A Systematic Mapping Study of Predictive Maintenance in SMEs

Traditionally, it is believed that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not have enough ability to adopt and persistently practice social sustainability. This is because SMEs are not capital-intensive companies and neither are their returns nor skills. At the same time, the wellbeing of the employees in SMEs cannot be ensured and sustainable development goals cannot be achieved without making SMEs socially sustainable, as they account for the majority of world businesses. Moreover, the expectation of the stakeholders and subsequent pressure on SMEs to practicing social sustainability remains. Such pressure from the stakeholders creates a “mismatch problem” between stakeholders’ expectations and SMEs’ abilities to adopt socially sustainable practices. This study aims to explore what factors are responsible for this “mismatch problem”, and how SMEs can handle this mismatch to be socially sustainable firms. Based on a rigorous literature review, this study reveals that both internal issues, such as a lack of resources and awareness, and external issues, such as the non-existence of a tailored social sustainability standard for SMEs and lack of institutional support, are responsible for this gap. This study develops several propositions that highlight the requirements in various situations and provides strategies outlining the implications for SMEs and their stakeholders to make SMEs socially sustainable. Overall, this study discloses that cooperative support from stakeholders, especially during a disruption such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a finance mechanism, the development of awareness and human capital in SMEs, and a unified standard for SMEs are likely to improve social sustainability practices in SMEs.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the key elements of digitalization for lean and green operations and develop a conceptual framework for their implementation. The paper focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and aims to explore the role of digitalisation in enhancing their operational efficiency and sustainability. By identifying key factors and metrics related to digitalisation, the paper seeks to provide insights for strategic management to improve lean and green practices in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Matrix of Cross-Impact Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) approaches were deployed to classify the major dimensions of digitalisation. These methods were used to analyse the direct and indirect relationships among the identified elements of digitalisation. A comprehensive literature review and expert consultations were conducted to identify 13 key elements relevant to lean and green operations. The experts also assisted in determining the contextual relationships between the variables for the ISM model. Findings The analysis classified the 13 identified elements of digitalisation into different levels according to their driving power and dependence. The results from the ISM model indicated three levels of classifications. At level-1, Internet of things (IoT) and smart sensors (IoT & SS), automation and robotics directly influence lean and green operations. At level-2, real-time monitoring and control system and at level-3 fundamental elements of digitalisation such as big data analytics, predictive maintenance, cloud computing, energy management systems (EMSs), additive manufacturing, blockchain, digital workflow automation and digital collaboration platform. Originality/value All elements are interrelated and essential for making strategic decisions. This study emphasis the significance of prioritising these attributes to attain long-term excellence through digitalisation. For the industries that seek the reward of lean and green operations for their growth, this paper has great practical utility. Identifying the key factors of digitalisation would help strategic managers in handling lean and green environment of SMEs through these aspects.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly the micro-enterprise, dominate the tourism industry numerically, and play a key role in delivering quality experiences to the tourist. Yet research by Hillary (2000) suggested that SMEs from all the economic sectors are responsible for around 70% of total industrial pollution. Strategic papers for the tourism sector in the United Kingdom refer to the promotion of emerging trade association activity in influencing SMEs' environmental behaviour. This paper examines the results of a postal survey of United Kingdom trade associations to assess their role in developing sustainable practice amongst SME tourism businesses. Responses from 17 national trade associations with a tourism-related membership coverage of around 12,500 SMEs suggested that only a small minority regarded meeting environmental criteria or signing up to an environmental code of conduct as compulsory requirements of membership, whereas there was more activity for different types of voluntary initiative, often through the aid of partnerships. Overall, there was less leadership from trade associations than was seemingly portrayed in the strategic documents.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the professional ethics indicators of managers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Methods and Materials: This research adopted a quantitative approach, with a sample of 380 active managers from SMEs in Tehran. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample. The data collection process included both library-based resources and field methods, such as the Delphi technique, to gather expert opinions on the questionnaire items. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) software for structural equation modeling, due to the non-normality of the data as confirmed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Findings: The study revealed that organizational justice was the most significant factor influencing professional ethics in SMEs, followed by leadership and management. Organizational culture was identified as an area that required further development, as it scored relatively lower in ethical adherence. The findings also indicated that the majority of managers in the sample were male, aged between 41-50 years, and held postgraduate degrees. The results from the factor loadings, convergent validity, and Fornell-Larcker test confirmed that the measurement model had adequate reliability and validity. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of professional ethics in enhancing organizational performance in SMEs. It highlights the need for stronger organizational culture and leadership that prioritizes fairness and transparency. Future research should focus on exploring strategies to improve ethical practices in SMEs, especially in regions with diverse business environments like Tehran.

