1 

Digital transformation of the interior design 

industry: selected case studies from South Africa, China and 

Canada  

Jun Zhou Xiao 

Student number: 2162059  

Mobile: +27744498004 

Email: 2162059@students.wits.ac.za 

 

Supervisor: Brain Armstrong  

Position: Adjunct Professor 

Phone number: +27117173951 

Email: brian.armstrong@wits.ac.za 

 

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and 

Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the 

requirements for the degree of Master of Management in the field of Digital 

Business 

Johannesburg, 2020 

(Version 2019-2020) 

 

mailto:2162059@students.wits.ac.za


 
2 

KEYWORDS 

1. Digital Technology 

2. Digital Transformation 

3. Interior Design 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
3 

Abstract 

 

In the context of the fourth Industrial Revolution, a series of digital technologies 

were derived. The emergence of these digital technologies has greatly promoted 

the industry's reform and innovation, among which the interior design industry is 

one. This paper mainly discusses the digital transformation of the interior design 

industry and studies the influence of digital technology on the operation of interior 

design enterprises, core design process, interior design products and users 

during the transformation process. This study is based on the feedback of interior 

design companies, designers and users in South Africa, Canada and China. By 

selecting different research objects of different digital infrastructure level, this 

study explores the role and effectiveness of digital technology in the process of 

the digital transformation of the interior design industry. By comparing the 

comprehensive data of different countries, this paper makes a comprehensive 

analysis of the interior design industry from the perspective of the digital 

transformation of interior design enterprises, core digital design process and 

interior design products and services to explore the importance and inevitability 

of digital transformation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
4 

Acknowledgement  

I would like to thank the professor Brain Armstrong from WITS UNIVERSITY for 

his theoretical guidance during the research creation process and his contribution 

to the construction of the research framework. In addition, I would like to express 

my heartfelt thanks to six interior designers from three countries for their 

contributions to the data support of this article. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
5 

Declaration  

I declare that this research is completely done by myself. During the research 

process, my supervisor participated in the theoretical guidance and supervision 

of research. It is submitted as part of the requirements for the Master of 

Management in the field of Digital Business at UNIVERSITY OF THE 

WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG. It has not been submitted before 

obtaining any degree or exam at any other university. I further declare that I have 

obtained the necessary authorization and consent to conduct this research. Jun 

Zhou Xiao 12/02/2021 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
6 

Contents 

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................ 9 

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................ 10 

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................... 12 

1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ................................................................... 12 

1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY ................................................................... 12 

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT ...................................................................... 14 

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................................................... 15 

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ............................................................. 16 

1.6 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ........................................................... 17 

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS ....................................................................... 18 

1.8 ASSUMPTIONS .................................................................................. 19 

1.9 CHAPTER OUTLINE ........................................................................... 20 

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................... 21 

2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 21 

2.2 DEFINITION OF TOPIC ........................................................................ 22 
2.2.1 ENTERPRISE SYSTEM AND DIGITAL PLATFORM ........................................................ 22 
2.2.3 DIGITAL MATURITY ................................................................................................ 25 
2.2.4 DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION  MODEL ....................................................................... 25 
2.2.5 CORE ELEMENTS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ..................................................... 26 
2.2.6 THE APPLICATION OF KPI IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ......................................... 28 
2.2.7  DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CORE DESIGN PROCESS

 29 
2.2.8  THE APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS BENEFICIAL TO ENHANCE USER 

EXPERIENCE AND IMPROVE PRODUCT PERFORMANCE ....................................................................... 30 

2.3 TO WHAT EXTENT HAS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CHANGED  THE ENTERPRISE 

INTERNAL OPERATION PLATFORM AND CORE BUSINESS PROCESSES OF THE 

ENTERPRISE？ ................................................................................. 32 
2.3.1 A STABLE AND EFFICIENT DIGITAL BACK-OFFICE AND FRONT-OFFICE SYSTEM ARE THE 

FOUNDATION OF A COMPANY'S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ................................................................ 32 
2.3.2 THE COMBINATION OF ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS CAN ENHANCE 

THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE ENTERPRISE. ................................................................................ 33 
2.3.3 THE APPLICATION OF THE DIGITAL MATURITY MODEL HELPS ENTERPRISES MEASURE 

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.............................................................................................................. 34 

2.4 TO RESEARCH HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES HAVE TRANSFORMED CORE 

PROCESSES OF THE INTERIOR DESIGN INDUSTRY . ............................... 35 
2.4.1 THE APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DESIGN 

PROCESS AND REDUCES DESIGN COSTS. ......................................................................................... 35 
2.4.2 THE APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CAN BREAK THROUGH DESIGN BARRIERS 

AND EXPAND SOLUTIONS. ............................................................................................................... 36 
2.4.3 THE INTEGRATED DIGITAL PLATFORM ALLOWS DESIGNERS TO OBTAIN BETTER DESIGN 

RESOURCES. 37 



 
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2.4.4 HYPOTHESIS 2 ..................................................................................................... 38 

2.5 TO STUDY THE TRANSFORMATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY INTO USER 

EXPERIENCE AND USERS' EXPECTATIONS OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. 38 
2.5.1  THE APPLY OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES BETTER PERFORMANCE FOR INTERIOR 

DESIGN PRODUCTS. ........................................................................................................................ 38 
2.5.3   HYPOTHESIS 3 ....................................................................................................... 40 

2.6 CONCLUSION OF LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................... 41 
2.6.1 HYPOTHESIS 1 ..................................................................................................... 41 
2.6.2 HYPOTHESIS 2 ..................................................................................................... 41 
2.6.3 HYPOTHESIS 3 ..................................................................................................... 41 
A STABLE AND EFFICIENT DIGITAL BACK-OFFICE AND FRONT-OFFICE SYSTEM ARE THE 

FOUNDATION OF A COMPANY'S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ................................................................ 42 

2.7 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................ 44 
2.7.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................. 44 
2.7.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................... 45 

CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .............................. 47 

3.1 RESEARCH APPROACH ...................................................................... 47 

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................... 47 

3.3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS ............................................................. 49 

3.4 POPULATION AND SAMPLE ................................................................. 50 
3.4.1 POPULATION ........................................................................................................ 50 
3.4.2 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING METHOD ........................................................................... 50 

