Acceptance of digital twins of customer demands for supply chain optimisation: an analysis of three hierarchical digital twin levels

Abstract

Purpose

Inaccurate capturing and processing of customer requirements result in negative economic and ecological effects. Digital twins of customer demands promise to remedy these issues. However, successful implementation necessitates users' technology acceptance. This study contrasts three hierarchical digital twin levels with different degrees of user integration and examines determinants for their respective acceptance.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural equation model is applied in a comparative manner, considering different levels of digital twin radicalness. A multidimensional approach is used to measure attitudes towards usage. Data are collected in the context of organisational supply management.

Findings

Results show harmonious effects across digital twin levels. This indicates that technological radicality plays only a subordinate role when assessing acceptance determinants such as user perception on ease of use, usefulness, trust and risk.

Practical implications

Rather than focussing solely on technological factors, findings suggest that users prioritise the actual outcome and efficiency of the system. This perspective offers practical implications for organisations seeking to implement advanced systems and emphasises the significance of user perceptions beyond technological features.

Social implications

The societal impact of this research are an appreciation of customer roles in the supply chain where an enhanced detection of customer needs and preferences aligns businesses with the dynamic and evolving demands of a diverse and a continuously environmentally-conscious consumer base.

Originality/value

This study applies a measurement model for technology acceptance in a unique and multidimensional manner. Thereby, a comparative analysis of user perceptions across different digital twin levels sheds more light on a nascent, promising and underexplored technological method. This interdisciplinary research combined knowledge from the supply chain management and management information systems fields by highlighting key factors for the adoption of complex technological methods.

Citation

Oehlschläger, D., Glas, A.H. and Eßig, M. (2024), "Acceptance of digital twins of customer demands for supply chain optimisation: an analysis of three hierarchical digital twin levels", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 124 No. 3, pp. 1050-1075. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-07-2023-0467