · about 3 hours
- Walk through the AIMRI framework and agree the scope
- Refine the assessment plan and timeline
- Send the data request and review it a week before the site visit
- Pre-assessment session on the building blocks and dimensions
- Output: clear objectives, data ready, schedule agreed
On-Site Evaluation
Over about 2 weeks · 1.5 to 2.5 days on-site
- Factory walkthrough to see and validate AI-related activity
- Evidence-based scoring of every dimension in the Assessment Matrix
- Maturity analysis across 3 building blocks, 8 pillars and 20 dimensions
- Prioritisation Matrix workshop to tie readiness to business goals
- Output: completed Assessment and Prioritisation Matrices
Debrief & Roadmap
About 3 hours · report and debrief
- Report produced with the official AIMRI Portal tools
- Leadership debrief: maturity score, priority dimensions and insights
- Strategic recommendations to speed up your AI transformation
- Re-assessment later to track measurable progress
- Output: full AIMRI report and a clear AI readiness roadmap
Conducted by a NORCENT Certified AIMRI Assessor. Evidence-based, auditable, and built to deliver.
AIMRI 12 dimensions
Exactly what AIMRI 12 measures.
AIMRI 12 breaks down into three building blocks, six pillars and twelve dimensions, all shown below. AIMRI 20 extends this to eight pillars and twenty dimensions in the full assessment.
Industrial AI Maturity Readiness Index: AIMRI 12
AI Purpose
Technology & Data Foundation
Intelligent Enterprise
Strategy
Organisation
Risk & Governance
Infrastructure & Data Management
AI Process Adaptation
AI Augmentation & Collaboration
1AI Strategy
2AI Operating Model
3Workforce Transformation
4Risk Management
5Compliance & Governance
6AI Infrastructure
7Data Lifecycle
8AI-Ready Data
9Operations Management
10Supply Chain Management
11Operations Management
12Supply Chain Management
3 building blocks · 6 pillars · 12 dimensions · hover any element to explore
For details of AIMRI 20, contact us.
The assessment matrix
Six bands, from undefined to intelligent.
Every dimension is scored on the same six-band scale, using guiding statements, proof points and exemplary markers. Together they give your AIMRI Assessment Matrix Score: an evidence-based snapshot of where you stand and what comes next.
Band 0
Undefined
No AI intent or activity. The capability does not exist and nothing is documented.
Band 1
Initiating
Early awareness and isolated experiments. AI is ad hoc and driven by individuals.
Band 2
Developing
Foundations are forming: a few pilots and basic data practices.
Band 3
Defined
Standard, documented AI processes applied consistently across functions.
Band 4
Managed
AI is data-driven and tied to performance. Outcomes are tracked and optimised.
Band 5
Intelligent
Autonomous, self-optimising operations. AI is embedded and ready for what comes next.
← Adopting AI capabilitiesIntelligent enterprise →
What you get from AIMRI
Eight concrete outputs, not a vague report.
Complete the Official AIMRI Assessment and leave with the evidence, benchmarks and roadmap to get from where you are to where you need to be.
Your maturity score by dimension
Your baseline. Each dimension is scored on verified evidence, giving an objective view of where your AI maturity stands today.
Your Prioritisation Matrix
Where to act first. Dimensions ranked by cost impact, business KPIs and distance from best-in-class, so effort goes where it creates the most value.
Your 3B best-in-class benchmark
How you compare globally. The 3B benchmark places you as Best-in-Class, Broad Middle or Bottom, so leadership sees your competitive standing in the sector.
Your assessor notes for every dimension
Expert insight, dimension by dimension. Your NORCENT assessor records where you stand in each area and which specific actions will move the score.
Your impact on the bottom line
Maturity linked to money. Shows how progress on key dimensions turns into revenue, lower costs, efficiency and customer engagement.
Your business objectives ranking
AI aligned with what matters. Activities are ranked by their effect on profitability, so resources go to the areas with the best financial return.
Your improvement recommendations
A practical next step. Targeted recommendations across the AIMRI dimensions, structured for a phased AI transformation.
