https://www.mdu.se/

Digital transformation is complicated in International Manufacturing Networks (IMNs), where factories are spread globally, and actions are interdependent. Adapting organizational structures is one way to handle the demands and expectations posed by digital transformation. However, research covering the adaptations to the IT organization is limited, and this paper's purpose is to explore adaptations of IT organizations within IMNs during digital transformation. A multiple case study was performed, studying two manufacturing companies’ adaptations of the IT organization. The result reveals three phases of adaptations of the IT organization: the foundation phase, the mapping phase, and the coordinating phase. The phases are accompanied by the setup of a new operational IT function that works with digital transformation in the IMNs. Also, the interfaces and collaboration between the operational IT function and the factories in the IMNs are identified. Lastly, it highlights remaining challenges with the adaptations of the IT organization that need further research. 

PurposeCoordination of digital transformation within globally dispersed factories belonging to international manufacturing networks (IMNs) is essential for competitiveness. This paper explores how digital transformation necessitates changes in the coordination of IMNs.Design/methodology/approachA case study is conducted with three Swedish manufacturing companies, thus adding to the limited empirical research covering the examined research field. Data analysis uses the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework.FindingsThe results highlight 15 digital transformation attributes linked by intermediate themes to 13 changes in the coordination of IMNs and provide concrete industry examples. Four major themes emerged as significant in the coordination of IMNs: increased speed of technology development and rollout, amplified emphasis on a global mindset, increased need to adapt the organizational structures to enable collaboration and a higher degree of uncertainty.Originality/valueAlthough coordination of IMNs is acknowledged as directly related to competitive advantage, the ways digital transformation necessitates changes in the coordination of IMNs have been missing in contemporary research. This research decreases this omission.

Digital transformation of production systems is a challenging task that demands radical responses from existing organizations. During the digital transformation of productions systems tensions occur that need to be managed and the purpose of this paper is to identify paradoxes in the digital transformation of production systems. Paradox theory has been applied as an analytical framework when identifying digital transformation paradoxes and tensions. A case study has been conducted and two manufacturing companies’ digitalization projects have been studied and analyzed in combination with data from workshops around digital transformation. The results were mapped into four types of paradoxes: organizing, performing, belonging, and learning. We conclude that the identified tensions are intertwined, and a major tension is the degree of standardization of technologies (standardization vs customization) and a more agile way of working (learning by doing vs learning before) doing is a trend within the digital transformation of production system. Our findings are relevant to operations managers and others interested in tensions during the digital transformation of production systems.

Implementation of VR into NPD processes requires a coordinated effort from within the manufacturing organization. However, the knowledge to carry this out successfully is still quite limited within research as well as within manufacturing organizations, leading to failed pilot projects and a waste of resources. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify barriers that inhibit VR implementation. A multiple case study has been carried out focusing on two VR implementation attempts within a single manufacturing site. The results identify four specific roles and their responsibilities within the VR implementation teams: Key driver, gatekeeper, key user, and general user. The results further identify the barriers experienced within the VR implementation attempts.

Factories within International Manufacturing Networks (IMNs) need coordination to harness globalization’s potential. Simultaneously, adding additional complexity, they seek to coordinate digital transformation across the IMNs, requiring a holistic view encompassing the organizational structure. The purpose of this paper is to identify how manufacturing companies adapt the organizational structures of their IMNs to coordinate digital transformation. Through a multiple case study of four manufacturing companies, the results show new or adapted functional units, roles and interfaces. The findings describe and exemplify global and local functional units, boundary spanner roles, and formal and informal interfaces created for coordinating digital transformation in IMNs.

In order to support manufacturing companies in their digital transformation, challenges and views of the term digital transformation need to be identified since digital transformation is considered a source of competitive advantages. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the challenges and differing views of digital transformation in the manufacturing industry. A case study was conducted in collaboration with four Swedish manufacturing companies. The results were then mapped into categories of three dimensions (people, process and technology), indicating that digital transformation can have different meanings within a company. We conclude that the term digitalisation is more frequently used in the manufacturing industry than digital transformation and identified challenges relate to lack of best practice for digital transformation, degree of standardisation and therefore affects the workload and limits the possibilities of transferring technical solutions between factories. Our findings are relevant to operations managers and other interested in digital transformation. 

Manufacturing companies have adapted to globalisation and collected their globally dispersed factories into factory networks, known as international manufacturing networks (IMNs). This requires coordination to access the associated competitive advantages, synchronise the factories, and exploit the capabilities inherent in those individual factories. However, when IMNs introduce digital transformation into the factories, the coordination is often hindered by uncertainty and complexity, as digital transformation requires an extensive adjustment that affects everything from the organisational structure to ways of working. Different parts of the network that are dependent on one another, for example, may be difficult to track and foresee the consequences of digital transformation. Hence, due to the respective challenges, complexities, and uncertainties, the coordination of digital transformation in IMN is paramount to examine. 

This licentiate thesis begins with exploring coordination mechanisms to increase the understanding of existing research and shape it into a comprehensive overview. Moreover, through case studies, this thesis explores the challenges in and enablers for coordinating digital transformation in IMNs. Altogether, the challenges and enablers are analysed within the dimensions and categories of coordination mechanisms, i.e., they are collected into an overview and described within the case study context. The most significant findings of this thesis are related to the organisational structure, which enables the coordination of digital transformation. However, plenty of challenges remain, foremost connected to the formalisation of the organisational structure, e.g., balancing the rules and guidelines for digital transformation but providing space for people performing the activities to explore and investigate digital technologies. 

This thesis further contributes to the existing body of research by untangling the complexity of coordination itself and, specifically, the coordination of digital transformation in IMNs, explicitly adding to the operations management field and the management of global operations. Practical contributions are also made, i.e., this thesis promotes practitioners’ increased understanding by providing specific examples and descriptions of the findings within their context. Based on the findings, this thesis offers multiple paths for future research, keeping in mind that coordination is not static but evolving, depending on the context in which it is performed. 

Extended Reality (XR) technologies, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), show promising usages and impacts in manufacturing, however integration of XR technologies in the product realization process is limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current approaches to integrating XR technologies into the product realization process as well as the accompanying challenges. A multiple case study has been conducted in the manufacturing industry, contributing with current approaches and associated challenges when integrating XR into the product realization process. Identifies 10 challenges and contributes to the importance of ownership and dedicated VR roles per manufacturing site.

Coordinating the digital transformation of globally dispersed factories within international manufacturing networks has become a critical issue for competitiveness, yet there has been limited attention paid to this issue in previous research. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to, from an organizational perspective, explore the challenges in coordinating the digital transformation in an international manufacturing network and the coping mechanisms to overcome those challenges. A case study is conducted in a manufacturing company within the heavy vehicle industry, thus contributing to the limited empirical research covering coordination of digital transformation. The data is analyzed through organizational structure and design theory, and the findings are mapped into four core dimensions: differentiation, integration, centralization, and formalization. The results show 15 challenges and 11 coping mechanisms for coordination of digital transformation in international manufacturing networks, identifying the significance of the coordination uncertainty within the formalization dimension that is particularly exposed to the changes induced by digital transformation. The findings include the need for a coordination-oriented organizational structure that incorporates how and where coordination can be actualized. The research implications contribute with new insights by providing a detailed description of the created organizational structure and, in contrast to previous research, focuses specifically on the coordination aspect of digital transformation in an international manufacturing network.