Global trends such as the emergence of disruptive technologies, digitalization and accelerated product life cycles are driving massive changes in most areas of activity. The distribution channels are changing, profitability zones are shifting, and new players appear on the market. All these fundamentally change the balance of power in industries, significantly accelerating the introduction of new business models. Involvement in universal digitalization leads to changes in all spheres of activity. Many new companies have appeared, while leaders are those enterprises whose organizational and economic ties take into account the requirements of digital trends. (Krasyuk, et al., 2022, Rita, et al., 2021; Gheidar, Y., & ShamiZanjani, M.,2021).
Digital transformation is often considered a new epoch that dramatically changes how organizations develop, compete, and create value (Kotusev et al., 2020). Indeed, digital transformation not only strongly affects how people work (Sahut & Lissillour, 2023) and how organizations innovate (Lissillour & Sahut, 2022), but also emphasizes how all partners need to apply digital transformation at all levels and processes in supply chain management (Derrouiche et al., 2022). For example, supply chain operation need to make process and organizational changes with the implementation of technology (Benhayoun & Saikouk, 2022; Lesueur Cazé et al., 2022; Dumoutier et al., 2022).
Digital transformation is discussed by company executives, politicians and scientists. Some call this the fourth industrial revolution, whereas others offer a combined approach when considering a digital transformation strategy.
Owing to its crushing power, digital transformation has fallen into the focus of the business world. It is spoken about at CEO meetings, industry conferences, and annual reports. Recently, the Economist Intelligence Unit reported that the topic of digital transformation is at the top of the agenda at board meetings with 40% of CEOs. However, leaders interpret this concept in different ways. Leaders focused on digital transformation understand that their companies will have to change for survival. In addition, they are proactive in this process.
Existing reviews of the digital transformation literature on industrial enterprises, as well as the digital transformation strategy itself, highlight the significance of organizational change and restructuring under the influence of technological progression. However, despite the importance of this topic, academic research still lacks a sound understanding of how advances in digital technology contribute to reorganization and changes in the production and economic system of enterprise management.
The development of scientific theories in the socioeconomic sphere and the dynamism of economic ties in the era of the formation of the digital economy led to the need to study the theory and practice of the digital transformation of an enterprise.
According to business process management theory, unreasonable design and integration lead to duplication and waste in strategy implementation. Business process management involves developing a strategy using technical solutions and regulating the organizational structure and the work of the organization’s personnel. In this context, business process management and organizational dysfunction may jointly explain the mismatch between the design and planning process of digital transformation within an organization.
Thus, this study aims to understand the gaps in enterprise digital transformation planning processes, thereby ensuring a more effective integration of digital transformation processes and enterprise strategic planning.
Therefore, this article focuses on answering the following two research questions:
RQ1: What is the most suitable digital business model for digital transformation?
RQ2: How can enterprises integrate their digital transformation strategy more effectively as they implement their roadmap?
The purpose of the article is to substantiate the feasibility and scientific correctness of using the strategy for the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise concept as an object of economic and management research.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the tasks as following tasks:
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to form the author's definition of "digital transformation of an industrial enterprise" from the point of view of the development of the digital economy of transformation of the internal environment, enterprise management;
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describe the characteristics of the main elements of the digital transformation of the industrial enterprise;
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present the methodology and describe business models based on adaptation to the challenges of digital transformation: show intermediate results;
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justify the possibility of digital transformation of an industrial enterprise;
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present the stages of the development of a strategy for the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise, and describe the main stages of the implementation of the roadmap;
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offer practical recommendations for the implementation of the strategy of digital transformation of an industrial enterprise.
Theoretical background
An analysis of the literature has shown that scientists both abroad and in Russia are engaged in solving the issues of the digital transformation of enterprises and the strategy itself.
However, despite the research conducted on the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise, there are unresolved issues – these are the enterprises themselves, and their readiness to carry out digital transformation. If digital technologies are already available in Russia, then there are problems with the development of strategy, business models and organizational opportunity. Moreover, the absence of at least one component makes digital transformation of the enterprise impossible.
Systematization and generalization of existing views in theory and practice on the essence and content of the digital transformation of an enterprise.
Next, let us move on to systematizing the concept of the "digital transformation of an industrial enterprise."
Currently, this concept of the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise is being considered by various scientists and experts in the field.
Currently, there is no single understanding of the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise. The term "digital transformation of the enterprise" can be applied not only to the enterprise but also to the industry, the state, etc.
