Enablers and inhibitors of digitalization as part of continuous improvement

Purpose To deal with an increasingly competitive environment, organizations are combining continuous improvement (CI) practices with digitalization to accrue their benefits on operational performance and achieve operational excellence. The purpose of this study was to identify the enablers and inhibitors of digitalization as part of CI projects. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design consisting of an online survey and semi-structured interviews was used to examine how digitalization technologies have been incorporated by organizations in their CI projects. Findings Key enablers of digitalization were found to be leadership capabilities, strategic direction, stakeholder involvement, system compatibility, data quality and giving employees room to experiment. Knowledge of digitalization was found to affect all these enablers. Research limitations/implications The empirical findings are based on a nonprobability sample of Dutch CI practitioners, limiting their generalizability. Practical implications The empirical findings highlight the need for organizations to adopt a structured approach to implementing digitalization as part of their CI projects, starting by ensuring that the necessary knowledge and skills are either present or accessible to the organization. Originality/value The empirical findings show that enablers of digitalization in the context of CI are strongly interlinked, and thus require a holistic approach.