Industrial automation frameworks: a review of constraints and factors in international small-medium enterprises and implications in Malaysian SMEs

Small-medium enterprises (SMEs) are the main driving force to Malaysia's economic growth. The global pandemic has seriously affected the national economy and severely impacts the growth of the local manufacturing sector. The decision of re-hiring foreign workers revealed that local industries are largely labour-dependent. The solution to this situation is to introduce industrial automation (IA) with features of advanced digital technologies. This study reviews existing IA implementation frameworks in the manufacturing sector across various regions, focusing on constraints and factors encountered by SMEs when adopting IA. Considering the absence of local IA framework, the study examines IA frameworks in the EU, USA and Asian countries from 2013 to 2020. The key constraints identified include flexibility, human-machine interface, sustainability, and virtual/augmented reality. The factors needed for successful IA implementation are productivity, skill/experience, quality, training, well-being, safety and socio-economy. This study also highlights the factors influencing IA implementation in Malaysian SMEs.