Therefore, according to the authors, T. A. Gileva, A. V. Babkin, and G. A. Gilev, the strategy for the development of a modern enterprise, which essentially becomes a strategy for digital transformation, should takeconsider the changes associated with the spread of business ecosystems and use them to strengthen their competitive advantages (Gileva, et al., 2020).
Therefore, the team of scientists Babkin A.V., Burkaltseva D.D., Kosten D.G., Vorobyov Yu.N. consider the term "digital transformation" refers to a type of economy that is based on the practical use of new digital technologies for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting information, this type of economy involves a complex system of socioeconomic and organizational and technical relations, including many elements (Babkin et al., 2017).
Furthermore, according to the team of authors of the textbook "Digital Management", Yu.V. Lyandau, V.V. Maslennikova, I.A. Kalinina, E.V. Popova, and E.S. Biryukova, this definition of "digital transformation of the enterprise" is investigated from the standpoint of the organizational structure of the enterprise. In their opinion, this definition has a fundamental difference, which consists of the transition of the hierarchical structure into the digital organizational structure of management and consists of the end-to-end use of digital technologies to ensure the effective interaction of the subject and the object of management, ranging from production personnel and line managers to the board of directors in the company or the management of the ecosystem as a whole. In general, they propose considering economic activities carried out in a single information space based on digital technologies that combine all the necessary resources for a software-controlled life cycle of creating values (goods, works, services) via digital twins, internet things, big data analysis, and blockchain technologies (Lyandau, et al., 2022).
Digital organizational management structures do not completely cancel the hierarchy but radically change the principles and work of their participants, who are connected to the digital platform.
Therefore, M.B. Fleck, E.A. Ugnich proposed considering the term "digital transformation of the enterprise" on the basis of process, industry and technological approaches (Fleck, & Ugnich, 2020).
In our opinion, from the point of view of organizational structure management, the process approach to management during the digital transformation of the enterprise is fundamental, because it is based on the allocation of business processes of related works or procedures that together implement a specific goal of the current economic activity within the framework of the existing organizational structure of the industrial enterprise (Tashkinov, 2024)
According to E.Yu. Sidorova, the "digital transformation of the enterprise" should include the main elements that make it possible to successfully implement projects to optimize business processes and digital transformation. The author proposes to first determine the goals of digital transformation, the object and subject, strategy and path, develop a "roadmap, "determine barriers, and rationally approach the implementation of the digital transformation strategy and roadmap (Sidorova, 2023).
According to N.S. Zinchik, O.V. Kadyrova, Yu.I. Rostova, the "digital transformation of the enterprise", should consider lean production projects aimed at optimizing business processes via digital technologies that combine work with processes and people (Zinchik, et al., 2023).
Therefore, the authors: Yu. V. Zabaykin, Yu. S. Kapitonova, and M.F. Kharlamov offered their own view of this term. In their opinion, "the digital transformation of the enterprise is a complex process of transformation based on the use of digital technologies, - it involves a fundamental rethinking of how the organization works and how it interacts with the environment” (Zabaykin, et al., 2023).
Note that the above authors propose distinguishing between the concept of "digital transformation of an enterprise" and "digitalization of an enterprise," which is most often identified, and by digitalization in the future to understand the socioeconomics process of preliminary digital transformation and forms its basis, the essence of which is to restructure and transform communication channels around the digital technologies used (settings of the so-called digital interaction).
The team of foreign authors, including Germán Frank, Lucas Santos Dalenogare, and Néstor Fabián Ayala, propose considering the "digital transformation of the enterprise" as a concept of smart production, which involves integrating the life cycle of the product with all the activities of the supply chain plant,- and production processes with a mandatory change in the way people work (Dalenogare, et al., 2019).
Considering the internal environment of an enterprise, let us focus on understanding digital transformation (DT) in relation to the enterprise. However, even in this case, digital transformation can be viewed from different positions and, accordingly, give it different meanings. Thus, engineers and developers see in digital transformation the technologies on which the production process is based, - business consultants believe that the center of digital transformation is not technology, but rather a rethink of the company's strategy. HR professionals see the challenge of digital transformation in recruiting with a new mindset and understanding of the digital business.
Notably, the process of digital transformation covered most of the world, but the very concept and data on the quantitative indicators of the digital economy remain limited, as indicated by the English researchers Bukht R. and Hicks R. (Bukht & Hicks, 2018).
