Coordinating the digitalization process for existing production lines: Investigating phases and key activities for manufacturing firms

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of the study is to gain a deeper understanding of which activities are important for manufacturing organizations during the digitalization process of existing production lines. Method – The study has adopted a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews with company representatives with experience in digitalization from four different companies. The data gathered has been analyzed in conjunction with literature within the field to generate a thematic analysis that resulted in 26 first-order categories, 9 second-order themes and 3 aggregate dimensions. Findings – The analysis was able to identify various enabling activities that organizations with varying degree of digitalization experience utilized to facilitate the digitalization process for existing production. The activities were then divided into three different identified phases of the digitalization process: digital preparation, digital execution, and digital improvement cycle. With this, a framework with the different phases and activities has been developed to put the activities in relation to each other to understand how the digitalization process is connected. Theoretical contributions – The study contributes to the existing theory by providing a holistic view of the digitalization process for existing production lines. It broadens the perspective of what digitalization is and connects certain aspects of digitalization with change management. It finally extends on the notion of digital lighthouse and provides a framework for the activities that facilitate the entire process. Practical contributions – The study offers a practical framework that can aid managers and decision makers in understanding what activities they can work with to begin a digitalization initiative or complete an ongoing digitalization process. The study also highlights which prerequisites facilitate and have a positive effect on digitalization initiatives. Limitation and future research – The study was limited to focus on general activities that facilitate the digitalization process but does not discuss the technical aspects of the activities. The study has also been limited in the number of organizations and representatives it has been able to gather data from. Future research could therefore expand this framework and purpose to a wider range of organizations and delve into the technical aspects of digitalization in existing production lines.