This study aims to model the relationship between business intelligence (BI), supply chain integration (SCI), and firm performance in Jordanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study utilizes a sample of 400 SMEs from different sectors in Jordan to investigate the hypothesized relationships between the constructs. The results show that BI positively influences SCI and firm performance in Jordanian SMEs. Moreover, SCI was found to mediate the relationship between BI and firm performance. The study also found that the impact of BI on firm performance is fully mediated by SCI, suggesting that SCI plays a crucial role in enhancing firm performance in the context of Jordanian SMEs. The study makes several significant contributions to the literature on supply chain management and business intelligence in the context of SMEs. First, it provides empirical evidence of the positive impact of BI on SCI and firm performance. Second, it sheds light on the mediating role of SCI in the relationship between BI and firm performance. Third, the study contributes to the limited literature on supply chain management and business intelligence in the context of Jordanian SMEs. The findings of this study have practical implications for managers of SMEs in Jordan. They highlight the importance of investing in BI tools and strategies to enhance SCI and firm performance. Additionally, the study suggests that managers should focus on improving their firms' SCI practices to fully exploit the benefits of BI and improve their overall performance. Overall, this study provides new insights into the relationship between BI, SCI, and firm performance in the context of Jordanian SMEs. The study's findings can guide policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in developing and implementing effective strategies to improve supply chain management and business intelligence practices in SMEs, particularly in emerging markets such as Jordan.

This study examines how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in international trade can enhance disaster resilience through business continuity planning (BCP). While BCP is widely discussed in the literature, a discernible gap persists regarding proven, applicable models for SMEs, particularly in disaster-prone economies. Japan, with its high exposure to natural hazards yet advanced institutional ecosystem of BCP, is selected as the case study. By analyzing this model, the paper derives lessons that are transferable to other contexts. The research employs qualitative document analysis, focusing on the Guidelines for Formulating and Implementing Business Continuity Plans for SMEs issued by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The guideline’s forms were classified into five thematic categories—design and framework, core operations and resources, employee and communication strategies, risk and emergency management, and community relations—and systematically interpreted to identify how resilience principles are embedded in SME practice. Findings reveal that the success of the Japanese model rests on four fundamental elements: a coordinated multi-actor ecosystem involving government, industry, and civil society; tiered and standardized BCP guidelines tailored to SME capacities; proactive strategies for strengthening supply-chain resilience; and the institutionalization of BCP as a prerequisite in international commercial contracts. Together, these elements demonstrate that SME disaster resilience is not achieved solely through internal strategies but requires integration into broader governance and market systems. The study contributes to the limited SME-focused BCP literature by linking institutional frameworks with firm-level sustainability. Practically, it offers actionable insights for SMEs and policymakers in emerging economies to strengthen resilience and competitiveness. Limitations include reliance on secondary data and the exclusive focus on Japan; future studies should test the applicability of the model in different cultural and economic contexts.

Within the subject area of maintenance and maintenance management, authors identified a deficiency in studies focussing on the expected value from adopting predictive maintenance (PdM) techniques for machine tools (MTs). Authors identified no studies focussing on presenting a PdM value analysis or cost model specifically for small-medium enterprises (SMEs) operating computer numerically controlled (CNC) MTs. This paper’s novelty is addressing SMEs’ minimal representation in literature by explanatorily collecting data from SMEs within the focal area via surveys, modelling and analysing datasets, then proposes a cost-effective PdM system architecture for SME CNC machine shops that predicts cost savings ranging from £22,804 to £48,585 over a range of 1–50 CNC MTs maintained on a distributed numerically controlled (DNC) network. It affirms PdM’s tangible value creation for SME CNC machine shops with predicted positive impacts on their MT cost and performance drivers. These exploratory research findings corroborate SMEs pooling together to optimise their CNC MT maintenance cost through the recommended system architecture. Finally, it introduces opportunities for further PdM research taking into account SMEs’ perspective. The paper’s industrial application is confirmed from the surveyed SMEs that demonstrated their current utility of PdM; then anonymous positive feedback on the online dashboard, shared with participant companies, confirmed the research results supported SMEs in considering exploring the path to adapting PdM. It is anticipated that beneficiaries of this research will be maintenance managers, business executives and researchers who seek to understand the expected financial and performance impact of adopting PdM for a MT’s overall life cycle costs.