Since the object of our research is an industrial enterprise, the author is invited to consider the concept of "digital transformation of the enterprise" from the point of view of the development of the digital economy of the internal environment, i.e., enterprise management. In the process of creating an internal environment, the management of the enterprise has an impact on the main production processes during the production of products, and auxiliary and service processes that produce and sell products.
At the present stage, the enterprise activity is impossible without the organization of information unity, which is determined by the commonality of information flows supporting the processes of production and financial and economic management (Kapulin, et al., 2022).
As a rule, the structure of an industrial enterprise is the composition and ratio of subsystems included in it, allocated according to the criteria of organizational, production and management processes (Babkin, 2013).
Accordingly, the organizational structure of production and management can be distinguished. The first includes functional units such as main workshops, design production areas, design bureaus, and chemical laboratories. The second includes services, departments and other divisions of the control apparatus, the relationships between which are maintained due to functional connections, which are usually divided into horizontal and vertical connections. The structural units here include the Organizational and Administrative Department, the Planning and Economic Department, the Production and Dispatch Department, the Coordination and Methodological Center for the Implementation of the Digital Economy, Information Technology Management, the Technical Development Department, the Financial Department, the Main Accounting Department, the Personnel and Technical Training Department, etc. The structure of the enterprise is established on the basis of the volume and content of the tasks it solves, the orientation and intensity, the existing information and documentation flows, taking into account its organizational and material capabilities. Of course, the conditions for the formation of a digital economy and the solution to the task of increasing efficiency under these conditions cannot affect but affect the structure of the enterprise. These conditions fundamentally indicate new general metodological approaches for enterprises when preparing production and mastering new high-tech products when using information technologies with personnel involvement.
It follows that an enterprise, when it realizes that there is a need for the transition of digital transformation, then its organizational structure and all the connections of functional units begin to be rebuilt under the new requirements of the external and internal environment, and, hence, the inevitability of the transformation process, i.e., established thinking, into its updated "digital thinking."
For established businesses, this requires a shift from product thinking to software thinking. Traditionally, enterprises think linearly with a clear start and end to product development. On the other hand, software development and management are continuous and constantly evolving, adding new functionality and making changes in response to customer, business, and market demands. This allows you to react more quickly to the speed and scale of changing consumer expectations. Digital transformation is akin to permanent change, a voluntary regime that recognizes transformation not as a one-time effort but as an ongoing commitment to adapt to changing customer needs and changing industry demands.
Digital thinking refers to a set of attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that allow people to understand the opportunities and risks associated with digital technologies and apply such technologies in their daily lives.
It follows that in order to move from product thinking to software thinking, businesses must use digital thinking as a strategic opportunity to invest and make a profit.
According to A.I. Borovkov, the digital industry overcomes many restrictions, and increases productivity, quality and safety. However, this requires significant investment and an increase in the level of competence of engineering personnel with new thinking technology, who are able to avoid problems at the initial stage. At the same time, practice shows that not all companies in Russia are yet ready for digitalization (Borovkov, 2019).
The structure of the industrial enterprise itself is changed within the following functional units:
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process unit - creation of unified automated product life cycle management systems, process control systems of flexible production systems, divided into modules of process chains, production areas, etc.;
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Transfer to a single digital space of departments of design, technical documentation, technological preparation of production, standardization, information, etc.;
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financial and economic unit - bringing to a uniform system of accounting, management accounting, accounting and provision of stock rationing: transfer to a single digital space of activities of departments (departments): planning and economic, financial, accounting, and chancellery
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digital economy unit - creation and technical support of a single information space of production design and technological preparation systems and support of the product life cycle in order to reduce production time and improve product quality;
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Ensuring the introduction of new types of software in the automated design of technological processes, the compatibility of technologies developed in electronic form and the expansion of the methods used for all types of production;
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Introduction of new business processes and digitalization of existing business processes of the enterprise in a single information space;
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Support of directions for development of the production system through methodological support;
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implementation of the system for submitting and implementing kaizen proposals for improvements;
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coordination of work, monitoring of the implementation of key performance indicators;
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application of lean manufacturing methodology to improve the efficiency of IT services.
Transformability is a decisive factor in success in modern production. Only enterprises that can quickly adapt their structure and have operational processes for planning and implementing changes can successfully develop and compete in the context of increasing market dynamics (Rodionova, et al., 2022).
In summary, the key changes in the various management elements of an industrial enterprise, due to the formation of the digital economy, are presented in Table 1 (Tashkinov, 2023).
