Why project success in manufacturing digitalization remains elusive: charting the way forward

Purpose There is substantial evidence that Industry 4.0-enabled manufacturing projects frequently encounter slow progress or failure due to organizational misalignment. This paper demonstrates the relevance of adopting a socio-technical approach when engaging in such projects. Design/methodology/approach A single embedded case study was conducted in a large wind turbine manufacturer, analyzing 42 digital manufacturing projects from 2018 to 2023 using interviews and surveys. A descriptive analysis identified patterns in successful projects, and hypotheses concerning relationships between variables were evaluated through regression analysis. In terms of theoretical conceptualization, the study adopts a socio-technical lens. Findings The study reveals relevant and targeted aspects for developing a socio-technical approach to guide the implementation of digital manufacturing projects. Our findings demonstrate that digital manufacturing projects exhibit diverse socio-technical configurations, each involving various social variables that contribute to project success. Through our proposed approach, we demonstrate how applying this framework can reveal patterns that drive project success. Originality/value This study represents one of the initial efforts to clarify an approach for evaluating diverse socio-technical project configurations by demonstrating it in a real-world context.