*3.3.2 The deployment process of the production digitalization system*

The development of the digital tool required collaboration at all times since replication of the digital tool was expected. **Figure 2** illustrates the main processes and milestones in the development of the digital tool. The period is indicated to provide a perspective on the length of the project phases. The development can be segmented into four main phases, each one of them with different milestones and processes for each case. At each milestone, both case companies discussed the activities required to guarantee compatibility and feasibility.

The physical development of the digital tool started with building a local network around a system including a programmable logic controller "PLC" and a human-machine interface "HMI" with attached sensors. The local network then was connected to a server that process the data i.e. "means for implementation". The first physical sensors installation was performed in case A and then replicated in case B (parallel work in phase 3, **Figure 2**). In both cases, data related to OEE was not fully digital, therefore digitizing the data (transferring from manual to digital) was a major initial step to build on the control capability. This digitizing step made it possible to monitor real-time data and helped the operators to start interacting with the system. **Figure 3** is a visual representation of the elements that the prototype tool covers in connection to the capabilities deployment model in **Figure 1**. **Table 1** includes a description of the practical implications of the implemented elements in the cases as illustrated in **Figure 3**.

It is important to emphasize that manual data was a prerequisite to get an overview and an understanding of the environment to develop the tool structure. In this context, "tool structure" refers to the software design and the type of data to collect and display that is relevant for decision-making. Designing the dashboard was part of the collaborative work and conducted parallel to the activities presented in

**Figure 2.** *Digital tool development processes and milestones at case A and case B.*

*A Conceptual Model for Deploying E-Service in SMEs through Capability Building… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97245*

#### **Figure 3.**

*A demonstration of the deployment of the capability model: from industrial case A.*

**Figure 2**. **Figure 4** shows a representation of the original dashboard. The dashboard comprised the following "basic" elements for display in the initial prototype of the production digitalization system:


Feedback from the implementation of the tool was collected during the testing phase from operators and managers in both case studies; dashboard upgrading is


#### **Table 1.**

*Practical details of the conceptual model elements.*

part of the continuous improvement work, together with the KPIs integration. The projection is to have the dashboard accessible online from anywhere so managers and the planning department can access real-time information via their own electronic devices, and for everyone on the production, floor to be aware of the production status at all times. It is expected by the case companies that production disturbances will have a faster resolution since there will be a clear visualization indicating when something is out of control.

The first capability relies heavily on data generation, and the subsequent capabilities are built from it. The importance of data needing to be free from waste and errors is easier to grasp when there is an understanding of the capabilities connection. Also, for a system that is required to be resilient and robust, trustworthy data is vital. We omitted details on the actual OEE calculations, as the focus is to illustrate the initial steps on how to build managerial capabilities with the support from digitalization in manufacturing. Separate work will later assess details on the calculation and integration of OEE in the digital system.

#### **3.4 Assessment for potential model improvement**

The model proposed in **Figure 1** was assessed by analyzing the theoretical characteristics and aims against the practical work in the validation stage. The data collected from the cases on the deployment process showed congruency with the theoretical principles and provided some lessons learned that could support and improve the deployment of the model in other SMEs. The summary of the analysis is presented in

*A Conceptual Model for Deploying E-Service in SMEs through Capability Building… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97245*

#### **Figure 4.**

*An example of the original production digitalization system prototype dashboard.*

the analytical generalization in the next section. Further work for model improvement involves investigating the integration of other metrics in the performance objectives and assessing sequence and prioritization of the "means for implementation".
