Short answer
Before embarking on digital retrofitting, utilize a structured assessment model to understand your organization's maturity level and identify the most impactful areas for technological integration.
- Field
- Commercial Production
- Source
- International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (2025)
- Method
- Survey-based model development and validation
- Sample
- 32 SMMEs (pilot study), 18 industry practitioners (content validity)
- Evidence
- Strong effect
A structured assessment model can guide Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs) in strategically integrating Industry 4.0 technologies into their existing legacy systems. This commercial production research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management. Using Survey-based model development and validation with 32 SMMEs (pilot study), 18 industry practitioners (content validity), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Before embarking on digital retrofitting, utilize a structured assessment model to understand your organization's maturity level and identify the most impactful areas for technological integration.
Maturity Model for Digital Retrofitting of Legacy Manufacturing Systems
A structured assessment model can guide Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs) in strategically integrating Industry 4.0 technologies into their existing legacy systems.
International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management · 2025
Key Findings
- 01A four-level maturity classification for digital transformation in manufacturing was established.
- 02The assessment model effectively evaluates an organization's readiness for digital retrofitting across strategic, workforce, factory, and process dimensions.
- 03Tailored recommendations can be generated based on the assessed maturity level.
Application
Design takeaway
Before embarking on digital retrofitting, utilize a structured assessment model to understand your organization's maturity level and identify the most impactful areas for technological integration.
How to apply
Use the four dimensions (Strategy and Organization, Development of the Workforce, Smart Factory, and Smart Process) as a checklist to evaluate the digital readiness of any legacy manufacturing system.
Project actions
- 01When designing a system upgrade, consider creating a pre-assessment phase to gauge current capabilities.
- 02Think about how to categorize different levels of technological integration for your product or service.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Comprehensive assessment framework covering multiple facets of digital readiness.
- +Validation through industry practitioners and a pilot study enhances credibility.
Limitations
The specific items within the assessment model might need adaptation for different types of legacy systems or industries not covered in the pilot study.
Reliability & validity
Content validity was assessed by industry practitioners, and a pilot study with SMMEs was conducted to test the model's applicability and refine its components.
Think critically
How might the 'readiness' for digital retrofitting differ significantly between a highly automated legacy system and a more manual one, and how could the assessment model account for such disparities?
Design Principles
"Systematic assessment precedes strategic implementation for effective technological adoption."
For businesses relying on older manufacturing equipment, understanding their readiness for digital transformation is key to efficient and effective upgrades. This model provides a framework to identify gaps and prioritize retrofitting efforts, ensuring investments align with strategic goals and technological capabilities.
What This Means for Your Design
This study created a tool (like a checklist or questionnaire) to help small and medium-sized factories figure out how ready they are to upgrade their old machines with new digital technology, making them more efficient and competitive.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this model when justifying the need for a phased approach to system upgrades in your design project.
- 2.Use the assessment dimensions to inform your user research or system analysis.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The development of a maturity model for digital retrofitting, as proposed by Alqoud et al. (2025), highlights the importance of a structured assessment framework for guiding the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into legacy manufacturing systems. This approach is valuable for design projects aiming to upgrade or replace existing infrastructure, as it provides a systematic method for evaluating readiness and prioritizing interventions across strategic, workforce, factory, and process dimensions.
Source
International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management
Self-Assessment Model for Digital Retrofitting of Legacy Manufacturing Systems in the Context of Industry 4.0
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about maturity model for digital retrofitting of legacy manufacturing systems?
- Before embarking on digital retrofitting, utilize a structured assessment model to understand your organization's maturity level and identify the most impactful areas for technological integration. Evidence: International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (2025).
- Why does "Maturity Model for Digital Retrofitting of Legacy Manufacturing Systems" matter for design?
- For businesses relying on older manufacturing equipment, understanding their readiness for digital transformation is key to efficient and effective upgrades. This model provides a framework to identify gaps and prioritize retrofitting efforts, ensuring investments align with strategic goals and technological capabilities.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Before embarking on digital retrofitting, utilize a structured assessment model to understand your organization's maturity level and identify the most impactful areas for technological integration.
- What were the main findings?
- A four-level maturity classification for digital transformation in manufacturing was established.. The assessment model effectively evaluates an organization's readiness for digital retrofitting across strategic, workforce, factory, and process dimensions.. Tailored recommendations can be generated based on the assessed maturity level.
- What research method was used?
- Survey-based model development and validation with 32 SMMEs (pilot study), 18 industry practitioners (content validity).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Use the four dimensions (Strategy and Organization, Development of the Workforce, Smart Factory, and Smart Process) as a checklist to evaluate the digital readiness of any legacy manufacturing system.
- What are the limitations?
- The model's effectiveness may vary depending on the specific industry sector and the unique characteristics of different legacy systems. The pilot study sample size, while adequate for initial validation, could be expanded for broader generalizability.