When digital twins meet too much transparency: agile manufacturing as a capability pathway to operational performance

Purpose This study investigates how and when digital twins (DTs) adoption translates into operational performance. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 417 Chinese manufacturing firms, mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted to examine agile manufacturing as a capability mechanism and supply chain transparency as a boundary condition. Findings The results show that DTs adoption improves operational performance through agile manufacturing. However, this capability pathway becomes weaker as supply chain transparency increases. Originality/value By integrating dynamic capabilities theory and information processing theory, this study reconceptualizes DTs adoption as a dynamic organizational capability and reveals the contingent nature of DTs-enabled value creation under varying levels of supply chain transparency.