A proposal for a framework process to guide the digital transformation in the R&D center of a Brazilian chemical industry

Abstract

Despite the known advantages of digital transformation, many chemical industries have failed to advance digital maturity. Recent studies have shown that the main difficulties lie in the implementation process of digital technologies. In fact, digital projects are started within companies, but most of them do not go beyond the pilot phase. So, how should the digital transformation process be conducted to mitigate implementation difficulties? This article investigates the main barriers faced by the Research and Development (R&D) center of a Brazilian large chemical company and proposes a solution to improve the likelihood of digital transformation implementation success. Therefore, a prescriptive research was performed with a qualitive approach based on Design Science Research resulting in the artifact (a framework) design. The proposed solution is a framework which is composed by three phases, I-PREPARATION, II-ELABORATION OF DIGITAL PLAN, and III-EXECUTION OF DIGITAL PLAN, aiming to support the identification, prioritization, and execution of digital projects inside the sector. The framework was positively evaluated by companies’ specialists , suggesting that it’s a potential solution for improving the likelihood of digital transformation implementation effectiveness.