In an era of rapid digital transformation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics to enhance operational efficiency, optimize supply chain management, and improve overall business performance. This study explores the integration of AI-driven solutions in SMEs, focusing on their impact on demand forecasting, logistics optimization, and predictive maintenance. Using a mixed-methods approach, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 250 SMEs across various industries, supplemented by in-depth interviews with key decision-makers. The findings reveal that AI implementation leads to significant improvements in cost reduction (30% in logistics), operational efficiency (20% in inventory turnover), and predictive accuracy (15% improvement in maintenance planning). Despite these benefits, SMEs face challenges such as high initial investment costs, lack of AI expertise, and data management complexities. The study identifies best practices for overcoming these barriers, including phased AI adoption, strategic partnerships, and employee training programs. Additionally, the research highlights sector-specific AI applications, demonstrating its effectiveness in retail, e-commerce, and manufacturing industries. This study contributes to the growing discourse on AI adoption in SMEs by providing empirical evidence of its role in business optimization. It underscores the necessity of integrating AI into SME operations to remain competitive in a data-driven economy. The findings offer valuable insights for business leaders, policymakers, and technology providers, advocating for the development of AI frameworks that align with SME scalability and resource constraints. Future research should explore AI’s long-term impact on financial performance and sustainability, as well as its potential applications in emerging markets

<p class="AbstractText">Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered to be the engine of the European economy. In EU SMEs make up more than 99% of all companies and provide around 75 million jobs. They are a key source of job creation and stimulation of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation and are therefore essential for fostering competitiveness and maintaining employment in the EU. Yet SMEs often have problems in raising funds to finance fixed investments and inventory and working capital. SMEs mostly use internal sources while the most important external sources of SMEs are bank loans, which are not easily accessible. Hence, one of the priorities of the European Commission is stimulating SMEs through EU funds and programs in order to enable SMEs development and finally to contribute to economic growth. SMEs sector also dominates the economic structure of Croatian economy and they have similar financing problems. However, Croatia in period 2014 – 2020 have at disposal a total amount of 10.676 billion of euros from European structural and investment funds, of which 8.397 billion are aimed for cohesion policy objectives and 470 million euros are aimed for the development and competitiveness of SMEs. Besides, EU programs COSME and HORIZON 2020 are intended to provide direct support to SMEs and to create a favorable environment for their development. However, even though the number of successful project applications for small and medium-sized enterprises in the total share of Croatian project applications is relatively high, fund absorption has not reached satisfactory levels. Using the sample of Split-Dalmatia County’s SMEs, this study finds out reasons for low absorption capacity from SMEs point of view: SMEs are interested in funds from European Union, but are not sufficiently familiar with their availability i.e. funds at their disposal, especially programs COSME and HORIZON 2020; SMEs state that they know how to apply for EU funds but considered the procedure as complicated and demanding regarding documentation, and that the needed knowledge and know-how for proposal is beyond their scope; SMEs are not satisfied with the cooperation with state institutions, especially Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds and Croatian Chamber of Economy. We point out four main conclusions: (1) SMEs are not enough aware of EU financing possibilities; (2) additional promotion of EU programs directly to SMEs is required; (3) additional education of SMEs regarding project proposal and documentation is needed and (4) more proactive policy of state institutions and cooperation with local authorities is expected. Finally, greater awareness and professional help might be a key in strengthening the SMEs, whose entrepreneurial spirit and innovation process is a prerequisite for economic growth and development.</p>

Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the global economy, accounting for approximately two-thirds of global employment and contributing significantly to the GDP of developed countries. Despite the availability of various cybersecurity standards and frameworks, SMEs remain highly vulnerable to cyber threats. Limited resources and a lack of expertise in cybersecurity make them frequent targets for cyberattacks. It is essential to identify the challenges faced by SMEs and explore effective defensive strategies to enhance the implementation of cybersecurity measures. The study aims to bridge the gap and help these organizations in implementing cost-effective and practical cybersecurity approaches through a systematic mapping study (SMS) conducted, where 73 articles were thoroughly reviewed. This research will shed light on the current cybersecurity approaches (practices) posture for different SMEs, along with the threats they are facing, which have stopped them from deciding, planning, and implementing cybersecurity measures. The study identified a wide range of cybersecurity threats, including phishing, social engineering, insider threats, ransomware, malware, denial of services attacks, and weak password practices, which are the most prevalent for SMEs. This study identified defensive practices, such as cybersecurity awareness and training, endpoint protection tools, incident response planning, network segmentation, access control, multi-factor authentication (MFA), access controls, privilege management, email authentication and encryption, enforcing strong password policies, cloud security, secure backup solutions, supply chain visibility, and automated patch management tools, as key measures. The study provides valuable insights into the specific gaps and challenges faced by SMEs, as well as their preferred methods of seeking and consuming cybersecurity assistance. The findings can guide the development of targeted defensive practices and policies to enhance the cybersecurity posture of SMEs for successful software development. This SMS will also provide a foundation for future research and practical guidelines for SMEs to improve the process of secure software development.

