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1 – 10 of over 5000Zelong Wei and Lulu Sun
The aim of this study was to examine how manufacturing digitalization can be leveraged to promote green innovation in the digital era by investigating the effects of manufacturing…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to examine how manufacturing digitalization can be leveraged to promote green innovation in the digital era by investigating the effects of manufacturing digitalization on green process innovation, and thus firm performance. The authors also explored how the role of manufacturing digitalization varies with horizontal information sharing, vertical bottom-up learning and technological modularization.
Design/methodology/approach
Five hypotheses were examined by performing regression analyses on survey data from 334 manufacturing firms in China.
Findings
Manufacturing digitalization positively affects green process innovation, and thus firm performance. Furthermore, this positive effect is strengthened by horizontal information sharing and technological modularization and weakened by vertical bottom-up learning.
Originality/value
This study extends the literature rooted in the natural-resource-based view by identifying the crucial role of green process innovation and investigating the value of manufacturing digitalization for developing green capabilities in the digital era. It also contributes to this line of research by revealing contingent factors to leverage manufacturing digitalization from the information processing perspective. Furthermore, this study extends information processing theory to the digital context and identifies the interaction of organizational design (vertical bottom-up learning and horizontal information sharing) and digital investment (manufacturing digitalization).
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Daryl John Powell, Désirée A. Laubengaier, Guilherme Luz Tortorella, Henrik Saabye, Jiju Antony and Raffaella Cagliano
The purpose of this paper is to examine the digitalization of operational processes and activities in lean manufacturing firms and explore the associated learning implications…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the digitalization of operational processes and activities in lean manufacturing firms and explore the associated learning implications through the lens of cumulative capability theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a multiple-case design, we examine four cases of digitalization initiatives within lean manufacturing firms. We collected data through semi-structured interviews and direct observations during site visits.
Findings
The study uncovers the development of learning capabilities as a result of integrating lean and digitalization. We find that digitalization in lean manufacturing firms contributes to the development of both routinized and evolutionary learning capabilities in a cumulative fashion.
Originality/value
The study adds nuance to the limited theoretical understanding of the integration of lean and digitalization by showing how it cumulatively develops the learning capabilities of lean manufacturing firms. As such, the study supports the robustness of cumulative capability theory. We further contribute to research by offering empirical support for the cumulative nature of learning.
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Morteza Ghobakhloo and Mohammad Iranmanesh
The digital transformation under Industry 4.0 is complex and resource-intensive, making a strategic digitalization guideline vital to small and medium-sized enterprises' success…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital transformation under Industry 4.0 is complex and resource-intensive, making a strategic digitalization guideline vital to small and medium-sized enterprises' success in the Industry 4.0 transition. The present study aims to provide manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a guideline for digital transformation success under Industry 4.0.
Design/methodology/approach
The study first performed a content-centric literature review to identify digital transformation success determinants. The study further implemented interpretive structural modeling to extract the order at which the success determinants should be present to facilitate the SMEs’ digital transformation success optimally. The interpretive model and interpretive logic knowledge base matrix were also used for developing the digital transformation guideline.
Findings
Eleven success determinants are vital to SMEs’ digital transformation efforts. For example, results revealed that external support for digitalization is the first step in ensuring digital transformation success among SMEs, while operations technology readiness is the most inaccessible success determinant.
Research limitations/implications
The study highlights the degree of importance of the 11 success determinants identified, which magnifies each determinant's strategic priority based on its driving power and dependence power. Theorizing the dependent variable of “digital transformation success” and quantitatively measuring the extent to which each success determinant contributes to explaining “digital transformation success” offers an exciting opportunity for future research.
Practical implications
Digital transformation success phenomenon within the Industry 4.0 context is significantly different from the digitalization success concept within the traditional literature. The digital transformation under Industry 4.0 is immensely resource-intensive and complex. Smaller manufacturers must have specific capabilities such as change management and digitalization strategic planning capability to reach a certain degree of information, digital, operations and cyber maturity.
Originality/value
The digital transformation success guide developed in the study describes each success determinants' functionality in relation to other determinants and explains how they might contribute to the digital transformation success within the manufacturing sector. This guide enables smaller manufacturers to better understand the concept of manufacturing digital transformation under Industry 4.0 and devise robust strategies to steer their digital transformation process effectively.
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Sven-Vegard Buer, Jo Wessel Strandhagen, Marco Semini and Jan Ola Strandhagen
While manufacturing digitalization is currently considered an important enabler of competitive advantage, its applicability across the industrial spectrum is unclear. This paper…
Abstract
Purpose
While manufacturing digitalization is currently considered an important enabler of competitive advantage, its applicability across the industrial spectrum is unclear. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the use of digital technologies and different production environments and company sizes. The focus is on three aspects of digitalization: shop floor digitalization, technologies for vertical and horizontal integration and organizational IT competence.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on data gathered from a survey questionnaire sent to 212 Norwegian manufacturing companies. To test the formulated hypotheses, the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method was used.
