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Book part
Publication date: 30 September 2022

Saadia Benahmed and Aboubakr Hansal

Digital technologies have changed the way we work and live since their advent; they affect individuals, businesses and society, especially the business world. Digital

Abstract

Digital technologies have changed the way we work and live since their advent; they affect individuals, businesses and society, especially the business world. Digital transformation has become a significant concern for all companies now, and it is hard to find a company that has not embarked on a digital transformation project. The main question of our study is to understand the most significant digital transformation challenges companies are facing and how they can overcome these challenges.

The research contains an analytical study of some recent studies on this topic. Findings indicate that technology is not a huge barrier to companies, but digital skills, digital culture and digital strategy are the biggest. Furthermore, we present several practical solutions to overcome these challenges at the end of this research.

Details

Management and Information Technology in the Digital Era
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-296-9

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 17 February 2023

V. Harish, A. Mansurali and D. Krishnaveni

Technology has disrupted many industries from the start of Industrialization era to the Industry 4.0 era. There has been an exponential growth in the technological front and…

Abstract

Technology has disrupted many industries from the start of Industrialization era to the Industry 4.0 era. There has been an exponential growth in the technological front and people are talking about Industry 5.0. Digital transformation is a critical direction in which organizations will have to move toward in order to succeed in this competitive world. To make a smooth transition, firms must understand the basic building blocks of the digital transformation process and the key areas it touches upon namely customer experience, operational process and dynamic business models. Organizations will also have to identify the enablers of digital transformation which they can work on to smoothen the transformative process. Firms will also need the framework of digital transformation spelling out the roadmap for effective digital transformation. Firms on the urge to go for digital transformation will face numerous challenges in all the stages of implementation namely the initiation phase, the execution phase and the governance phase. A clear understanding of these challenges will help the firms to overcome or mitigate these challenges and be successful in their digital transformation process.

Details

Transformation for Sustainable Business and Management Practices: Exploring the Spectrum of Industry 5.0
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-278-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 December 2020

Chinmay Shahi and Manish Sinha

Digital transformation is the way forward for all businesses. The technology is advancing at a rapid pace and the companies need to adapt to the change, not just to take advantage…

5173

Abstract

Purpose

Digital transformation is the way forward for all businesses. The technology is advancing at a rapid pace and the companies need to adapt to the change, not just to take advantage of the enormous opportunities it provides but even to stay relevant in this volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity world. This study aims to define the concept of digital transformation and what it means in today’s business scenario. It helps to understand the different stages of digital maturity, identify the barriers in adopting different technologies and provide solutions to overcome those challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative study in which opinions of the digital transformation experts were collected using a qualitative questionnaire. Natural language processing (NLP) and text mining techniques were applied along with a thorough analysis of the text to generate the results.

Findings

The study was able to uncover – what it means to be digitally transformed, different challenges an organization faces during the digital transformation journey and their potential solutions.

Originality/value

The existing literature on the topic is scattered and does not provide a roadmap for a company to adopt digital transformation. This study aims to fill up the gap and cover various aspects of the whole transformation process. The uniqueness of the study lies in the use of NLP techniques to perform text analytics on the data.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2021

Noura Metawa, Mohamed Elhoseny and Maha Mutawea

This paper aims to provide insights regarding the state of the art of digital transformation for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt and propose avenues for future…

2944

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide insights regarding the state of the art of digital transformation for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt and propose avenues for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A proposed framework for the digitization process in SMEs is developed by providing three layers of working steps toward full automation. The paper also provides an extensive analysis of the main requirements for improving the existing traditional information systems' performance in these enterprises. The challenges of digital transformation and the future research direction are discussed as well.

Findings

This paper provided an overview of the importance of digital transformation in real-life applications. The role of the information systems in building a digitalized information processing environment is covered as well. Also, a framework for the shifting process from the traditional approaches to the digitalized systems is proposed. Besides, the paper overviewed the future research directions related to digital transformation in SMEs, especially in Egypt. These research directions are related to technical challenges during the digital transformation process, such as cybersecurity, big data analytics and multimodality data.

