How Small Manufacturers Actually Pull Off Digital Transformation
A three-year study of a manufacturing SME reveals how management teams can turn digital strategy from a buzzword into real operational change. The research shows that strategy execution—not strategy alone—determines which factories modernize successfully and which fall behind in an increasingly digital supply chain.
Originaltitel: Developing and Executing a Digital Strategy in a Manufacturing SME – Reports from an Extensive Case Study
<p>In this paper, we report the findings from an extensive case study in a manufacturing SME. We have followed their strategic work and organizational development since Autumn 2022 and we are continuously monitoring and investigating their digital transformation endeavour, with a particular interest in the importance of a digital strategy and how the management group is executing the digital strategy. In addition, we also account for the development activities they have initiated and how they use the strategy as a beacon for e.g., prioritizations activities and resource, as well as subsequent fundamental changes they implemented in their value creating and supportive processes. The case study includes a rich empirical material, originating from many site visits, where more than 25 interviews have been conducted alongside many meetings/workshops with the board and management group, detailed studies of strategic documents, product portfolios and Gemba walks. The paper also relates our findings and contextualizes findings from our case study to a set of important strategic management capabilities being identified as part of the work process. Finally, we also discuss some lessons learned in relation to the actual implementation of the digital strategy and their strategic management capabilities as well as propose some ideas for future work, including the importance of considering the internal tensions caused by the digital transformation endeavour and manifested via the digital strategy.</p>