3.5 THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT ............................................................. 50 

3.6 PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION .................................................. 52 

3.7 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ................................................ 53 

3.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 54 

3.9 TRANSFERABILITY AND DEPENDABILITY ............................................... 55 
3.9.1 TRANSFERABILITY ................................................................................................. 55 
3.9.2 CREDIBILITY ......................................................................................................... 55 
3.9.3 DEPENDABILITY .................................................................................................... 55 

3.10 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS ......................................... 56 

3.11 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................ 57 

Chapter 4 .     PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS ............................ 58 

4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 57 

4.2 FINDING PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 1.............................................. 60 
4.2.1 HYPOTHESIS 1 PART ONE ...................................................................................... 61 
4.2.2 HYPOTHESIS 1 PART TWO ..................................................................................... 64 
4.2.3 HYPOTHESIS 1 PART THREE .................................................................................. 65 

4.3 FINDING PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 2.............................................. 67 
4.3.1 HYPOTHESIS 2 PART ONE ...................................................................................... 68 
4.3.2 HYPOTHESIS 2 PART TWO & THREE........................................................................ 70 

4.4 FINDING PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 3.............................................. 72 
4.4.1 HYPOTHESIS 3 PART ONE ...................................................................................... 74 
4.4.2 HYPOTHESIS 3 PART TWO ..................................................................................... 77 



 
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4.5 FINDING PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 3.............................................. 79 

Chapter 5 .      DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS OR FINDINGS . 80 

5.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 80 

5.2  DISCUSSION PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 1 ............................................ 81 
5.2.1 HYPOTHESIS 1 PART ONE ...................................................................................... 82 
5.2.2 HYPOTHESIS 1 PART TWO ..................................................................................... 83 
5.2.3 HYPOTHESIS 1 PART THREE .................................................................................. 85 

5.3  DISCUSSION PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 2 ............................................ 88 
5.3.1 HYPOTHESIS 2 PART ONE ...................................................................................... 88 
5.3.2 HYPOTHESIS 2 PART TWO ..................................................................................... 90 

5.4  DISCUSSION PERTAINING TO HYPOTHESIS 2 ............................................ 92 
5.4.1 HYPOTHESIS 3 PART ONE ...................................................................................... 92 
5.4.2 HYPOTHESIS 3 PART TWO ..................................................................................... 93 

5.5 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................ 96 

Chapter 6 .      CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS ........... 98 

6.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 98 

6.2  CONCLUSIONS REGARDING RESEARCH QUESTION 1 ................................. 99 

6.3     CONCLUSIONS REGARDING RESEARCH QUESTION 2............................. 100 

6.4  CONCLUSIONS REGARDING RESEARCH QUESTION 3 ............................... 102 

6.5  RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................... 103 

6.6  SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .............................................. 104 

Appendix A……………………………………………………………………...110 

Appendix B……………………………………………………………………...112 

Appendix C……………………………………………………………………...113 

Appendix D……………………………………………………………………...114 

Appendix E……………………………………………………………………...120 

 

 



 
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LIST OF TABLES 

Table 1: The advantages of digital software compared with traditional design 

methods(Yildirim & Arzu, 2012). ....................................................................... 30 

Table 2: Explore the user value proposition...................................................... 31 

Table 3: Consistency table ............................................................................... 43 

Table 4: Theoretical Framework ....................................................................... 44 

Table 5: Conceptual Framework ....................................................................... 45 

Table 6: Research Design Framework ............................................................. 48 

Table 7: Interview schedule for hypothesis 1 .................................................... 60 

Table 8: Interview feedback of hypothesis 1 part one ....................................... 62 

Table 9:Interview feedback of hypothesis 1 part two ........................................ 64 

Table 10:Interview feedback of hypothesis 1 part three ................................... 65 

Table 11:Interview schedule for hypothesis 2 ................................................... 67 

Table 12:Interview feedback of hypothesis 2 part one ...................................... 69 

Table 13:Interview feedback of hypothesis 2 part two & three.......................... 71 

Table 14:Questionnaire schedule for hypothesis 3 ........................................... 72 

Table 15:Questionnaire feedback of hypothesis 3 part one .............................. 75 

Table 16:Questionnaire feedback of hypothesis 3 part two. ............................. 77 

Table 17: Consistency table ........................................................................... 114 

 

 

 



 
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LIST OF FIGURES  

Figure 1: South Africa: Number of internet users ineach region compared to total 

population .(Source frome Digital 2020: South Africa ). .................................... 16 

Figure 2: The investment of enterprises in enterprise digital construction is 

different from 2011 and 2014(Sedera, Lokuge, Grover, Sarker, Sarker S, 2016).

 ......................................................................................................................... 22 

Figure 3: Integration of enterprise systems and digital platforms(Sedera, Lokuge, 

Grover, Sarker, Sarker S, 2016). ...................................................................... 23 

Figure 4: Performance measurement system working framework .................... 24 

Figure 5: Digital Maturity Model(Armstrong, 2019) ........................................... 25 

Figure 6: Digital Transformation Model (McAfee, Bonnet & Westerman, 2014) 26 

Figure 7: KPI data process ............................................................................... 28 

Figure 8: Traditional modeling techniques and 3D modeling techniques(Yildirim 

& Arzu, 2012) .................................................................................................... 29 

Figure 9: The scope that affects the user experience(Peters,Calvo & Ryan, 

2018) ................................................................................................................ 30 

Figure 10:  Digital transformation development line .......................................... 32 

Figure 11: Digital Maturity and Digital transformation(Sourse from Brain 

Armstrong 2019) ............................................................................................... 34 

Figure 12: Traditional interior design hand drawing (Source from Lucina Ortiz, 

Hotel Le Meurice France Practice Drawing.) .................................................... 36 

Figure 13: 3D-Printed shaped chairs(Source 3D printing designer Beatrice 

Müller)............................................................................................................... 37 

Figure 14: Application of AR and VR technology in interior design ................... 39 

Figure 15: Open smart interior design platform (from Kujile design platform). .. 40 

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Figure 16：Chapter 5 data analysis framework. ............................................... 80 

Figure 17:Digital Maturity Model(Armstrong, 2019)(For Chapter 5) .................. 85 

