A Model for Challenges and Opportunities in the Implementation of Digitized Transforming Enablers in Manufacturing Industries

Abstract

Every manufacturing revolution is focused around boosting productivity. Impacted by the emerging area technologies, the manufacturing sector, globally, is on the wheels of Fourth Industrial Revolution. The umbrella keyword 'Digitized Transforming Enablers (DTE)', discussed in the study encompasses the digital technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution 'I4.0'. Literature has reported ample of opportunities, such as greater output capacity, production line flexibility, reduction of monotonous work, improved customer opinion of products as well as improved work-life balance for manufacturing firms, advancing towards these technological transformations. The flipside is challenges, related to lack of management commitment, employee involvement, technology standardization and financial constraints are delaying these transformations, especially in the case of small-medium enterprises (SMEs). The objective of this study was to overcome this limit by presenting a moderated mediation research model developed with the help of a theoretical background, based on descriptive and content analyses, while also describing the constructs selected and the hypotheses developed towards achieving DTE implementation. The proposed model ideates, regulatory support as a facilitator and environmental dynamism as a contextual factor, so as to explore as to how such contingency elements affects the impact of challenges and opportunities on DTE implementation.