Originality/value

Despite the significant governmental and institutions' steps toward full automation and digital transformation, the traditional information systems, infrastructures, and unequipped employees make the digitizing process on-the-fly an open challenge. A technology shift that is not supported by a similar cultural change threatens digital business initiatives and increases the risk of their failure. This paper aims to provide insights regarding the state of the art of digital transformation for SMEs in Egypt and propose avenues for future research.

Details

African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-0705

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 April 2020

Federico Brunetti, Dominik T. Matt, Angelo Bonfanti, Alberto De Longhi, Giulio Pedrini and Guido Orzes

This paper proposes adequate strategies that companies, public administrators and organisations in the education industry can undertake to successfully face the challenges of…

33303

Abstract

Purpose

This paper proposes adequate strategies that companies, public administrators and organisations in the education industry can undertake to successfully face the challenges of digital transformation in a regional innovation system. This research considers stakeholders that operate in the Tyrol–Veneto macroregion (the Tyrol, South Tyrol and Veneto areas), a significant case of moderately innovative European macroregion.

Design/methodology/approach

This study undertakes explorative research based on a qualitative method. It adopts a place-based multi-stakeholder approach to emphasise the role of three categories of stakeholders (companies, educational system and regional governments) in facing digital changes. More precisely, interviews with 60 stakeholders from the Tyrol–Veneto macroregion were conducted and examined via both text mining analysis and content analysis. First, correspondence factor analysis was performed using IRaMuTeQ software to identify homogeneous subsets of concepts (pillars–i.e., macroareas of strategic actions). Second, two coding phases were implemented using NVivo software to detect strategic fields of action and specific strategic actions undertaken to address the challenges of digital transformation.

Findings

The results highlight that digital transformation is a pervasive challenge of regional innovative system that requires a multifaceted set of strategic actions falling into three main pillars. The first pillar, named “culture and skills”, includes three strategic fields of action as follows: digital education, talents and digital culture. The second pillar, named “infrastructures and technologies”, points out the need of information, interaction and artificial intelligence as key strategic fields of action. The third pillar, named “ecosystems”, highlights the importance of investing in medium- to long-term visions, partnerships and life quality. In brief, this study shows that standalone interventions are insufficient to tackle digital transformation from a systemic perspective. Moreover, this study outlines the potential contribution of each category of stakeholder to foster the digitalisation of the Tyrol–Veneto macroregion.

Practical implications

This study highlights the importance of developing digital culture and skills before investing in digital infrastructure and technology in a moderately innovative macroregion. Companies should alter their vision before reconfiguring their business models, invest in smart working and establish contacts with start-ups. In addition, this study recommends that public administration should mainly invest in digital education and partnerships, while, in terms of education and training organisations, it suggests providing digital skills to several cohorts of both students and workers. Policy implications call for the creation of new occasions of cooperation among stakeholders by fostering “table talks” as strategic and policy actions and by making more financial resources available to encourage the digital transformation processes.

Originality/value

The results of this study may be adapted to the characteristics of other regional innovative systems and used as a reference point in terms of the improvement of business, market and local development.

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Bernardo Nicoletti and Andrea Appolloni,

The logistics industry has undergone a tremendous transformation. This transformation is necessary to cope with the fundamental changes in customer expectations and the need for…

Abstract

Purpose

The logistics industry has undergone a tremendous transformation. This transformation is necessary to cope with the fundamental changes in customer expectations and the need for digitalization imposed by the pandemic, changes in the socioeconomic world, and innovative technology solutions. This paper aims to present digital transformation as an integrated framework for transforming the operating model and applying advanced solutions to the ecosystem of a quintile logistics (5PL) company. 5PL operators are typically an ecosystem. Loosely coupled or self-organized entities that collaborate in a symbiotic relationship represent this ecosystem. They aim to jointly develop capabilities, create innovative services or solutions, share knowledge, facilitate transactions, and leverage network synergies in a logistics environment to provide optimized or novel customer- or partner-centric solutions (Lamberjohann and Otto, 2020).

