TY - JOUR
T1 - Is digital transformation equally attractive to all manufacturers? Contextualizing the operational and customer benefits of Smart Manufacturing
AU - Opazo-Basáez, Marco
AU - Vendrell-Herrero, Ferran
AU - Bustinza, Oscar F.
AU - Vaillant, Yancy
AU - Marić, Josip
N1 - Funding Information:
This research has been supported by Governments of Spain and Andalusia (Research Project A-SEJ-196-UGR20).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
PY - 2023/6/29
Y1 - 2023/6/29
N2 - Purpose: The implementation of Smart Manufacturing (SM) is deemed a key enabler in the enhancement of manufacturing competitiveness and performance. Nevertheless, SM's repercussion on consumer perceptions and the contextualization of SM's performance-enhancement effects remain undetermined and have yet to be clarified. This study analyzes the effect of SM on operational and customer performance. Moreover, this study explores how these relationships change depending on a firm's geography of production (i.e. national/local vs transnational operations) and the relational arrangement adopted (i.e. service-oriented vs transaction-oriented manufacturers). Design/methodology/approach: This research surveys 351 Spanish manufacturing firms operating in an SM environment. The theoretical framework comprises a Multiple-Indicators Multiple-Causes (MIMIC) model and is tested using a Generalized Structural Equations Model. Findings: The results obtained substantiate the positive effect of SM implementation on both of the performance measures analyzed (i.e. operational and customer focused). Moreover, the study reveals that while geography of production moderates the effect on a firm's operational performance, relational arrangement also does so in terms of customer performance. Originality/value: This research clearly differentiates the benefits of SM depending on business context. In this regard, transnational production firms tend to gain in operational performance while service-oriented manufacturers gain in customer performance.
AB - Purpose: The implementation of Smart Manufacturing (SM) is deemed a key enabler in the enhancement of manufacturing competitiveness and performance. Nevertheless, SM's repercussion on consumer perceptions and the contextualization of SM's performance-enhancement effects remain undetermined and have yet to be clarified. This study analyzes the effect of SM on operational and customer performance. Moreover, this study explores how these relationships change depending on a firm's geography of production (i.e. national/local vs transnational operations) and the relational arrangement adopted (i.e. service-oriented vs transaction-oriented manufacturers). Design/methodology/approach: This research surveys 351 Spanish manufacturing firms operating in an SM environment. The theoretical framework comprises a Multiple-Indicators Multiple-Causes (MIMIC) model and is tested using a Generalized Structural Equations Model. Findings: The results obtained substantiate the positive effect of SM implementation on both of the performance measures analyzed (i.e. operational and customer focused). Moreover, the study reveals that while geography of production moderates the effect on a firm's operational performance, relational arrangement also does so in terms of customer performance. Originality/value: This research clearly differentiates the benefits of SM depending on business context. In this regard, transnational production firms tend to gain in operational performance while service-oriented manufacturers gain in customer performance.
KW - digital transformation
KW - smart manufacturing
KW - supply chain structure
KW - relational arrangement
KW - servitization
KW - business performance
U2 - 10.1108/IJPDLM-12-2021-0538
DO - 10.1108/IJPDLM-12-2021-0538
M3 - Article
SN - 0960-0035
VL - 53
SP - 489
EP - 511
JO - International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
JF - International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
IS - 4
ER -