Operationalising data-oriented shopfloor management: a socio-technical reference framework

Digitalisation and datafication are reshaping shopfloor management (SFM), yet many initiatives still digitise artefacts without improving decision-making or control. Building on data-oriented SFM, this paper develops an implementation-oriented reference framework that translates five aggregated dimensions — development path and implementation plan, process organisation, organisational structure, cross-functional operating model, and information system — into practice-oriented design impulses across 22 second-order themes. Using practice-based design science research, the framework adopts a socio-technical perspective that integrates technology, organisation, and human labour to make data decision- and action-effective in shopfloor routines. Empirical validation through eight expert interviews and an illustrative case study on organisational structure indicates high perceived usefulness, coherence, and completeness, and suggests improved integration of data into operational decision-making. The framework is proposed as an open, modular guideline for context-specific implementation paths, with future potential in AI-supported decision logic and low-threshold entry scenarios.