Findings
This study confirmed that large enterprises (LEs) have a significantly higher level of shop floor digitalization and organizational IT competence than small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Regarding the difference between production environments, no statistically significant difference in the implementation level of the investigated digitalization aspects could be found.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first studies to investigate differences in the adoption of digital technologies between different groups of production environments. This study also provides updated findings related to the relationship between digitalization and company size. The findings presented in this paper provide important insights into directing future research efforts to assist environments that are currently lagging behind in their digital transformation.
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Rose Clancy, Ken Bruton, Dominic T.J. O’Sullivan and Aidan J. Cloonan
Quality management practitioners have yet to cease the potential of digitalisation. Furthermore, there is a lack of tools such as frameworks guiding practitioners in the digital…
Abstract
Purpose
Quality management practitioners have yet to cease the potential of digitalisation. Furthermore, there is a lack of tools such as frameworks guiding practitioners in the digital transformation of their organisations. The purpose of this study is to provide a framework to guide quality practitioners with the implementation of digitalisation in their existing practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of literature assessed how quality management and digitalisation have been integrated. Findings from the literature review highlighted the success of the integration of Lean manufacturing with digitalisation. A comprehensive list of Lean Six Sigma tools were then reviewed in terms of their effectiveness and relevance for the hybrid digitisation approach to process improvement (HyDAPI) framework.
Findings
The implementation of the proposed HyDAPI framework in an industrial case study led to increased efficiency, reduction of waste, standardised work, mistake proofing and the ability to root cause non-conformance products.
Research limitations/implications
The activities and tools in the HyDAPI framework are not inclusive of all techniques from Lean Six Sigma.
Practical implications
The HyDAPI framework is a flexible guide for quality practitioners to digitalise key information from manufacturing processes. The framework allows organisations to select the appropriate tools as needed. This is required because of the varying and complex nature of organisation processes and the challenge of adapting to the continually evolving Industry 4.0.
Originality/value
This research proposes the HyDAPI framework as a flexible and adaptable approach for quality management practitioners to implement digitalisation. This was developed because of the gap in research regarding the lack of procedures guiding organisations in their digital transition to Industry 4.0.
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Tharun Thomas and P.G. Saleeshya
This research study aims to introduce a maturity model based on capability maturity model integration (CMMI) that can assess the digital manufacturing maturity level of…
Abstract
Purpose
This research study aims to introduce a maturity model based on capability maturity model integration (CMMI) that can assess the digital manufacturing maturity level of manufacturing companies.
Design/methodology/approach
A CMMI model for the manufacturing industry is designed to assess the digitalisation level of manufacturing industries. The model is developed exclusively for the process area “organisational process focus” (OPF), and the digitalisation level is quantified using fuzzy logic by employing a case study approach.
Findings
The CMMI is successfully employed to assess the digitalisation level of a manufacturing organisation using the fuzzy logic approach. The triangular fuzzy number of the Fuzzy CMMI Measure Index (FCMI) is obtained as (6.08, 7.33, 8.52). The transformation of FCMI into linguistic terms discloses the digitalisation level of the manufacturing organisation as “Capability Maturity Level 4” (CML 4).
Originality/value
The authors tested the suitability of CMMI in the manufacturing sector. The operational concept introduced in this research sets forth a unique framework to quantify the digitalisation level of manufacturing industries.
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Mantas Vilkas, Andrea Bikfalvi, Rimantas Rauleckas and Gediminas Marcinkevicius
The article aims to focus on the debate around the interplay between product innovation and servitization. Two conflicting approaches characterize the debate, disagreeing as to…
Abstract
Purpose
The article aims to focus on the debate around the interplay between product innovation and servitization. Two conflicting approaches characterize the debate, disagreeing as to whether product innovation and servitization are complementary or not.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors examine two competing models proposing a direct effect of product innovation on servitization and an indirect effect through digitalization, using the sample of 500 manufacturing firms of a country participating in the European Manufacturing Survey, 2018 edition.
Findings
The results reveal that product innovation has no direct effect on servitization. However, the authors found that digitalization capabilities mediate the effect of product innovation and servitization. The present findings reveal that product innovation has a substantial indirect effect on servitization through digitalization capabilities, supporting the approach proposing the complementarity between product innovation and servitization.
Research limitations/implications
The data used in this paper correspond to a single country. The limited geographical sampling frame may likewise limit the generalizability of the findings. Researchers are encouraged to replicate the analysis with data from other countries, and to further enrich the analysis with complementary path options and resulting performance measures.
Practical implications
When applying a capabilities perspective, the authors find that product innovation capability is not directly related to servitization as capability. The present findings point toward the fact that if companies only have product innovation capability, this does not facilitate servitization. If companies have both product innovation capability and digitalization capability, such a situation facilitates servitization, a decision which often falls within managers’ responsibilities.
