Advanced Engineering Informatics 52 (2022) 101547
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Advanced Engineering Informatics
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/aei
Editorial
Design and management of digital transformations for value creation
Digital transformation (DT) is a process that aims to enable an
entity’s value creation by triggering significant changes and effective­
ness to its external market strategy and internal organization tactics by
using digital technologies through combinations of information,
computing, communication, and connectivity capabilities [1,2]. For a
comprehensive understanding of (1) the DT phenomenon and its in-
depth insights into industries, (2) critical factors for market success
and (3) practical digital technology enablers, a holistic review of DT in
advanced manufacturing and engineering studies by bibliometric anal­
ysis incorporated with topic modelling was conducted in this special
issue from 2000 to 2020 [1]. Related studies were automatically clus­
tered using the machine learning (ML) technique titled Latent Dirichlet
Allocation (LDA) approach and divided into the six topics [1]: smart
factory (I), sustainability and product-service system (II), construction
DT (III), techno-centric DT (IV), public infrastructure centric DT (V),
and business model-centric DT (VI).
The review [1] results also revealed that DT is always enabled stra­
tegically by digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI),
blockchain, big data analytics, digital twins, cyber-physical systems
(CPS), cloud computing, edge computing, and the emerging metaverse
technologies. Furthermore, heterogeneous scenarios of DT have
occurred in government, social, urban, industry, and enterprise realms,
covering various spectrums and significant gaps of advanced research in
DT theories and practices. To bridge the gaps, this special issue gave an
open call on “advanced theories and methodologies for design and
management of digital transformations.” This special issue comprises 10
articles covering the spectrum of the above six research topics. Each of
them contributes essential insights into theoretical and practical
research and understanding design and management for DT. To provide
readers with a glance at the 10 articles collected, the main feature for
each of them is briefly stated as below.
• Wu et al. [2] introduced a holistic and novel literature review process
by scientific evolutionary pathways (SEP) and hierarchical topic tree
(HTT) analyses with both academic studies and patents to answer
three critical questions about DT: (1) the definition of DT from a
bibliometric perspective, (2) the capabilities enabling DT, (3) the AI
capabilities enabling DT (IV, VI). Based on the key findings, the
proposed complete definition of DT is “a process that aims to
improve an entity by triggering significant changes to its properties
through combinations of digital capabilities, technologies, and
platforms.” Meanwhile, the study addressed the crucial role of dy­
namic, technological, and platform capabilities in DT and confirmed
that DT’s primary driving force is digital technologies. Finally,
having a hierarchical topic tree (HTT) analysis on AI patents, Wu
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2022.101547
Received 29 January 2022; Accepted 1 February 2022
Available online 8 February 2022
1474-0346/© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
et al. proposed the pyramid model of four significant capabilities, i.
e., data collection & transmission, bridging, algorithms, and appli­
cations. Authors also found that AI is a significant enabler and
exemplar of digital technology to carry out DT by helping knowledge
generation based on effective interactions among other non-AI dig­
ital technologies that can enable DT.
• Aheleroff et al. [3] introduced a novel Digital Twin reference ar­
chitecture model under the context of Industry 4.0, which is titled
RAMI 4.0 (I). This model can be adapted to create a broad scope of
applications and paradigms, from mass individualization to mass
production (I, V). RAMI 4.0 consists of four parts: (1) Physical layer,
(2) Digital layer, (3) Cyber layer, and (4) communication for data
exchange. Among the three layers, the communication layer can
carry real-time data as a mapping between selected physical ele­
ments and their digital elements in cyberspace. Like this, this study
also illustrated relationships between Digital Twin and mass indi­
vidualization under Industry 4.0 by a case study of “Wetland
Schedule Maintenance” for designing a new Digital Twin-embedded
mobile service system (III, V). It can connect the live data to provide
knowledge for making the right decisions for an individual to
interact and move around the scene on a tablet or smartphone to
validate RAMI 4.0. The empirical case also demonstrated how DT
empowers business by good converging with Digital Twins, Internet
of things (IoT), and AR-enabled UX. Hence, RAMI 4.0 well repre­
sented Digital Twin as a Service “DTaaS” for bringing industry DT.
