A systematic review of different adoption strategies for augmented reality in maintenance: bridging theory and practice

Augmented Reality (AR) has demonstrated significant potential in enhancing maintenance operations by increasing efficiency, reducing error rates, and shortening execution time. However, its large-scale deployment in industrial contexts remains limited due to complex technological, organizational, and environmental challenges. This study identifies the critical success factors necessary for the effective and sustainable adoption of AR in maintenance workflows. A systematic literature review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, covering 80 peer-reviewed articles and gray literature sources published between 2017 and 2025. The analysis involved databases such as Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, using a keyword strategy derived from conceptual mapping. The review systematically categorizes 46 implementation factors within a Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework and evaluates their relative criticality for AR integration. Analysis of 28 implementation-focused studies reveals technological factors dominate the literature (85% hardware, 89% software focus), while organizational (32% cost considerations) and environmental dimensions (18% geographic factors) remain underexplored, highlighting a significant research-practice gap in holistic AR integration strategies. Unlike prior reviews focusing on isolated applications or generic AR technologies, this study combines transversal, logical, and context-specific criteria to provide a comprehensive and practice-oriented perspective. The inclusion of gray literature strengthens the connection between theory and practice, while the factor-based synthesis highlights both enabling drivers and adoption barriers. To ensure methodological transparency and replicability, all extraction processes, coding schemes, and bibliometric data are openly available in a dedicated repository ( https://github.com/OumaimaTayyarat/AR-maintenance-systematic-review ). The findings demonstrate that organizational readiness and human factors are as critical as technological capabilities in determining AR adoption outcomes. This contribution advances both theoretical understanding and practical implementation by offering evidence-based integration strategies tailored to industrial maintenance contexts.