Sustainable digital transformation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs): A review on performance

Role of smart technologies for implementing industry 4.0 environment in product lifetime extension towards circular economy: A qualitative research

“…Considering the few studies dealing with the impact of I4.0 technologies on the durability of objects, this research is exploratory and descriptive since it seeks to understand a phenomenon and reveal all of its particularities [ 39 ]. Furthermore, we focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because not only do they constitute the vast bulk of jobs and account for the majority of economic activity in most countries, but since they are smaller, they often lack the full-fledged resources required to roll out complete digital transformation [ 21 ]. As such, SMEs constitute a very relevant and conservative study case because they represent the average business network of a nation, and their perspective is thus more easily transferable across different contexts and settings [ 21 ].…”

“…Furthermore, we focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because not only do they constitute the vast bulk of jobs and account for the majority of economic activity in most countries, but since they are smaller, they often lack the full-fledged resources required to roll out complete digital transformation [ 21 ]. As such, SMEs constitute a very relevant and conservative study case because they represent the average business network of a nation, and their perspective is thus more easily transferable across different contexts and settings [ 21 ]. Therefore, an exploratory qualitative methodology is chosen to study SMEs using 4.0 technologies in developing or producing their products.…”

“…For example [ 14 ], explored smart product-service systems in the healthcare industry. Furthermore, earlier studies focused on the connection between sustainability and particular technologies, such as large-scale data analytics [ 15 ] or 3D printing [ 16 , 17 ] in isolation or investigated the broader concepts of synergies between I4.0 and circular economy [e.g., [ 18 ]], I4.0 and sustainability [ 19 ], I4.0 and environmental management [e.g., [ 20 ]], or the sustainable digital transformation [ 21 ], with only partial or uncomplete narrowing down to the opportunities for increased product lifetime. Hence, applicability to PLE remains insufficiently covered in the literature.…”

Quantifying Digital Transformation Impact on Customer Service Automation in SMEs Using Knowledge Management Approach

“…Table 14 shows the factor matrix resulting from the feature examination is presented in the table. The values in the matrix represent the factor loadings for each variable (KM, CS, CE, ECL, KS, CSA, DT, US, CF, JS, CC) on the identified factors (1,2,3,4,5,6). Factor loadings indicate the power and path of the association among variables and factors.…”

“…In the everevolving landscape of business, the control of DT on customer service and the ability to predict open innovation patterns hold paramount significance, especially for SMEs [4]. This study embarks on a comprehensive exploration, aiming to quantify the profound influence of DT on customer service automation within the context of SMEs [5]. The intricate interplay between technological advancements and customer service practices necessitates a nuanced understanding, prompting the adoption of a hybrid approach that amalgamates various methodologies for a holistic assessment [6].…”