Artificial intelligence and internet of things adoption in operations management: Barriers and benefits

Abstract Purpose: Based on the context of digital transformation and the evolution of digital technologies, this research sought to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) collaborate to improve the efficiency of operations management (OM). Originality/value: Digital transformation and the use of new technologies, such as AI and IoT, have impacted the management of the companies’ operation. A preliminary survey carried out in the Web of Science (WoS) database, analyzing data through the VOSviewer bibliometric software, identified an important relationship between AI, IoT, and OM through industry 4.0 (i4.0), which has as one of its main objectives the improvement in OM. The results of this research bring a practical contribution to business managers, such as the identification of the main barriers and expected benefits when adopting AI and IoT in their operations. For researchers, this study differs from studies already published by conducting a systematic review of the literature that investigates the relationship of OM with technological tools, such as AI and IoT. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of the literature was carried out with the objective of analyzing all articles that brought some contribution to a better understanding of how AI and IoT collaborate to improve the efficiency of operations. Findings: The results demonstrated how AI and IoT were being incorporated into OM, identifying the main barriers of its use, as well as indications of research gaps that may lead to further investigations to advance on this topic.

研究目的：立足数字化转型与数字技术演进的时代背景，本研究旨在探究人工智能（Artificial Intelligence）与物联网（Internet of Things）如何协同提升运营管理（Operations Management）效率。
原创性/价值：数字化转型及人工智能、物联网等新技术的应用，已对企业运营管理产生深刻影响。本研究依托Web of Science（WoS）数据库开展初步调研，借助VOSviewer文献计量软件分析数据，发现人工智能、物联网与运营管理通过工业4.0（Industry 4.0，i4.0）存在紧密关联——而工业4.0的核心目标之一正是优化运营管理。本研究结果可为企业管理者提供实践指引，例如明确在运营场景中采纳人工智能与物联网时面临的主要障碍与预期收益。对于研究者而言，本研究与已有文献的差异在于：针对运营管理与人工智能、物联网等技术工具的关联展开系统文献综述。
研究设计/方法与途径：本研究开展系统文献综述，旨在全面梳理所有有助于深入理解人工智能与物联网如何协同提升运营效率的相关文献。
研究发现：研究结果阐明了人工智能与物联网融入运营管理的具体路径，明确了其应用过程中的主要障碍，同时揭示了本领域尚存的研究空白，可为后续相关研究提供推进方向。