Figure 18:Digital Transformation Model (McAfee, Bonnet & Westerman, 

2014)(For Chapter 5) ........................................................................................ 86 

Figure 19：Feedback of questionnaire question 7(South Africa) ..................... 94 

Figure 20：Feedback of questionnaire question 7(China)(Same order of 

questions and answers as the other two countries） ....................................... 94 

Figure 21：Feedback of questionnaire question 7(Canada) ............................ 94 

Figure 22:Framework of Chapter 6 ................................................................... 98 

Figure 23: Interview and questionnaire framework. ........................................ 118 

 

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 

1.1 Purpose of the study 

After the fourth Industrial Revolution, new digital technology has been coming 

into people's vision. Interior design industry is one of the carriers of digital 

technology in this era. The main objective of this study is to explore the digital 

transformation of interior design industry in South Africa, compare with the 

advantages and disadvantages of other countries in the world, and discuss the 

importance of digital transformation to interior design industry in South Africa and 

its future development trend. 

1.2 Context of the study 

“The interior design is to create an ideal indoor living space for customers by 

using appropriate techniques and artistic techniques according to the 

characteristics, environment and corresponding standards of the building (Liu Y, 

2005).” Interior Design is an emerging industry (Liu Y, 2005). Although it is only 

a matter of recent decades. As early as in ancient times, people began to 

organize and consciously arrange their lives and participate in production 

activities. They used available materials around them to build and decorate their 

homes and surrounding environment. 

“It can be traced back to the prehistoric Stone Age. People built their own 

residences through primitive stone, wood and other basic materials, and gave 

these materials different functions (Mike, 2013).” The traditional interior design 

process is mainly divided into measurement, drawing, and construction (Liu Y, 

2005). Traditional interior design  require more time and labor costs to complete 

different stages of work and are susceptible to more complex and diverse 

uncertainties. “For instance, there is a measurement deviation in the 

measurement room size, the rationality of the customer's wishes during the 

design process, and the deviation between the rendering and the final 

construction effect (Wang, 2020).” 



 
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At the same time, the digital management system can better improve the 

operational efficiency and work quality of various departments within the 

enterprise. From the company’s back-end system and core operations to the 

company’s front-end system, RPA and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have 

narrowed the distance between departments, improved the efficiency of 

cooperation between departments, and provided more authority for core business 

and processes. The solution replaces the high-risk work in the traditional work 

model; and provides managers and related departments with safer and more 

effective digital data through digital tools to control risks; or can replace 

departments that require a large number of paper documents and manual 

operations, to save the comprehensive cost of the enterprise and improve the 

work efficiency of the enterprise. 

“At the same time, the emergence of 3D, Augmented Reality (AR), AI and other 

digital technologies has completely overturned the traditional interior design 

industry (Bahareh, 2014).” Traditional interior design will face the problems of 

measurement accuracy and low measurement efficiency in the early stage of 

measuring the size, but the emergence of 3D scanners perfectly solves this 

difficulty. “By placing the 3D scanner in the center of the room reasonably, 

depending on the room size, the scanner can complete a complete indoor size 

scan within 3-5 minutes and draw a 3D model (Schwab, 2016 ).” 

In the construction of design drawings and the later stage of product delivery, 

traditional interior design may face the problem of inconsistent physical objects 

and hand-drawn renderings, or ultimately fail to meet customer needs. The 

application of AR-augmented reality technology also perfectly solves this 

dilemma. “AR technology refers to the combination of virtual images and reality 

through technical means, and the creation of images that combine virtual and 

reality, mostly using mobile phones or tablets as carriers (Chang, 2020).” Before 

the product is delivered, the user can intuitively obtain the post-construction 

image, and can modify the overall design scheme on the device instantly, which 

increases the efficiency of the overall design schedule and reduces the rework 

rate. 



 
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The emergence of these digital technologies has subverted the development of 

the entire interior design industry to a certain extent, but even so, not all countries’ 

interior design industries have a unified operating mode, design process and 

design standards. “The final result of interior design is subject to a series of 

factors such as the delivery party, the design company's operation mode, the 

degree of digitization, cultural factors, geographic factors and psychological 

factors that will directly affect the development and progress of the industry (Liu 

Y, 2005).” 

The emergence of these digital technologies has brought disruptive changes to 

the operation management process, design process and final products of interior 

design companies. Digital technology has brought a disruptive impact on the 

development, operation, core design process, products and customers of the 

South African interior design industry. 

1.3 Problem Statement 

The main challenge is to use the digital technology brought about by the Fourth 

Industrial Revolution to identify the changes and disruptive innovations brought 

about by the ongoing digital transformation of the interior design industry in South 

Africa and other parts of the world. In the enterprise, how does the application of 

digital technology affect the internal management and operation process of the 

enterprise? Compared with the past operation mode, does embedded digital 

technology improve the efficiency and quality of internal management and 

operation, in contrast to traditional operation management Modes, back-end 

systems, core business processes, and front-end systems, in which respects 

bring corresponding improvements for enterprises, and digital transformation into 

the advantages and development prospects of the interior design industry. Is 

digital transformation necessary for interior design companies? Can all business 

processes and work processes be replaced by digital technology? On the other 

hand, in the core design process, has the application of digital technology 

overturned the traditional interior design model? Can the highly intelligent and 

efficient digital technology replace the transmission design model? Does the core 

design process bring a broader space for development? What changes and 



 
15 

effects does the new design process have on designers and products? Finally, 

digital technology will bring innovation and impact on product performance and 

user experience. Will consumers Is it acceptable to present interior design works 

in digital mode? In addition, at what level does the application of digital technology 

in interior design products and services affect user experience and what users 

expect from products and services? Will this impact provide more possibilities for 

customer needs? 

1.4 Research Questions 

“This academic paper is to explore the digital technology brought about by the 

fourth industrial revolution, which has brought many opportunities and challenges 

to different industries (Xu, David & Kim, 2018).” In the interior design industry, 

digital technology has also brought corresponding opportunities and industrial 

innovation to South Africa and the global interior design industry. 

This research intends to discuss the changes and innovations that digital 

technology has brought to South Africa and the global interior design industry. 

The research questions are: 

1) To what extent has digital technology changed the  internal operational 

platforms and core business processes of the interior design enterprise? 

