Transitioning to a Commercial Dashboarding System: Socio-Technical Observations and Opportunities

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Industry
• Information Systems
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Traditional manufacturing firms are increasingly adopting digital and data-driven approaches to enhance production efficiency.
• Visual analytics, particularly through commercial dashboarding systems, is a key component of this digital transformation.
• Existing research primarily addresses technical adoption challenges, with limited focus on socio-technical aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the socio-technical challenges encountered by employees during the adoption of a commercial dashboarding system (Microsoft Power BI) in a traditional manufacturing company.
• To identify specific difficulties related to training, usage, dashboard creation, and the broader organizational transition to a digital environment.
• To propose actionable recommendations for companies and researchers to facilitate smoother digital transitions and improve dashboard design.

Main Methods:

• An interview study was conducted with 17 participants from diverse roles within a long-established manufacturing organization.
• Participants were selected based on their involvement in the adoption process of Microsoft Power BI.
• Qualitative data was gathered through interviews to explore user experiences and challenges.

Main Results:

• Employees reported significant socio-technical challenges during the adoption of Microsoft Power BI.
• Key difficulties included issues with training effectiveness, usability of the dashboarding tool, and the process of creating effective dashboards.
• The transition to a modern, data-driven company culture presented broader organizational and individual challenges.

Conclusions:

• The adoption of visual analytics tools in traditional manufacturing involves substantial socio-technical hurdles beyond technical implementation.
• Improvements in training programs, user support, and dashboard design are crucial for successful adoption.
• Further research is needed to rethink dashboarding system design for real-world manufacturing contexts and to better support organizational change.