Originality/value
Existing studies focus on antecedents and/or outcomes of single issues, either product innovation, servitization or digitalization. Only some offer dual associations (product innovation and servitization, digitalization and servitization), and even less position simultaneously at the intersection of the three pillars. Herein lies the novelty of the present approach and analysis, which explains the extent to which product innovation, digitalization and servitization are related.
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Ravinder Kumar, Rahul Sindhwani and Punj Lata Singh
The purpose of this methodology is to categorise the challenges into cause and effect group. The modern scenario of customization, personalization and multi-restrictive working…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this methodology is to categorise the challenges into cause and effect group. The modern scenario of customization, personalization and multi-restrictive working because of pandemics has affected the operations of manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In the new normal, the digitalization of manufacturing SMEs can be the path breaker. Modern digitalization includes a mix of technologies such as the industrial internet of things (IIoT), the internet of things, cyber-physical system and big data analytics. This digitalization can help in achieving new design changes, efficient production scheduling, smart manufacturing and unrestricted on-time delivery of quality products. This research paper aims to recognize and analyze the challenges faced while implementing IIoT technologies in manufacturing SMEs and tries to find the possibility of mitigating challenges by blockchain technology.
Design/methodology/approach
There were ten challenges of IIoT implementation identified from the literature review and experts’ opinions. To collect information from Indian manufacturing SMEs, a survey tool was formed in the form of a questionnaire. On the fundament of responses received from industrial experts, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique has been used for categorizing these challenges into cause and effect groups. Further, the authors tried to mitigate observed challenges with the help of blockchain technology.
Findings
With the implementation of IIoT technologies, the manufacturing processes become conciliatory, effective and traceable in real time. Observation of the current study states that the top effect group challenges such as the security of data and reliability of technologies can be mitigated by enabling blockchain technologies. The authors conclude that blockchain-enabled IIoT technologies will be highly beneficial for the Indian SMEs strategically and practically in the current scenario.
Research limitations/implications
Methodology of DEMATEL focuses on responses received from experts. The broader approach of survey from manufacturing organizations is compromised due to small sample size in this methodology. Experts approached for survey were from manufacturing SMEs of Delhi National Capital Region only. Broader survey-based techniques may be applied covering different sectors of SMEs in future work.
Practical implications
Technologies such as blockchain can facilitate advanced security in the application of IIoT and other such practices. While dealing with significant issues and challenges of new technologies, blockchain gives an edge of balance in the current scenario. Its properties of fixity, temper evident and circumvent fraud make this technology ideal for the digitalization of the manufacturing systems in SMEs.
Originality/value
Digitalization of manufacturing facilities is the need of the hour. Pandemic challenges have highlighted the urgency of it. This research will motivate and guide the manufacturing SMEs in planning strategies and long-term policies in implementing modern technologies and coping up with the pandemic challenges.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate how new technology-based firms (NTBFs) overcome established notions of scale and scope through business model innovation, leveraging…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how new technology-based firms (NTBFs) overcome established notions of scale and scope through business model innovation, leveraging the value from digitalization.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts an exploratory research design, drawing on a novel data set of 50 publicly available interviews with vertical farming (VF) industry leaders and insiders who represent 36 different organizations from North America and Europe.
Findings
The study develops a framework showing how NTBFs leverage the value from digitalization via a paradoxical approach combining both efficiency and novelty value drivers.
Originality/value
The study extends current theorizing on the desirability of a combined business model approach leveraging both efficiency and novelty from digitalization. Furthermore, the study is among the first to investigate the unique and highly technological context of VF.
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Camila Favoretto, Glauco Henrique de Sousa Mendes, Moacir Godinho Filho, Maicon Gouvea de Oliveira and Gilberto Miller Devós Ganga
The challenges of digital transformation (DT) have gained attention from both academics and practitioners, as more manufacturing companies are seeking digital technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The challenges of digital transformation (DT) have gained attention from both academics and practitioners, as more manufacturing companies are seeking digital technology implementation. This study, therefore, aims to identify the challenges of DT in manufacturing companies and propose new research directions.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review considering 176 articles (published between 2003 and 2019) was used to build a conceptual framework of DT.
Findings
A systematized view of challenges regarding organizational commitment, value creation, value proposition, value delivery, value capture, information and technology infrastructure and data security were identified. Moreover, a conceptual framework was developed to summarize the challenges and how they are associated with the business model value architecture and with the DT phases. Research opportunities for future research were also identified, contributing to the advancement of the topic.
Originality/value
First, the study provides a categorization of the main challenges of DT in manufacturing companies. Second, it identifies research gaps and future research avenues; and finally, it proposes a conceptual framework that aims to support more rigorous studies and guide management decisions regarding an integrative understanding of DT.
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