A readiness assessment framework for cloud-based production management in SMMEs

Purpose This study aims to develop a practical evaluation method for assessing cloud service readiness in production management of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper addresses the lack of targeted and quantitative readiness assessment frameworks suitable for resource-constrained small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises and seeks to provide a reliable basis for judging whether enterprises are prepared to adopt cloud services effectively. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach is adopted. The Best–Worst Method is used to capture expert subjective preferences, while the CRITIC method extracts objective information from enterprise data. An improved nonlinear game-theoretic model integrates subjective and objective weights. A cloud model is further introduced to handle fuzziness and uncertainty in expert evaluations. The method is validated through a case study of a representative manufacturing SME. Findings The results of this study indicate that the proposed approach can effectively identify key strengths and weaknesses in enterprises’ production management cloud readiness. The integrated weighting scheme produces stable and interpretable results, while the cloud model enables a more nuanced representation of evaluation uncertainty. The case study confirms the method’s ability to support readiness diagnosis and improvement prioritization. Originality/value This study proposes an integrated readiness assessment framework that combines Best–Worst Method, CRITIC, nonlinear game theory and cloud modeling for manufacturing SMEs. This study provides a practical and uncertainty-aware tool for evaluating cloud readiness in production management, offering actionable guidance for enterprises with limited resources.