Drivers of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Abstract

Digital transformation is one of the most current topics for the manufacturing industry. This transfor-mation affects the operational value creation process, enables new ways of doing business and leads to fun-damental changes in organizations. However, the implementation of new digital technologies, as well as the realization of these changes, still face many difficulties. It is important to understand organizational and individual adoption processes. Which drivers push the adoption of digital technologies in manufacturing? We used a qualitative research approach to gain in-depth insights from interviews with 16 participants. For digital transformation in manufacturing, we identified 12 drivers as well as perceived or expected advantages that arise with the technology use. Companies are mainly motivated by the goal of process improvement and demands communicated by their customers. We aim to strengthen the understanding of the whole disruptive and vast changing processes which are ongoing in manufacturing.