 

- How does the back-end system maintain the development of the enterprise and 

the operation of core business processes? 

- What role does the application of enterprise system and digital platform play in 

enterprise development ? 

- What is the impact of digital maturity in the enterprise digitization process ? 

 

2) In what aspects has digital technology changed the core service 

offering of the interior design industry?  

 

 



 
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-How has digital technology changed the performance of core service offering in 

the interior design industry? 

-What problems does the application of digital technology solve for the design 

process? 

-What advantages does the application of digital platform bring to the design 

process? 

 

3) How does digital technology, as applied with regard to (1) and (2) 

above,  improve  user experience ? 

 

-How does digital technology affect product performance? 

-What is the impact of digital technologies used in interior design products and 

processes on users? 

1.5 Significance of the study 

The digital technology brought to the world by the Fourth Industrial Revolution will 

completely change the world's industrial structure. The interior design industry is 

no exception. “Digital technology has completely changed the relationship 

between companies and employees and customers (Daniel B, 2018).”

 

Figure 1: South Africa: Number of internet users ineach region compared to total population .(Source frome Digital 2020: South Africa). 



 
17 

“According to the survey results, by 2020, Internet users in South Africa will 

account for 60% of the total population, ranking first in Africa (Kemp, 2020).” This 

provided a stable foundation for the subsequent digital development of South 

Africa. 

Under the background and conditions of this era, the main research significance 

of this article is to promote enterprise digital transformation and innovation. What 

these changes and innovations mean for the South African and global design 

industry. In addition, in the process of digital transformation of the interior design 

industry, the emergence of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, 

RPA, AR, and 3D has changed the internal business management model, core 

business process, design process and product performance. Whether the 

optimization brought about by the digital transformation of design products and 

services can further meet the needs of users, improve user experience and 

experience the new value that digital technology brings to interior design 

products. 

1.6 Delimitations of the study 

This paper mainly studies the changes and innovations brought by digital 

transformation to interior design industry in South Africa and around the world. 

The first aspect is the internal operation and management system of the 

enterprise, which involves the back-office system, the core business process and 

the front-office system of the enterprise. The second aspect is the application of 

digital technology in the core design process of interior design enterprises, the 

change of design methods, and the improvement of the performance of design 

tools. The third aspect mainly studies the performance of digital technology on 

the performance and quality of interior design products and services, as well as 

the impact on user demand and user experience. 

 

 



 
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1.7 Definition of terms 

Inrerior design  

Interior design is the secondary design of architectural space. By integrating 

architectural, technological, environmental and visual factors, it finally provides 

people with a comfortable and comfortable living environment that meets their 

personal needs (Liu Y, 2005). 

Digital technologies  

AI- (Artificial intelligence) By simulating human intelligence on machines and 

programming, human behavior and way of thinking can be realized on different 

carriers (Frankenfield J,2020). 

AR- Augmented reality is achieved by combining the two scenarios.A sensor is 

used to scan an object and an AR program is used to generate a set of 3D images 

in the first scene of U.At the same time, the location and scene details are 

determined in the second scene through the sensors in the mobile device 

(gyroscope, camera, etc). After the process is over, the first scene and the second 

scene are combined to complete the augmented reality (Balaban D,2019). 

RPA- Robotic Process Automation, RPA is a digital technology that is managed 

by business logic and structured inputs to automate business processes.With 

RPA tools, companies can configure software or "robots" to handle transactions, 

manipulate data, trigger responses, and communicate with other digital systems  

(Boulton, 2018). 

3D Scaner- A professional measuring device used to measure the shape, size 

and appearance of an object. The collected data is consolidated and calculated, 

and a digital model of the object is generated (Joseph P, 2004). 

IOT-The Internet of Things (IOT) refers to a network of intelligent identification, 

location, tracking and supervision through information sensing devices such as 

RADIO frequency identification, infrared sensors, global positioning, laser 

scanning and so on, which can be connected to any object according to the 

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/072215/investors-turn-artificial-intelligence.asp


 
19 

agreed protocol for information exchange and communication (Kong, 2009). In 

the field of interior design application and intelligent home connectivity. 

3DS MAX & CAD-By inputting building data information into CAD, accurate 

design drawings can be generated, and accurate scheme drawings, plans and 

construction drawings can be provided for the design scheme. Then, the 

generated CAD drawings are imported into 3DS MAX software to generate 3D 

three-dimensional models for rendering three-dimensional renderings. 

3D Printing -3D Printing is a manufacturing process, according to the 

requirements of different industries, can use different raw materials for printing, 

through the digital 3D model by superimposing manufacturing into tangible 3D 

objects, break through the traditional manufacturing in material, shape, the 

structure of the restrictions, can according to the actual demand, print out the 

data precision of 3D objects (Lacoma, 2020). In the field of interior design, it is 

mainly used in the production of some special-shaped homes and architectural 

structures. 

1.8 Assumptions 

The digital technology brought by the fourth Industrial Revolution can effectively 

promote the development of interior design industry in South Africa and the whole 

world.In the interior design enterprise, by building stable and efficient front and 

back office systems, the core business process inside the enterprise can run 

more efficiently and smoothly.Mainly aimed at the interior design industry, it can 

effectively improve the internal work efficiency and work output. On the other 

hand, the application of AR, 3D and other technologies can effectively improve 

the operation quality of design tools and provide more extensive functions for 

design works and services. Secondly, it will also improve the quality and 

performance of the design products, further meet the needs of consumers and 

improve the user experience. 

 

In this research report, interviewees will be accurately classified according to 

different research objectives. In terms of studying the internal operation and 



 
20 

management of enterprises and the application of digital technology in the 

internal system of enterprises, the internal core staff design enterprises will be 

interviewed to discuss the necessity and mode of digital transformation of the 

interior design industry. In this part of the core design process, through interviews 

with professional designers in the industry, from a professional perspective, 

discuss the application of digital technology in interior design. Study the core 

design process, design mode and design technology, and study the improvement 

and transformation of the core design process by digital technology. In terms of 

product performance and services, through questionnaire surveys, the consumer 

groups who have purchased or experienced interior design products and services 

are surveyed. This article studies the corresponding positive effects of digital 

technology applications on product performance and user experience. 

