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Prioritizing Technology-Enabled Production Improvements in SMEs: An Interpretive Structural Model

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Production Processes and Product Evolution in the Age of Disruption (CARV 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering ((LNME))

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Abstract

Small and medium-sized manufacturers struggle to identify concrete opportunities for digitalization. This research focuses on identifying the most common technology-enabled production improvement opportunities and their contextual relationship through Interpretive Structural Modelling. The research is a qualitative multiple case study conducted in five Danish companies of between 30 and 150 employees. The paper finds that digitalizing dispatching processes and increasing the degree of automation in the material transformation processes should be the primary focus in early stages of SME digitalization. The findings provide indication how companies should prioritize improvement opportunity initiatives. The contribution to academia consists of making clear suggestions on how to proceed from digital maturity assessments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials and Production, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Sofie Kallehauge Larsen, Andreas Kornmaaler Hansen & Verena Stingl

  2. FORCE Technology, Hørsholm, Denmark

    Michele Colli

Authors
  1. Sofie Kallehauge Larsen
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  2. Michele Colli
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  3. Andreas Kornmaaler Hansen
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  4. Verena Stingl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sofie Kallehauge Larsen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Francesco Gabriele Galizia

  2. Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Marco Bortolini

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Kallehauge Larsen, S., Colli, M., Hansen, A.K., Stingl, V. (2023). Prioritizing Technology-Enabled Production Improvements in SMEs: An Interpretive Structural Model. In: Galizia, F.G., Bortolini, M. (eds) Production Processes and Product Evolution in the Age of Disruption. CARV 2023. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34821-1_35

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34821-1_35

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-34820-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-34821-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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