Digital transformation path and benefits expectation analysis in highway industry

After years of evolution, digitalization has been deeply integrated into various sectors, yielding substantial benefits. The advantages of digitalization can be broadly categorized into two types. The first type encompasses the direct gains achieved through digital technologies, such as the optimization of production processes and reduction of operational costs in the manufacturing industry. The second type involves changes in industry or corporate management models driven by digitalization, with benefits that are more about transforming the industry ecosystem and indirect gains that are both creative and uncertain. The decision to undertake digital transformation within an industry or company hinges on whether the value and benefits align with expectations, which is also a crucial measure of the success of digital transformation. This article will focus on the pathways of digital transformation in China's highway industry and the value and benefits derived from it. Through the analysis of survey questionnaires, it is discovered that there is a general consensus among different types of enterprises in the highway industry regarding the benefits of digital transformation. The study also establishes a classification system for the value and benefits of highway digitalization and using the example of highway construction survey and design, develops a reference calculation model for value and benefits to support the industry in conducting benefit assessments concurrently with the digital transformation process.