Author(s): Sarfraz Hussain, Alhareth M. Abu Hussein, Mahmoud H. Abu Joma
Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze the factors influencing the readiness of digital transformation implementation in the manufacturing enterprises.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research implemented a mixed approach throughout survey-based questionnaires and interviews in order to understand the barriers that could impact the readiness of manufacturing organizations for digital transformation. The research implemented a deductive approach since it will rely on previous studies and theories to validate the research hypotheses, and will follow the positivism philosophy to validate the hypotheses and will rely on both interviews and questionnaires to identify the effect of certain barriers on the readiness of organizations for digital transformation.
Findings: The most challenging barriers to the readiness for the implementation of digital transformation identified through the interviews and the questionnaire are the absence of skills, lack of empowering employees, business environment challenges, absence of external capacity building, absence of long-term philosophy, and lack of international market exposure.
Research Limitations/Implications: The qualitative research was limited to the small sample size and the few numbers of previous researches conducted in the industry and the country taking into consideration that the data and interviews had been collected during a financial crisis taking place and during a global pandemic which is the COVID 19.
Practical Implications: Other manufacturing companies can learn the barriers found during this research. They can assess their readiness and work on overcoming the barriers before the implementation in which the company can work on internal barriers and lobby for the external ones.
Originality/Value: This study is the first in conducting a research about the implementation of digital transformation in the manufacturing companies.