Your AIMRI Star Emblem
Recognised proof of progress. Awarded when the Official Assessment is complete, it shows your AI maturity to customers, partners and investors, and stays valid for two years.
Why AIMRI
Four methods. One rigorous, AI-native assessment.
The assessment rests on four connected methodologies that turn maturity insight into prioritised, measurable results.
LEAD
LEAD Framework
A repeating four-step cycle, Learn, Evaluate, Architect, Deliver, so AI transformation keeps going instead of ending as a one-off project.
TIER
TIER Framework
Guiding principles for finding where AI adoption will have the biggest effect, combining the Assessment and Prioritisation Matrices to focus investment on business value.
MATRIX
Assessment Matrix
The first readiness matrix designed around AI: six progressive bands across 20 linked dimensions, producing a proof-based AIMRI Assessment Matrix Score.
PRIORITISE
Prioritisation Matrix
A data-driven tool that weighs cost impact, critical KPIs and distance from best-in-class to pick your most valuable next moves.
The next step after SIRI
Goes beyond the Smart Industry Readiness Index, from digital maturity to AI-powered intelligence, with outcomes tied to performance.
Independent and holistic
A vendor-neutral, 20-dimension model built by INCIT, Detecon and leading universities, covering every layer of an AI-ready enterprise.
Focused on AI
Purpose-built to evaluate AI maturity across strategy, organisation and operations for the era of industrial AI.
Based on proof
Scores rest on verifiable proof points, validated through EPIK performance KPIs. No self-assessment guesswork.
Linked dimensions
The first framework to model how AI dimensions depend on each other, with progressive KPI roadmaps for each.
Global benchmarking
Allows national and cross-sector comparison of AI readiness and informs long-term industrial and economic policy.
Who AIMRI is for
Built for the people who shape industrial AI.
For manufacturers
Put AI to work across your plants.
Assess AI readiness across strategy, operations and technology, and move from automated to intelligent, self-optimising operations.
Find AI opportunities
See where AI adds most value across production, supply chain and quality.
Benchmark against the best
Compare yourself with peers and best-in-class leaders using the 3B benchmark.
Build a data-driven roadmap
Sequence focused AI investments and reach ROI sooner with a prioritised plan.
Equip your workforce
Strengthen decision support and collaboration between people and AI.
For governments & associations
Shape the future of industrial AI.
Build national AI strategies for sustainable industrial growth and competitiveness on real readiness data, not assumptions.
Benchmark sectors and regions
Compare AI readiness in manufacturing across regions or nationally, and spot sector strengths and gaps.
Policy grounded in evidence
Design data-driven policies for AI talent, innovation, infrastructure and incentives.
Strengthen the ecosystem
Bring industry, academia and research together to speed up adoption.
For equity firms
Invest with AI-readiness insight.
Evaluate the AI maturity and competitive potential of manufacturing and industrial assets, and steer value creation with objective data.
AI due diligence
Assess digital and AI capability during due diligence with objective maturity data.
Track portfolio performance
Follow productivity and sustainability KPIs across assets and guide value creation.
Target AI funding
Direct funding to AI transformation where it will drive the most growth.
Built with global experts
Independent, holistic, and academically grounded.
AIMRI is not a vendor's proprietary model. INCIT and Detecon developed it together with scientific advisors from leading universities, so you can trust the rigour behind every assessment.
Detecon International
Co-development partnerA global management and technology consultancy that co-developed AIMRI with INCIT, contributing expertise in AI strategy, data and model management, the 20-dimension assessment method and the EPIK performance KPIs.
Scientific Advisory Board
Academic partnersThe methodology draws on research from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Maryland and Tecnológico de Monterrey, keeping the framework vendor-neutral, evidence-based and applicable worldwide.
Get started with AIMRI
Your next step.
Find out how AI-ready your operation really is, with a NORCENT Certified AIMRI Assessor guiding you from data request to roadmap.
Do an Assessment
Book the Official AIMRI Assessment for a benchmarked, evidence-based reading of your industrial AI maturity, with a prioritised roadmap to act on.
What you can measure, you can transform.