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Collaborative Robots in Manufacturing MSMEs: Identification and Operationalization of Enablers and Barriers

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Transfer, Diffusion and Adoption of Next-Generation Digital Technologies (TDIT 2023)

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Abstract

In the era of Industry 4.0 the collaborative robots (also known as cobots) are seen to have immense potential to be integrated into manufacturing systems. They demonstrate the potential to revolutionize the way automation is integrated into workplaces through encapsulation of human expertise and robotic precision. However, the deployment of cobots in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are still in the nascent stage. While the extant literature primarily highlights the generic difficulty of MSMEs in adopting the Industry 4.0 technologies due to lack of resource and capabilities, this study specifically explores the contextual requirement of cobots. In the first stage, the enablers and barriers are identified from an extensive literature survey. Subsequently, using structured interviews with domain experts, steps to operationalize these enablers and barriers are delineated. Considering the inputs from the inputs from the domain experts, a stepwise implementation framework is put forward. The proposed framework considers three broad stages: (1) ideation stage (2) implementation stage and (3) review stage. The outcome of this study finds relevance for decision makers involved in managing and consulting the collaborative robot implementation projects.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    As per Government of India, MSMEs are the enterprises that has investment in Plant and Machinery not more than Rs.50 crore and annual turnover is less than Rs. 250 crores.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India

    Pulok Ranjan Mohanta & Biswajit Mahanty

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  1. Pulok Ranjan Mohanta
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  2. Biswajit Mahanty
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Correspondence to Pulok Ranjan Mohanta .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. IIM Nagpur, Nagpur, India

    Sujeet K. Sharma

  2. Swansea University, Swansea, UK

    Yogesh K. Dwivedi

  3. IIM Nagpur, Nagpur, India

    Bhimaraya Metri

  4. University of Bradford, Bradford, UK

    Banita Lal

  5. Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK

    Amany Elbanna

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Mohanta, P.R., Mahanty, B. (2024). Collaborative Robots in Manufacturing MSMEs: Identification and Operationalization of Enablers and Barriers. In: Sharma, S.K., Dwivedi, Y.K., Metri, B., Lal, B., Elbanna, A. (eds) Transfer, Diffusion and Adoption of Next-Generation Digital Technologies. TDIT 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 699. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50204-0_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50204-0_20

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