ABSTRACT Human systems management (HSM) in organizations must invest in digitization to remain competitive. Even though there is no denying digitalization is essential for modern industrial organizations, the success of digitalization projects is rarely contingent on chance. HSM digitalization requires more than just technology. It also requires leadership, people, strategy, innovation, and process readiness. Organizations must select the most suitable digitalization project to initiate the transition and begin by increasing and monitoring readiness for a successful transition. A practical approach to a successful transition begins with increasing and monitoring readiness. The literature suggests a lack of analytical assessment models for HSM digitalization readiness in industrial organizations, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This research presents a framework with the general best-worst method (GBWM) to examine decision criteria and help organizations, particularly SMEs, choose the most effective digitalization strategy. A case study demonstrates the applicability and efficacy of the proposed method in assessing HSM digitalization readiness in SMEs.