Path and Effect Analysis of Digital Transformation for Small and Medium-sized Manufacturing Enterprises

Abstract

Small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises face a structural contradiction between resource limitations and transformation complexity, and their digital transformation paths and effects present a unique logic. From the perspective of intrinsic capabilities, this study systematically explores the micro-foundations, path differentiation, and effect generation mechanisms of the transformation. The study reveals that digital mapping constitutes the micro-foundation of the transformation, organizational ambidexterity and resource orchestration mechanisms determine the efficiency of resource allocation, and digital technology embedding enhances the collaborative resilience of production networks. The transformation paths present three differentiated trajectories: gradual embedding based on the modularization of production processes, value extension based on the product-service system, and niche transition based on platform-based collaboration. The transformation effects manifest as structural improvements in operational efficiency, endogenous growth in innovation efficacy, and heterogeneity with non-linear characteristics in economic performance. The analytical framework constructed in this study provides a theoretical reference for understanding the micro-mechanisms of digital transformation in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.