Sustainability is a subject of increasing interest in supply chain management, but little is known about its practice in small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper uses survey data from SMEs to assess the current state of supply chain sustainability development in SMEs. This paper conceptualises a model of supply chain sustainability development based on Hayes and Wheelwright's four-stage operations development model. The posited model is empirically tested by applying cluster analysis to SME survey data. Four clusters (reactive sustainability, awareness sustainability, emergent strategic sustainability, and advanced strategic sustainability) were identified and tested to assess the current level of supply chain sustainability development and practices in SMEs. The model can serve as a progressive planning tool for sustainability development and strategies that impact performance in SMEs. The modified four-stage model also provides a type of scale with which managers of SMEs can measure their relative development of supply chain sustainability.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the value of scenario planning to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), and further examine the challenges constraining the uptake of scenario planning by SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual review of the literature on scenario planning in SMEs intended to unpack and capture the possible underlying reasons accounting for the limited uptake of scenario planning by managers/owners of SMEs has informed the formulation of this paper. Findings – The study uncovered that SMEs’ managerial mental models, SMEs’ managerial time orientation, severe resource constraints, and industry complexity are some of the salient factors inhibiting the use of scenario planning among managers/owners of SMEs. The author develops a framework of propositions that account for the complexity and challenges of scenario planning by SMEs for future empirical examination and validation. Originality/value – The conventional wisdom is that scenario planning is carried out by large and established firms, and that SMEs are unable to adopt and practice the technique. This paper uncovers that SME have substantial needs for scenario planning, but are only able to engage in simple foresight activities such as brainstorming, desk research, networking and expert interviews to monitor their external environment. They are unable to effectively use scenario planning in its purest form as in large firms. By bringing together the reasons accounting for the difficulty of SMEs to practice scenario planning in its purest form as large firms do, the study therefore extends the limited discourse on scenario planning among SMEs. Implications are discussed and areas for future empirical studies provided.

In the current digital age, technological innovation is rapidly transforming work methods and employee expectations for work–family balance. This study aims to explore how digital innovation, through Green Human Resource Practices (GHRPs) and Leader–Member Exchange (LMX), promotes sustainable transformation in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while effectively supporting employees’ work–family balance. Using empirical analysis on 357 employees from 10 digitized SMEs, the study constructs a comprehensive model based on Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Planned Change Theory (PCT). The findings reveal that digital innovation plays a critical role in adjusting work–family boundaries and enhancing employee satisfaction and organizational performance, with GHRPs and LMX serving as important mediators in this process. Additionally, the study emphasizes the key role of effective change management strategies in achieving sustainable organizational growth. This research provides a framework and strategies for SMEs to implement GHRPs in the digital context, helping to improve organizational performance and facilitate sustainable organizational transformation.

Legal management can be defined as managing and controlling legal opportunities and risks within the company. This dissertation analyzes legal management within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on limited liability companies (‘besloten vennootschappen’). It studies the possibilities for entrepreneurs, who do not have substantial legal knowledge at their disposal, how to design legal management within their companies.This research consists of three parts. The first part describes the Managerial Law approach, in the context of theory development about legal management. Based on this business administration perspective on the law, a list of legal topics (a ‘legal agenda’) is drafted. These topics should be addressed by entrepreneurs of SMEs when implementing legal management within their companies. In the second part, the Managerial Law approach and the matching legal agenda are assessed on the basis of explorative and unique empirical research on their application in SME practice. In the final part, jurisprudence over the period 2016-2021 has been researched and the most frequent topics that led to (discussion about) director’s liability under private law are analyzed. From this jurisprudence, basic principles are derived that well-intentioned SME entrepreneurs should comply with in order to prevent themselves from director’s liability under private law or to limit the risk of such liability occurring.

Chatbot for SMEs: Integrating customer and business owner perspectives