• Trappey et al. [4] proposed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven and
content-based image retrieval (CBIR) method, which is a state-of-the-
art fine-tuned convolutional neural network (CNN) modelling
approach in the context of trademark (TM) management and digital
Intellectual Property (IP) protection (VI). The framework of the
proposed method was titled LogoSimNet, which comprises (1) input
images function, (2) pre-trained CNN model, (3) add new classifiers,
(4) output feature vectors and (5) triplet loss function. With Log­
oSimNet, trademark logo similarity detections and retrievals could
be effectively conducted. Based on this novel transfer learning
approach, a trademark logo image retrieval system, which could be
used in the cyber marketplaces, was developed to determine similar
TM logo images online automatically and intelligently. Thus, the
problem of how to reduce the semantic gap between similarity
analysis for human visual semantics image retrieval can be well-
answered. Meanwhile, the limitation of ineffectively distinguished
and compared with low-level features such as colour, shape, texture,
trademark (TM) logo image could be improved by the developed
trademark logo image retrieval system for carrying out industry DTs
Editorial
on quick identifying duplication risks with other images for TM
management or IP protection.
• Jia et al. [5] introduced a synthetical development approach based
on a smart product-service system to achieve DTs in the assistive
devices industry. For the healthcare requirements of the elderly and
disabled population, rehabilitation assistive devices (RADs), which
could be designed and inked with the Internet as an internet of things
to upgrade the current service model into emerging and innovative
rehabilitation services, is becoming more and more critical. Thus, a
novel RAD-based and smart product-service systems (SPSS)-based
service model (II) titled RASPSS was proposed. The RASPSS consists
of four layers, namely (1) service layer, (2) application layer, (3)
network layer and (4) platform layer to aid a data-driven service
design approach based on user needs data, user behaviour and
stakeholders’ need. In this way, the benefits of effective DT from user
needs to service content realization could be carried out by using a
RADs functional prototype as a case study. Thus, assistive devices
were used to build a patient-centred rehabilitation model to enhance
patient motivation, optimize the interaction between smart RADs
and users, improve positive interaction between various stake­
holders, and generate new logistics services for DT.
• Hashmi et al. [6] proposed an adapted transdisciplinary system
model for X4.0 to illustrate a conventional X4.0 system where X can
be any industry sector migrating to Industry 4.0 paradigm. More­
over, a competence model with four artefacts, namely cyber-physical
systems, data integrity, data analysis, and work 4.0, existing in an
X4.0 system, was elaborated (V). Two industry sectors: Education 4.0
and Retail 4.0, are explored in-depth as an illustration under the
amalgamated transdisciplinary system of a systems model. Results
indicate that the four artefacts in X4.0 can form the foundation of
new sectorial 4.0 development, focusing on specific elements in
Cyber-Physical Systems and Work4.0 artefacts. The proposed
approach has the advantage of a self-improving model that drives the
realization of DT in evolutionary cycles. Furthermore, the research
work with the transdisciplinary engineering concepts enabled
various industry sectors to move towards a DT into an X4.0 status.
• Chen et al. [7] treated the remaining useful life (RUL) prediction of
lithium-ion batteries as a critical breakthrough point bringing DTs in
the battery electric vehicles industry (I). This study developed an
integrated data science model based on empirical mode decompo­
sition (EMD), grey relational analysis (GRA), and deep recurrent
neural networks (RNN) for the RUL prediction of lithium-ion batte­
ries. A more mature and reliable digital system, battery management
system (BMS), is developed based on this model to monitor the real-
time RUL of batteries and collect the big data generated by sensors of
the internet things (IoT). The model is also an advanced digital-
technology enabler that can be embedded into the edge cloud of
the smart battery management system (II, III). Thusly, the early
detection of RUL values could be obtained for achieving predictive
maintenance in the field of manufacturing and transportation.
Therefore, the intelligent BMS system with the convergence of IoT
and edge computing, could lead to significant maintenance cost
savings and failure reductions through innovative maintenance
strategies smart manufacturing and transportation for achieving in­
dustrial DT.
• Lee et al. [8] proposed a two-stage data science and reinforcement
learning framework for price forecasting and raw material procure­
ment in the petrochemical industry. The systematic framework was
conducted by (1) collecting the historical prices, contract prices,
capacity operating rate and downstream substitutes in the supply
chain in the “price forecasting stage,” (2) collecting historical in­
ventory, demand and procurement data, and price forecast results
from the previous stage to construct a reinforcement learning-based
procurement decision model (VI). The AI-based technology (i.e.
reinforcement learning) and the digital data-driven technology (i.e.
big data analytics) are taken as DT enablers developed for butadiene
2
Advanced Engineering Informatics 52 (2022) 101547
(BD) price forecasting and procurement decision optimization. The
proposed framework provides an in-depth analysis of factors related
to BD price and procurement and thus plays a significant DT enabler
to support the business process automation and enhance core
competitiveness.
