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Digital Spare Parts Ecosystem: A Strategic Approach to Industrial Advancemen
Alzahmi, Wadhah Saif Hashel Saeed
Alzahmi, Wadhah Saif Hashel Saeed
Date
2025-10
Type
Dissertation
Degree
Citations
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35.330-2025.06a Wadhah Saif Hashel Saeed Alzahmi_COMPRESSED.pdf
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Description
A Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation in Engineering Systems Management by Wadhah Saif Hashel Saeed Alzahmi entitled, “Digital Spare Parts Ecosystem: A Strategic Approach to Industrial Advancement”, submitted in October 2025. Dissertation advisor is Dr. Abdulrahim Shamayleh and dissertation co-advisor is Dr. Marco Stefancich. Soft copy is available (Dissertation, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).
Abstract
Spare parts are essential for maintaining the smooth operations of industrial processes. However, traditional stock-based management methods are becoming less effective due to unpredictable demand, complex global supply chains, and shorter product lifecycles. These challenges often result in higher costs, inefficiencies, and increased risks of downtime and obsolescence. Emerging digital technologies, including additive manufacturing (AM), digital twins, and blockchain, have the potential to transform Spare Parts Management (SPM) by making it more flexible, data-driven, and on-demand. At the center of this transformation lies the concept of Digital Spare Parts (DSP). Despite growing interest, the literature on DSP remains fragmented, marked by conceptual inconsistency, sectoral silos, and methodological narrowness that limit coherence and large-scale applicability. This research aims to address this gap by developing and validating a DSP Ecosystem model that views DSP adoption not as a matter of adopting one technology, but as a transformation of the entire ecosystem. Using a mixed-methods design, the study began by refining and validating the ecosystem enablers through expert interviews and then use Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to map their interdependencies. The results show that DSP adoption depends less on individual technologies and more on the systemic alignment of different dimensions. The study also conducted a gap analysis, an urgency–feasibility assessment, and an impact–effort matrix, which informed the design of strategic actions at both the organizational and national levels. The outcome of all of the analysis resulted in the development of the Decision Support Tool (DST), which organizations can use to assess their readiness for DSP adoption. This research contributes to both theory and practice. It presents the first empirically grounded ecosystem assessment for DSP adoption and delivers a practical DST that enables policymakers and firms to assess their readiness for DSP adoption. Ultimately, this study advances the conversation on DSP, moving it from promise to practice and positioning it as a cornerstone of industrial resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability in the digital
age.