Design/methodology/approach

Currently, there is no single definition of an integrated logistics operations model in 5PL practice, so the qualitative method used in this paper allows for investigation from an exploratory perspective. The paper follows a qualitative research methodology, collecting and analyzing data/facts through interviews and visits to subject matter experts, industry practitioners, and academic researchers, combined with an extensive review of academic publications, industry reports, and written and media content from established organizations in the marketplace. This paper follows a qualitative research methodology, as it is an inquiry rather than a statistical study. The qualitative method allows the study of the concepts of phenomena and definitions, their characteristics, and the defining features that serve as the basis (Berg, 2007). It emphasizes generalized interpretation and deeper understanding of concepts, which would be more difficult in quantitative, statistically based research. Fact-finding was conducted in two ways: in-depth interviews with experts from academia, information and communication technology organizations, and key players in the logistics industry; and academic publications, industry reports, and written and media content from established national and international organizations in the market.

Findings

The operations model introduced considers six aspects: persons, processes, platforms, partners, protection and preservation. A virtual team approach can support the personal side of the 5PL ecosystem’s digital transformation. Managing a 5PL ecosystem should be based on collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment methods (Parsa et al., 2020). A digital platform can support trust among the stakeholders in the ecosystem. A blockchain solution can powerfully support the 5PL ecosystem from partner relationships’ points of view. The implementation of a cybersecurity reference model is important for protection (Bandari, 2023). Reverse logistics and an integrated approach support the preservation of the ecosystem.

Research limitations/implications

While the author has experience applying the different components of the operations model presented, it would be interesting to find a 5PL that would use all the components presented in an integrated way. The operations model presented applies to any similar ecosystem with minor adaptations.

Practical implications

This paper addresses operations models and digital transformation challenges for optimizing 5PL operators. It provides several opportunities and considerations for 5PL operators interested in improving their management and operations to cope with the growing challenges of today’s world.

Social implications

The competitiveness and long-term performance of 5PL operators depend on selecting and carefully implementing their operations models. This paper emphasizes the importance of using advanced operations models.

Originality/value

The operations model derives from the author’s personal experiences in research and the innovative application of these models to logistics operators (DHL, UPS, Poste Italiane and others). This paper brings together academic and industry perspectives and operations models in an integrated business digital transformation. This paper defines an original optimal operations model for a 5PL operator and can add sustainable value to organizations and society. In doing so, it outlines different solution requirements, the critical success factors and the challenges for solutions and brings logistical performance objectives when implementing a digital business transformation.

Details

Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5364

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 December 2023

Edwin Juma Omol

This article explores the emergence of organizational digital transformation in the rapidly advancing technological era. It discusses the origins, driving forces, strategies…

2598

Abstract

Purpose

This article explores the emergence of organizational digital transformation in the rapidly advancing technological era. It discusses the origins, driving forces, strategies, challenges and broader implications.

Design/methodology/approach

The article employs a scoping review methodology that synthesizes knowledge from the existing literature, research, case studies and other relevant sources.

Findings

The findings underscore the pivotal role that organizational digital transformation plays in an era of relentless technological advancement. Leadership, organizational culture and technological enablers are identified as crucial drivers of innovation and competitiveness within organizations. The article also emphasizes ethics as a crucial element of digital transformation, focusing in particular on concerns about data privacy and the morality of artificial intelligence. Additionally, the author talks about anticipated future trends that are anticipated to influence the future of digital transformation, such as the growing influence of artificial intelligence, the trend toward hyper-personalization and the emergence of quantum computing.

Research limitations/implications

The assessment has failed to provide recommendations for the actual implementation because it has mainly concentrated on conceptual and strategic aspects. Furthermore, it does not clearly define the criteria for choosing real-world examples, which limits the representation of the different industries, size ranges of organizations and outcomes associated with digital transformation.

Practical implications

The article stresses the significance of paying attention to the forces driving digital transformation while navigating ethical and societal concerns. In addition to highlighting the importance of anticipating future trends for strategic planning in the rapidly changing digital landscape, it emphasizes the advantages as incentives for organizations to invest in digital initiatives.

Social implications

The investigation demonstrates how technology contributes to progress while posing complex ethical and change management issues. In light of increased connectivity, data analytics and artificial intelligence, it highlights the crucial need for societal adaptability and highlights the crucial role that cooperative human–machine coexistence plays in responsible development and transformative societal evolution.

Originality/value

The article stands out because it examines organizational digital transformation in-depth while considering its historical roots, ethical implications and future prospects. It is a priceless contribution to the field because real-world case studies and a scoping review provide a distinctive viewpoint and a comprehensive view of the effects of digital transformation on organizations and society.

