Table 1 Key characteristics of involving... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Key characteristics of involving IT suppliers in manufacturers’ digital transformation

Category	Key findings
Relationship management	Communication, clear expectations, mutual trust, knowledge transfer and capability exchange (Beulen and Ribbers, 2002; Brito and Nogueira, 2009; Poleto et al., 2022)
	The need for a deep, ongoing interaction for SMEs to leverage IT capabilities (Ferreira and Lind, 2023)
	The need to align strategic objectives with governance practices (Obwegeser et al., 2020)
Manufacturers’ capabilities	The need for SMEs to develop robust digital capabilities for strategic alignment with IT suppliers, including digital infrastructure, workforce training, and strategic integration of IT capabilities (Brodeur et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Obwegeser et al., 2020)
Manufacturers’ capabilities	Highlights the strategic importance of dynamic capabilities and market awareness for effective IT outsourcing (Karimi-Alaghehband and Rivard, 2020)
IT suppliers’ capabilities	Advanced technological skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the ability to adapt to clients’ needs (Brito and Nogueira, 2009)
IT suppliers’ capabilities	Providing advanced IT solutions, providing scalable solutions that can grow with the SME, offering flexible service models, and ensuring high levels of support and training (Brodeur et al., 2023)

Category	Key findings
Relationship management	Communication, clear expectations, mutual trust, knowledge transfer and capability exchange (Beulen and Ribbers, 2002; Brito and Nogueira, 2009; Poleto et al., 2022)
	The need for a deep, ongoing interaction for SMEs to leverage IT capabilities (Ferreira and Lind, 2023)
	The need to align strategic objectives with governance practices (Obwegeser et al., 2020)
Manufacturers’ capabilities	The need for SMEs to develop robust digital capabilities for strategic alignment with IT suppliers, including digital infrastructure, workforce training, and strategic integration of IT capabilities (Brodeur et al., 2023; Ma et al., 2023; Obwegeser et al., 2020)
Manufacturers’ capabilities	Highlights the strategic importance of dynamic capabilities and market awareness for effective IT outsourcing (Karimi-Alaghehband and Rivard, 2020)
IT suppliers’ capabilities	Advanced technological skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the ability to adapt to clients’ needs (Brito and Nogueira, 2009)
IT suppliers’ capabilities	Providing advanced IT solutions, providing scalable solutions that can grow with the SME, offering flexible service models, and ensuring high levels of support and training (Brodeur et al., 2023)

Source(s): Authors’ own work