1.9 Chapter Outline  

The whole research report covers a total of three chapters 

Chapter 1 outlines the overall research direction and explores the impact of digital 

transformation on the interior design industry in South Africa and other parts of 

the world. Summarized the purpose, background and significance of the 

research. 

The second chapter mainly discusses all the documents and theories that support 

this paper. Starting from the perspective of digital transformation, supported by 

digital technology, from a professional and academic perspective, it provides a 

theoretical basis for digital transformation and the application of digital 

technology. 

The third chapter mainly introduces the main research methods. Through 

targeted selection of research samples, the data is integrated and analyzed. To 

combine theoretical literature and practical research results for academic 

discussion. 



 
21 

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 

2.1 Introduction 

The impact of the fourth Industrial Revolution on business was devastating.The 

emergence of digital technologies have created a new direction for the future 

development of enterprises. The new digital platform management architecture 

has brought more excellent solutions for the management and distribution of 

enterprise internal information and data, improved the management system, and 

optimized the core business processes within the enterprise. In the process of 

digital transformation, some departments or processes with traditional working 

mode are replaced by digital technologies, such as logistics department, 

customer service department and internal database of the company.On the one 

hand, the application of AI and RPA technology can make the company's 

background and front end system more efficient and tacit cooperation.Secondly, 

the application of digital technology can replace the business process that 

originally needs a lot of manual or paper documents to improve the overall 

operation and management efficiency within the company. Provide technical 

support for the digital transformation of enterprises. 

“In the interior design process, certain processes are necessary and cannot be 

replaced. For example, the measurement of indoor various size data, rendering 

of renderings, etc (Kang, 2009).” However, digital technology has greatly 

improved the scalability and performance of these traditional design steps. The 

main wisdom of interior designers is to solve problems when designing products 

according to customer standards (Mortezapour, 2014). Then, the technological 

upgrading brought about by digital technology can largely solve the obstacles 

faced in the interior design process. For example, 3Dmax software can present 

design schemes more vividly and accurately, and 3D printing technology makes 

it possible to model interior design that was impossible before. 

The application of digital technology in interior design as a medium can enhance 

the interaction and participation of participants with design works at the visual 

and sensory levels. In this way, design works can give participants a more 



 
22 

intuitive, clear feeling and enhance the experience (Hajji, 2017). On the other 

hand, digital technologies have improved the performance and effects of interior 

design products, which can increase users’ benefits while increasing people’s 

attention to the interior design industry. Thereby improving the status of South 

Africa's interior design industry in the industry chain. It also has a positive impact 

on the image of interior designers in people's hearts. 

2.2 Definition of topic  

2.2.1 Enterprise system and digital platform 

“In today's fierce market competition, how to maximize enterprise resources and 

how to integrate digital technology into the enterprise's resource allocation is the 

key to maintaining its market competitiveness (Sedera, Lokuge, Grover, Sarker, 

Sarker S, 2016).” 

 

Figure 2 : The investment of enterprises in enterprise digital construction is different from 2011 and 2014 .(Sedera, Lokuge, Grover, Sarker, 

Sarker S, 2016). 

It can be seen from Figure 2 that enterprises are gradually shifting their 

development and operation focus from enterprise systems to digital technologies. 

Therefore, in the current era, how to more effectively and rationally combine 

digital technologies with enterprise systems is an inevitable trend for enterprise 

development. 



 
23 

 

 

Figure 3: Integration of enterprise systems and digital platforms(Sedera, Lokuge, Grover, Sarker, Sarker S, 2016). 

Compared with the traditional business process of enterprise systems, the 

introduction of digital technology has undoubtedly solved the obstacles and 

difficulties faced by enterprises in the development process to a great extent 

(Sedera, Lokuge, Governor, Sarker, Sarker S, 2016). For example, cloud 

technology can improve the storage capacity and transmission efficiency of 

enterprise internal information. Due to the emergence of mobile digital platforms, 

product reservations and other services provide customers with more choices. 

The development model is also suitable for interior design companies. Through 

the customized enterprise system and digital platform, the operation efficiency of 

the enterprise is improved, and the interaction between the enterprise and the 

customer is strengthened. 

2.2.2  The enterprise efficiency Assessment framework helps interior   

design firms monitor their departments' real-time digital development . 

“The performance evaluation system can effectively measure and monitor the 

development status of various departments in the organization, and obtain the 

problems in the enterprise operation process and the gap with the core 

development strategy of the enterprise from the feedback data (Folan & Browne, 

2005).” In the performance appraisal system, according to the core of the 

company's development strategy, the corresponding indicators are set for the 

project and development goals, and the indicators are completed in a timely and 

continuous manner and the problems in the operation process are monitored. 



 
24 

Based on this, provide corresponding solutions to ensure the innovative 

development of the enterprise. 

 

Figure 4: Performance measurement system working framework. 

In the interior design industry, the main departments that need to set indicators 

and monitor the performance in real time are the design department, the sales 

department, and the user experience department related to after-sales service. 

As shown in Figure 3, different departments set different performance standards, 

but all performance standards are designed according to the core development 

strategy of the enterprise itself.For example, the performance index of the design 

department should focus on the design period, design budget and utilization rate 

of designers. The performance evaluation of after-sales and user experience 

departments should focus on user feedback, scheme rework rate and other 

factors. On a monthly or quarterly basis, check the performance information of 

each department from the company's background management system, analyze 

and regulate the generated data, and implement appropriate solutions to ensure 

the stable operation of each department. 

 



 
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2.2.3 Digital maturity  

“There are two main functional divisions in digital maturity. They are "Leadership 

& Strategy" and "Digital Enablement & Adoption" (Armstrong, 2019).” The main 

function of this model is to analyze the digital maturity of an enterprise from a 

multi-dimensional perspective. By continuously deepening the understanding of 

digitalization of enterprises and leaders, discover the problems of enterprises 

themselves and establish digital solutions. From an overall perspective, 

strengthen the company's digital transformation. Build a digital development 

direction for the enterprise to complete the digital transformation of the enterprise 

(Armstrong, 2019). 

 

Figure 5: Digital Maturity Model(Armstrong, 2019). 

