动态能力视角下制造企业数字化转型路径——基于步科公司的案例研究

Digital Transformation Path of ManufacturingEnterprises from the Perspective of DynamicCapabilities─Based on the Case Study of Kinco

加快制造业数字化转型是当前我国的重大发展战略,本文采用扎根理论编码方法对一家制造企业展开纵向案例研究,试图打开制造企业数字化转型过程的数字能力"黑箱"。研究发现:(1)制造企业的数字化转型需要构建的动态能力包括数字感知能力、数字获取能力和数字转化能力,并进一步细化为七个子能力;(2)数字获取能力是数字化转型过程中的关键能力,只有实现数据可采集,连通不同业务场景的数字化,实现数据的协同,数据才具有穿透力,从而发现生产过程中的"瓶颈";(3)制造端触发的数字化转型影响,显性且短期可实现的是供应链效率的提升,其中改善生产过程的触发机制发生显著变化,由此引发管理模式革新和商业模式创新。研究揭示了数字工厂建设过程中动态能力变化与重构的内在机理,拓展和丰富了数字时代企业动态能力的理论情境和内涵。

With the development of digital technology,a new wave of industrial revolution is taking place,and the digital technology system formed by digital infrastructure,digital platforms and digital artifacts has continuously strengthened the traction of the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry.As high-level capability,dynamic capability can help companies cope with rapid technological and market changes.However,prior studies pays little attention to the change and reshaping mechanism of capabilities in the process of digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises,and research on basic theoretical issues such as the definition and the dimensions of dynamic capability in the digital age remains less explored.Therefore,drawing onthe dynamic capability perspective,we selected Kinco Automation Co.,Ltd.as the subject of our single case study and collected first-hand and second-hand data through interviews and other methods.We then used grounded theory coding method to conduct bottom-up coding analysis.We finally discussed the dynamic capabilities that manufacturing companies should build in the digital age and how to build them,and further revealed the changes and reconstruction mechanisms of dynamic capabilities in digital transformation.First of all,we find that the digital transformation process of Kinco is a process of building dynamic capabilities,starting with digital sensing capability,which are specifically divided into external environmental insight capability and internal management evaluation capability.Environmental insight capability is a prerequisite for digital transformation,and management evaluation capability accelerates the process of digital transformation;digital seizing capability is a key capability in the process of digital transformation.Only when data can be collected and connected,and data collaboration is realized,data can have penetrating power,and the“bottleneck”in the production process can be discovered;digital transforming capability is a dynamic feature of capability internalization,including employee empowerment and technology empowerment.The work behavior,authority and value of employees have changed.The manufacturing process is supported by digital technology to achieve on-demand production scheduling,flexible manufacturing and lean production.Secondly,the obvious and short-term realization of digital transformation for manufacturing companies is the improvement of supply chain efficiency,which is manifested in the improvement of production efficiency and the maximization of resource utilization,and the trigger mechanism of the production improvement process has changed.Then there is a change in the management paradigm,which is reflected in the change of the concepts of human resource management and quality management.The long-term and potential impact is the innovation of the business model of manufacturing companies,manifested in establishing new businesses,proposing new value propositions,and building a digital manufacturing ecosystem.This paper not only focuses on the dynamic capability itself,but also explores the constructs and even sub-constructions of it.At the same time,it emphasizes the shaping of“digital capability”,and builds a one-way flow path framework for digital sensing capability,digital seizing capability,and digital transforming capability.With the continuous flow of capabilities,capabilities achieve high-level transformation and become capabilities that other companies are difficult to imitate,enriching the research on“digital capability”.In terms of practical implications,this paper points out that digital transformation is not only the application of digital technology to improve the efficiency of business activities,but more importantly,the data empowerment generated by the in-depth integration of digital technology,business processes and business scenarios.This suggests that companies should grasp the key path:i.e.,from digital sensing capability to digital seizing capability and then to digital transforming capability.Despite all the contributions,this study hasseveral limitations.Firstly,due to the use of case study methods,the generalizability of the conclusions needs to be verified.On the one hand,the case company is in the automation industry.This type of industry has advantages in business scenarios and is easier to trigger digital transformation.On the other hand,The model in this paper matches the digital trigger scenario on the M(manufacturing)side,and the digital trigger scenario on the C(customer)side has differences in the specific content of digital seizing capability and digital transforming capability.Therefore,future studies can compare across multiple cases whileanalyzing specific cases.Secondly,the dynamic capability path proposed in this research is only one of the evolution paths,not the only path.Future research can test and extend the validity of the research conclusions through dynamic simulation and other methods.