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2023

Magdalena Marczewska

Common availability of digital technologies encouraged companies in almost all industries to focus on exploring various ways of benefiting from their adoption and thus taking…

Abstract

Purpose

Common availability of digital technologies encouraged companies in almost all industries to focus on exploring various ways of benefiting from their adoption and thus taking steps toward their digital transformation. This paper aims to describe the digital transformation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as a challenging opportunity and identify ways in which companies from the food industry address it.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents empirical evidence based on a case study of the Polish freeze-drying market and companies operating on it. This study adopted a single case study research method to describe the digital transformation journey of SMEs. The sample constitutes a single sectoral case study with more than one unit of analysis – sixteen companies. The undertaken approach follows an embedded case study design and allows for an extensive and multidimensional analysis of rich empirical data.

Findings

The results of this analysis allowed to identify four significant trends describing human resources involvement in the digital transformation of freeze-drying companies in Poland (i.e. visionary top-down, cooperative task-oriented, persuasive bottom-up, chaotic), a detailed catalog of outcomes of digital transformation from the perspective of food industry companies grouped in seven categories and a list of main barriers to digital transformation.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to expanding knowledge on the practices of food industry companies in addressing challenges posed by the development of information technology and the dynamically changing environment after the COVID-19 pandemic. It contributes further to the discussion related to context-, industry- and country-specific barriers to digital transformation, identifying time-related constraints as an essential barrier to digital transformation.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2019

Claudia Pelletier and L. Martin Cloutier

Supported by a service ecosystem that is increasingly immersed into digital transformation, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to turnkey information…

3991

Abstract

Purpose

Supported by a service ecosystem that is increasingly immersed into digital transformation, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to turnkey information technology (IT) applications, which may come free of charge but not free of concerns. The purpose of this paper is to explore a group conceptualisation and associated perceptions of IT issues within an ecosystem that includes three subgroup profiles: entrepreneurs, IT professionals and socioeconomic support professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

Using group concept mapping, a bottom-up and participatory mixed methods-based approach, a concept map was estimated, based on a list of items, to define seven clusters pertaining to issues and challenges of adoption and use of turnkey IT applications in SMEs of less than 20 employees. Perceptions measures of relative importance and feasibility were obtained by subgroup profiles.

Findings

The relative importance and relative feasibility measures for the seven clusters indicate significant statistical differences in ratings among the subgroup profiles. A discussion on the importance of relational capital in addressing challenges of digital transformation in SMEs is developed.

Originality/value

Results highlight signifiant differences concerning key dimensions in the adoption and use of IT from the perspective of three subgroup profiles of actors within the ecosystem. First, the results stress the need to develop a shared understanding of IT challenges. Second, they suggest policymakers could use these conceptual representations to further develop and strengthen the IT-related support agenda for SMEs, especially the smaller ones (e.g. training programs, business support and coaching initiatives, etc.).

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 26 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 15 September 2022

Burcu Oralhan and Sevgi Sümerli Sarigül

Today, businesses, organizations and governments attach great importance to digital transformation to meet the needs of their customers, business partners, and employees to adapt…

Abstract

Today, businesses, organizations and governments attach great importance to digital transformation to meet the needs of their customers, business partners, and employees to adapt to the developing technology in recent years. Digital transformation, which is a challenging and mandatory process, has been and continues to be passed by institutions today. However, the successful management of this transformation without conflict can be realized by accurately detecting new communication technologies and examining, understanding, and implementing the transformation process in detail. This process will be painful, where radical changes will take place in the structure, processes, functions, and business models of the organization. Different challenges may be encountered in each of the startup, execution, and governance subprocesses examined in the digital transformation process. Many conflicts such as time and budget shortages, inadequate digital skills and lack of vision for digital customer processes, cybersecurity threats, human resource shortages, difficulty in managing technology, failure to achieve cloud structure integration, vision, and culture differences are the reasons why this process cannot be managed fluently and accurately. For businesses that focus on this goal, regardless of scale, digital transformation has become a necessity, not an alternative to choose. In this study, the digital transformation process and maturity model were discussed, and technological and digital conflicts were emphasized. It seeks to shed light on the work they will do by making recommendations for institutions to manage this process in the best way.

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