Recent advances in digital technologies hold immense potential for helping companies overcome decreasing levels of productivity; a significant mounting challenge for U.K. manufacturing. Whilst technology is part of the solution, its successful adoption and implementation relies on a number of social elements that organizations need to identify and address.
We partner with an industry partner in an approved ESRC IAA-project to support them in their move towards an “Equipment-as-a-Service” business model, with a motivation to use insights gained to theorize this change process. For this, we analyze internal company documents and conduct observations, interviews, and focus groups with managers, employees, and their network.
Our findings will provide impact for the partner company's practice, strategic management and organization theory, and ideally provide policy recommendations for supporting the digitalization of UK manufacturing.