In this research, we will use digital maturity as a model to compare the digital 

maturity of South Africa interior Design industry and other countries. Finally, 

analyze the gaps and differences between the digitalization of South Africa 

interior design industry and other countries. 

2.2.4 Digital Transformation  Model 

The emergence of digital technologies, for instance social networking, cloud 

technology, and mobile internet are all boosters that influence the rise of business 

in current environment. The digital transformation model can let us know of how 



 
26 

it works  and how to use these digital technologies to create maximum efficiency 

for enterprises operation. 

“Building digital capabilities and transforming the customer experience are at the 

center of digital transformation (McAfee, Bonnet and Westerman, 2014).” 

Especially for the interior design industry where customer experience is the core 

development project, through the application of the digital transformation model 

(Figure 6), explore the gap between the company itself and the highly digitalized 

company, and use technical means to digitally train employees and improve 

Digital strategy, process optimization, etc, promote the company's digital 

transformation projects, and continue to move closer to highly digital enterprises. 

Ultimately, it will enhance the overall strength and competitiveness of interior 

design companies in the digital age. 

 

Figure 6: Digital Transformation Model (McAfee, Bonnet & Westerman, 2014). 

 

2.2.5 Core elements of digital transformation  

The enterprise's business process digitization, Enablement of workers and a full-

fledged digital performance management system will facilitate the enterprise's 

digital transformation.” Companies are not only transforming the way processes 



 
27 

work, they are redefining the interactions between functions and even changing 

the boundaries and activities of the company (McAfee, Bonnet & Westerman, 

2014).” In the process of enterprise digital transformation, we should pay attention 

to the following points: 

1. Digitalization of core business processes 

 

The application of emerging digital technologies, such as RPA, AI and other 

technologies, can enable companies to focus their employees on more strategic 

tasks. The rational application of digital technology can enable employees to 

focus on challenges and innovations instead of consuming time on a single task. 

 

2.Worker Enablement 

 

The work process is completely separated from the work location. Borrow the 

network, cloud technology and other carriers to realize the virtual working mode. 

Employees can complete required tasks at any place and any time. With powerful 

network tools and cloud technical support, you can communicate with anyone in 

the enterprise at any place, and get the work resources you need at any time. 

 

3.Performance Management  

 

The high-quality performance detection system enables managers to understand 

the core business process of the enterprise and the efficiency of each department 

from a deeper perspective. According to the overall effectiveness of the situation, 

timely adjustment of strategic deployment and work arrangements. 

 

4.Digitally Modified Businesses 

 

Through digital technology, to transform the core business model of the 

enterprise. Use digital technology to support the core business process of the 

enterprise and provide it with more comprehensive solutions and development 

space. 
 



 
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5.New Digital Businesses 

 

Enterprises enrich their product chain by launching digital products as a 

supplement to their products. 

 

6.Digital Globalization 

 

Through the combination of digital technology and integrated information, the 

company's development strategy is transformed into globalization. Make the 

development, operation and management of the enterprise share the income 

from the whole world. On the other hand, the global sharing effect can also 

effectively enable enterprises to improve transformation efficiency and reduce 

risks in the process of digital transformation. 

2.2.6 The application of KPI in Digital Transformation  

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a tool to decompose enterprise strategic 

objectives into operational work objectives, which is the foundation of enterprise 

Performance management. KPI enables the department head to define the main 

responsibilities of the department and, on this basis, to define the performance 

measurement indicators of the department personnel. By designing a KPI with 

associated attributes, you can evaluate these attributes for the business model. 

Enter all known factors or KPIs into it. “By comparing rules and formulas with the 

knowledge base, the output guides the company on what to do at any given time 

to prevent business decline (Jordan, 2020).” 

Figure 7 : KPI data process 



 
29 

Set different digital indicators for different departments, observe the 

comprehensive work situation of each department in the enterprise from the 

background system, and constantly adjust the business and management mode 

of the department according to the reverse data. Digital KPI index can also 

intuitively show the digital transformation status of each department, and facilitate 

the management to constantly modify and strengthen the digital development 

strategy of the enterprise in the process of digital transformation. 

2.2.7  Digital technology to improve the performance of the core 

design process 

By the sustaining developing of digital technology, some digital technologies 

developed for interior design are also widely used. For example, 3DS MAX, CAD 

and VR, are software designed for design (Yildirima & Yavuz, 2012). These 

softwares have greatly improved the reliability and operational efficiency of the 

design scheme. The precise drawing of the design plan through the computer 

reduces the error caused by the original hand-drawn form (Figure 7). “At the same 

time, the design plan is presented in a 3DS stereoscopic form, which enables 

meticulous observation of the design project from multiple angles, and more 

intuitively sees the problems of the design plan itself, and can provide more 

suitable solutions (Mortezapour,2014).” 

Compared with traditional design methods, digital design software can enable 

designers to complete design work more efficiently, and provide customers with 

more products commensurate with their design standards according to different 

structures of buildings. The performance of delivered design works is better than 

traditional design works (Table 1). 

Figure 8 : Traditional modeling techniques and 3D modeling techniques(Yildirim & Arzu, 2012) 



 
30 

 

Table 1 : The advantages of digital software compared with traditional design methods(Yildirim & Arzu, 2012). 

2.2.8  The application of digital technology is beneficial to enhance 

user experience and improve product performance  

The process of applying digital technologies to  interior design must have a 

certain pertinence, and use corresponding technology according to the 

requirments of customers in different design processes. The three main aspects 

that can improve the user experience are motivation, engagement and 

happiness. “According to the unique needs of different customers,  based on 

these three aspects, the design scheme is set according to the different functions 

and characteristics of digital technology to meet customer needs from a full range 

of perspectives and enhance user experience (Peters, Calvo & Ryan, 2018).” 

 

Figure 9 : The scope that affects the user experience(Peters,Calvo & Ryan, 2018). 

“There are four main steps in how digitalization gradually affects user experience 

from the shallower to the deeper. 1. interface, a part of the interaction between 

the terminal interface and the user. 2. Tasks, users themselves are part of the 

technical implementation. 3. behavior, the user initiates the behavior of 



 
31 

supporting technology. 4. Life, the field involved in technology is part of the user's 

life (Calvo & Peters, 2014).” (Figure 9) Therefore, when formulating the actual 

indoor plan, it is necessary to consider from different angles to improve the 

interaction and participation of users with the involved plan as much as possible. 