• Chiu et al. [9] attempted to provide the robot arm with the position
and angle information of the object located on the top for grasping in
a robot arm-based manufacturing context (I, IV). A novel AI-based
framework was proposed to integrate two deep learning models,
namely Faster R-CNN (region-based convolutional neural network)
and Mask R-CNN, to detect objects accurately. Faster R-CNN was
adopted to search for the direction reference point of the target, and
Mask R-CNN was utilized to get the segmentation that formed the
basis of an area filter and generated a rotated bounding box. The
theoretical contributions of the proposed method are (1) integrating
the outcomes of two object detection models to solve the problems of
finding the rotation angle of the target and (2) ensuring the target is
well-grasped in piled objects. Practically, the study provided an
innovative solution with advanced DT enabler, i.e., big data analytics
and artificial intelligence for robot arm with high accuracy for
detection to ensure manufacturing quality.
• Lee & Han [10] developed a soccer shoe recommendation system
based on the DT of the retail shoe industry. The recommendation
system was proposed based on Kansei engineering, grey system
theory (GST) and quantification theory type 1 (QT1), considering
customer needs and product design properties (VI). The current
scenario of customers’ purchasing process in a traditional product
selecting way could be upgraded into a new scenario with this system
for recommending suitable products to customers. Moreover, based
on this system, big data of customers’ preferences will be collected.
Then the new product design process for experts might become data-
driven and refine the design process based on the collected customer
purchasing behaviour data. The system can provide purchasing
suggestions for consumers based on their emotional requirements for
soccer shoe selection. After effective DT, the system links shoe ap­
pearances and design elements with the specific customer’s
emotional requirement for bringing a better and faster experience to
customers. Meanwhile, designers can obtain design inspirations by
collecting data on consumers’ emotional needs and analysing the
data-driven requirements adopting the proposed system for bringing
an open innovation and collaborative design process.
• Zhao et al. [11] proposed a novel heterogeneous star graph attention
network titled “SAN” for better forecasting customer preference to
recommend suitable products in an e-commerce platform (VI). The
method comprises two phases: first, the abstract attributes of
customer interactive behaviours and product tiles and other concrete
attributes of a product will be depicted as a star graph. Second, the
node features, node types, and graph structure information were
extracted from the heterogeneous star graph network, comprising
many star graphs. By leveraging the parallel multiple attention
mechanism, SAN can aggregate features and learn weights of nodes
for product representation and abstract attribute prediction. By
incorporating numerous information in the e-commerce and smart
retail scene, the abstract attributes of products could be better pre­
dicted. This way, customer preferred and similar products could be
accurately recommended for customers based on their product se­
lection on the platform—the AI-based and proactive recommenda­
tion system-enabled DTs could be achieved in the industry.
The guest editors thank all the authors for their contributions to the
special issue. Although the path towards DTs will not be short and even,
the work done by the authors in this special issue indicates that it has
become less winding. It is hoped that this special issue will stand as a
small but firm step in that direction. These papers will inspire re­
searchers interested in or involved with DTs to develop or continue their
enthusiasm in this field. Lastly, the guest editors would like to express
Editorial Advanced Engineering Informatics 52 (2022) 101547

sincere appreciation to Professor Chun-Hsien Chen and Timo Hartmann, [9] M.-C. Chiu, H.-Y. Tsai, J.-E. Chiu, A novel directional object detection method for
piled objects using a hybrid region-based convolutional neural network, Adv. Eng.
the Editors in Chief, for their support and advice to make this special
Inf. 51 (2022) 101448, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2021.101448.
issue come true. [10] Y.-C. Lee, W. Han, Soccer shoe recommendation system based on multitechnology
integration for digital transformation, Adv. Eng. Inf. 51 (2022) 101457, https://
Declaration of Competing Interest doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2021.101457.
[11] X. Zhao, Y. Liu, Y. Xu, Y. Yang, X. Luo, C. Miao, Heterogeneous star graph attention
network for product attributes prediction, Adv. Eng. Inf. 51 (2022) 101447,
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2021.101447.
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper. Ching-Hung Lee*
School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University,
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