Table 1
Elements of industrial enterprise management determined by the emergence of the digital economy and the transition of enterprises to digital transformation
Enterprise Controls
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Key features of the digital economy
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Organizational structure of the enterprise
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- implementation of organizational changes in key functional units;
- creation of the Coordination and Methodological Center for the Implementation of the Digital Economy, information technology management, taking into account the implementation of digital solutions, services;
- building feedback with all structural subdivisions
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Organizational and technical characteristics of the enterprise
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- the need to form new business models of technology and data management;
- decentralization when making and implementing management decisions is carried out on the basis of delegation of relevant powers;
- application of digital technologies in the main production processes.
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Unused resources, reserves
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- key resources - information, knowledge, personnel;
- unused personnel involved in the submission and implementation of kaizen improvement proposals
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The abovementioned elements of industrial enterprise management and key features increase opportunities for improving the efficiency of industrial enterprises, which leads to large-scale changes in the work of structural units in the context of the digital transformation of enterprises.
Considering this provision, let us move on to describing the main elements that reveal the content of the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise.
The main elements that reveal the content of the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise are the goal, object, subject and approaches to its implementation. Table 2 describes the main elements of the enterprise's digital transformation (Tashkinov, 2023).
Table 2
Characteristics of the main elements digital transformation of an industrial enterprise
Main elements
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Contents
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Purpose
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Efficient development of the production and economic system based on digital technologies with personnel involvement
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Object
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Enterprise that realigns and transforms the concept by translating the system into a digital space
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Subject
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Unity of processes of introduction of transforming digital technologies, organization of interaction of all participants of digital transformation processes
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Campaigns for implementation
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System, Process, Design
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Considering the above table, we define enterprise management from the point of view of enterprise management in the process of digital transformation.
The digital transformation of an industrial enterprise is a qualitative improvement in production and business processes by introducing modern concepts of enterprise management, as well as adapting existing and customized business models in the modern digital economy, which allows one to change the established thinking, and make its transition to the updated "digital thinking" of personnel and transform the culture of the organization.
On this basis, the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise affects not new technologies, but rather the transformation of "digital thinking" and culture in the organization to a greater extent. In this case, from the point of view of digital transformation, organizational culture becomes significant and important.
Companies embarking on DT should assess and reconsider their corporate culture from the beginning (Çetin Gurkan & Çiftci, 2020; Fichter, 2019; Hartl & Hess, 2017), -; thus, companies often spend considerable effort on transforming the business culture into digital culture.
The advancement of information technologies has led to a number of qualitative changes in public relations, which have stimulated the development of informal ties between various participants in the business environment and also significantly transformed relationships among the companies themselves, their corporate environment and their culture (Kazakov et al., 2020; Adamidesand Karacapilidis,2020; DeReuveret al.,2018).
This is typically characterized by a high level of creativity, equality, flexibility, openness, willingness to learn and digital savviness (Kaufman & Horton, 2014; Veile et al., 2020). It stimulates innovation, and the use of digital technologies, and is the key to achieving the necessary agility (Fischer et al., 2020; Imgrund et al., 2018). This is crucial because one of the main causes of poor DT performance is the lack of the right culture that embraces digitalization (Hartl & Hess, 2017; Silverio-Fern andez, Renukappa, & Suresh, 2021; Wade & Shan, 2020).
Notably, this term is a very important feature. The digital transformation of the enterprise is based on the introduction and application of digital technologies, which is an additional competitive advantage, since the digital transformation of the enterprise is carried out precisely through digital technologies with the involvement of personnel.
If determined canonically, then the digital transformation of an enterprise is the transformation of the production-economic system of enterprise management by revising the strategy, models, operations, products, project approach and goals through the introduction, development and implementation of digital innovations. It is designed to accelerate production and labor productivity growth.
Thus, the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise involves the development of standardized works/services on the basis of the digitization and digital modernization of existing business processes. This allows enterprises to expand their competitive advantages, promote joint and open innovation, and improve the effectiveness of digital transformation projects. Using accumulated data, the digital transformation of enterprises has led to a shift in the paradigm of innovation, the emergence of competitive advantages and the strengthening of independent innovative opportunities. Owing to digital technologies such as big data, the internet and artificial intelligence, enterprises can quickly and comprehensively receive important information such as market demand, technological advances and new opportunities for the effective development of the production-economic system.