 

2.2.9      Explore the user value proposition from a digital perspective 

“To successfully drive digital transformation, companies should focus on two 

complementary activities: reshaping customer value propositions and using 

digital technologies to improve operations to better interact and collaborate with 

customers(Berman, 2012).” 

The application of digital technology in interior design products should not be 

limited to improving the performance and quality of products, but should pay more 

attention to the interaction with customers. In this strategy, the main focus is 1. 

Discover the user's value proposition. 2. Change the operation mode. Apply the 

advantages of digital technology to activities that provide insight into user needs, 

meet user expectations, and enhance interaction with users. Digital technology 

is used to continuously explore, enhance, integrate and expand users' value 

propositions (Table 2) to gradually improve user experience, create greater 

development space for products and services, and complete the digital 

transformation of products and services.  

                                         Table 2 : Explore the user value proposition. 



 
32 

2.3 To what extent has digital technology changed  the 

enterprise internal operation platform and core business 

processes of the enterprise？ 

Through the combination of digital management technology and enterprise 

system, improve the overall operation efficiency of interior design enterprises and 

increase output.In addition, regular evaluation of the digital maturity of interior 

design enterprises can ensure the sustainable competitiveness of enterprises in 

the development process, find out the deficiencies reflected in the process of 

enterprise digital transformation, and can make timely strategic adjustment. 

2.3.1 A stable and efficient digital back-office and front-office 

system are the foundation of a company's digital 

transformation 

A strong digital enterprise requires a strong enough back-office and front-office 

system to support the operation and innovation of the entire enterprise. Its core 

business processes and front-office services are supported by a complete and 

efficient back-office business. For example, user data, enterprise internal data, 

process operation mode, enterprise management and other core business are 

stored, transmitted and fed back by the background operating system.As shown 

in the figure, the ultimate direction of enterprise digital transformation is a 

complete enterprise digital back-office system to maintain the development of 

enterprise digital. For interior design companies, perfect back-office sysytem 

Figure 10 :  Digital transformation development line. 



 
33 

means that the company can provide customers with more efficient and high-

quality interior design works, as well as consulting, budgeting and after-sales 

services, and provide data support for the front-office system. Within the 

enterprise, it means that employees can complete the projects they are 

responsible for in an organized and hierarchical way with the highest efficiency. 

Therefore, an excellent and complete back-office digital operating system is the 

basic element for interior design enterprises to complete digital transformation. 

For enterprises, with the help of cloud technology and RPA to establish digital 

internal channels and establish internal databases, each department enjoys a 

professional data storage platform and process automation design model. For 

example, when the sales department needs more product data, they can ask the 

business department Implementation of obtaining information in internal 

databases. The system will send notifications to designers in the design 

department, and assign one or more employees to provide technical support for 

the sales project. At the user level, there are dedicated databases and RPA 

models for all user information and design product information. You can access 

the front-end system to complete the understanding of the company’s design 

product information. For example, when a user visits the design company’s portal 

website, the system will analyze the user’s personal information about login and 

purchase intentions, and provide corresponding AI robot assistance, according 

to user needs (Such as design style, budget and other factors) assign the 

corresponding sales staff. This series of system operation modes, front-end 

operations, designer classification and a series of user-centric behaviors are all 

due to the powerful digital back-end system. 

2.3.2 The combination of enterprise systems and digital platforms 

can enhance the overall strength of the enterprise. 

“The enterprise system is a complex computing system that accurately 

coordinates the internal resources of the enterprise through the processing of 

large-scale data (Xu & Vrieze, 2016).” 

“The enterprise system (ES) combined with the digital platform can produce a 

disruptive improvement in fundamental efficiency and output (Sedera, Lokuge, 



 
34 

Grover, Sarker, Sarker S, 2016).”  Through RPA (Robot Process Automation), 

big data Analysis, cloud storage and other technologies applied to enterprise 

operating procedures can strengthen the information storage capacity and 

operating efficiency of the system, and provide more powerful computing 

capabilities for complex tasks. At the same time, it can enhance the interaction 

between companies and customers, provide customers with better corporate 

services, and increase customer loyalty. 

 

2.3.3 The application of the digital maturity model helps enterprises 

measure digital transformation. 

“Through the analysis of the company's own situation, starting from the two main 

levels of "leadership and strategy" and "digital realization and adoption" 

(Armstrong, 2019).” Starting from the internal environment of the enterprise and 

the application degree of enterprise digital technology, comprehensively analyze 

the current status of enterprise development, formulate digital strategic solutions, 

establish enterprise digital awareness, and promote enterprise digital 

transformation.

 

Figure 11 : Digital Maturity and Digital transformation(Sourse from Brain Armstrong 2019). 

“Combined with the digital transformation model, the results are based on the 

analysis of digital maturity. According to the company's own status quo, and for 

its future development direction, construct a digital goal. With the steps of 

Framing the digital challenge-Foucusing investment-Mobilizing the organization-

Sustaining the digital transition  (McAfee, Bonnet &  Westerman, 2014),” 



 
35 

gradually complete the digital transformation of the enterprise and enhance the 

digital maturity of the enterprise. 

2.3.4      Hypothesis 1  

 

The application of digital technology can promote the digital transformation of 

enterprises, improve the internal management model of enterprises, and 

enhance the development of enterprise core business processes. 

 

2.4 To research how digital technologies have transformed 

core processes of the interior design Industry . 

The application of digital technology improves the efficiency of the design process 

and reduces design costs. “For example, the popularization of design software 

such as 3DS MAX and Raino can display graphic design drafts in three-

dimensional form in front of designers, eliminating the time for manual model 

building and possible errors during manual operation (Mortezapour,2014).” On 

the other hand, it also provides more solutions to the design barriers faced by the 

interior design industry. 

2.4.1 The application of digital technology improves the efficiency 

of the design process and reduces design costs. 

