Digifacturing: Strategically Redefining Manufacturing for Micro-SMEs

Micro-SMEs have a pivotal role in manufacturing yet face unique challenges in embracing digitization and digitalization which hold a promise of enhancing productivity, efficiency, and quality. This paper introduces Digifacturing, a term coined to encapsulate manufacturing through the strategic integration of digitization and digitalization tailored for micro-SMEs keeping the human workforce in loop. A general framework designed to address the specific needs and constraints of these enterprises is developed which addresses critical challenges left unaddressed by frameworks in archival literature. In a practical demonstration, the framework is tested on a developed system in a lab environment mimicking micro-SME environments, thus illustrating the adaptability and versatility in a real-world manufacturing setting. The findings from this work contribute to the nuanced understanding of key challenges in micro-SME manufacturing environments and addresses unmet needs in the application of research frameworks for implementation of digital tools for specific manufacturing processes in micro-SME environments.