The interior design process is mainly divided into measurement, drawing (Figure 

12) and construction steps. In terms of measurement, interior design in the 

traditional sense requires professionals to go inside the building to measure the 

dimensions and spatial data. In this process, there are usually centimeter-level 

errors. “The impact of such errors on the final design is devastating.By using a 

3D scanner, indoor data errors are reduced to within microns and measurements 

are transmitted seamlessly to a computer (Schwab, 2016).” Modeling software 

(3DS MAX, RAINO, etc), then stretches and models the precise data drawing.On 

the one hand, this method can greatly reduce the probability of error of 



 
36 

measurement data and reduce the cost of measurement.Secondly, due to the 

accuracy of the data, in the later construction design scheme, it can also avoid 

the construction problems caused by inaccurate data and avoid rework. 

 

Figure 12 : Traditional interior design hand drawing (Source from Lucina Ortiz, Hotel Le Meurice France Practice Drawing). 

Secondly, the cycle of hand drawing and data measurement far exceeds the cycle 

of 3D modeling. The application of digital technology can accelerate the design 

process to a large extent, leaving time for construction and final product delivery, 

greatly improving the efficiency of the entire design process and saving design 

costs. 

 

2.4.2 The application of digital technology can break through 

design barriers and expand solutions. 

In the initial planning drawing stage, traditional interior design needs to 

summarize the data measured by professionals, listen to the opinions of 

customers, and hand draw the design scheme. In this process, the designer 

needs a lot of time to modify the design drawings repeatedly according to 

customers' opinions. The main reason is that the hand-drawn renderings cannot 

fully meet some specific scenes or some special customer needs.However, the 

application of corresponding digital technology can completely solve this 

problem. “For example, the application of 3D software mentioned above, as well 

as CAD and Rhino, can overcome the limitation of hand-drawing and complete 

the design scheme according to the indoor environment characteristics and 

customer requirements (Mortezapour, 2014).” 



 
37 

 

Figure 13 : 3D-Printed shaped chairs(Source 3D printing designer Beatrice Müller). 

In the process of scheme design, due to the special or special customization 

requirements of interior structure, the design drawings often cannot fully meet the 

special requirements of the scheme. But the advent of 3D printing completely 

solves this problem. Through three-dimensional modeling of the objects to be 

printed (special-shaped furniture, special indoor structure, etc), appropriate 3D 

printing materials are selected, and the printing data is checked before printing 

(Saad, 2016). The application of this technology extends the formulation of design 

solutions and construction solutions, and opens up a broader vision for the interior 

design industry. 

2.4.3 The integrated digital platform allows designers to obtain 

better design resources. 

In the design process, designers will face many challenges such as customer 

needs, technical constraints and insufficient design resources. At this level, it is 

particularly important to establish a digital platform to integrate the resources of 

various departments in the enterprise. Designers can adapt to different design 

requirements, Mobilize limited resources within the enterprise, such as 

completing difficult modeling with the support of the design technology 

department. With the support of design resources from other design departments, 

we can obtain more comprehensive design materials. The sales department and 

background information support to meet the user's design needs and budget 

requirements from a deeper perspective. Use multi-departmental resource 



 
38 

integration to improve the efficiency of the design process and the quality of 

design products. 

2.4.4 Hypothesis 2  

The application of digital technology optimizes the core design process, improve 

production efficiency and reduce expenses, providing integrated resources, 

higher operational efficiency and better solutions. 

2.5 To study the transformation of digital technology into 

user experience and users' expectations of products and 

services. 

2.5.1  The application of digital technologies provides better 

performance for interior design products. 

Through the use of AR, VR, smart home embedding and other technical methods, 

we can strengthen users' participation in the design process and final design 

products from multiple perspectives, and realize the interaction between users 

and virtual design works through digital technology, so as to achieve higher 

Service standards. 

In the design process, the designer needs to design the indoor environment 

according to customer needs. However, due to the difference between the design 

concept and the design concept, in the initial stage of the design plan, whether 

the designer can fully meet the special needs of the customer, while ensuring the 

rationality and feasibility of the design. Is the biggest problem. “However, the 

application of AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) technologies can 

present design works to customers in a more vivid and three-dimensional form 

(Chang, Hu, Chiang and Lugmayr, 2019).” By transferring the virtual models to 

mobile devices, customers can observe the design work in 360 degrees and 

adjust the furniture and layout at will. In addition to involving customers in design 

work, this is also a real-time direct interaction between customers and design 

work (Mortezapour, 2014). 



 
39 

 

Figure 14 : Application of AR and VR technology in interior design. 

“From the perspective of satisfying customer participation, customers can design 

works according to their own wishes on the online platform, and use the design 

works to explain their needs to the designer from a relatively professional 

perspective (Mortezapour, 2014),” so that the design plan can be expanded 

effectiveness. Kujiale is an open design platform. On the platform, customers can 

enter their own house data, and the system will automatically generate the 

required house layout. After that, customers can control the style of interior 

decoration, decoration materials, furniture, etc. The high degree of freedom of the 

operating environment allows customers to express their design intent and 

requirements more specifically. However, due to the limitation of rationality and 

enforceability, the client still needs to negotiate with the designer to ensure the 

rationality of the final design plan and construction. But this greatly improves the 

user experience, and improves the efficiency of product design, and improves the 

user experience through digital tools. 

 

Figure 15: Open smart interior design platform (from Kujile design platform). 



 
40 

 

2.5.2  The embedding of digital platform can better meet customers'                  

expectations and satisfaction of products. 

After logging in to the portal of the interior design company, the platform will 

record the user’s basic information and push a series of interior design styles to 

the user for selection. At this time, the salesperson will detect the user’s login 

information and platform data through the background and assign it Online sales 

staff provide customers with a series of auxiliary services. For example, product 

features, budgets and designer recommendations to help customers understand 

their needs, expectations and corresponding budgets more deeply. After 

completing the sales introduction and recommendation, the system will assign or 

select the corresponding designer team to discuss the customer's design style, 

concept and other requirements. In order to meet their needs and expectations 

for design works from a more professional perspective. 

After users and designers complete the interior design plan, they will enter the 

construction phase. The entire design team and construction team will regularly 

provide feedback to customers, and timely supplement and modify the design 

plan and construction plan according to customer requirements. At the end of the 

construction process, there will be a one-year after-sales feedback, during which 

the follow-up situation of the construction will be reviewed Carry out continuous 

monitoring and investigation to ensure the reliability of the design plan and 

construction plan. At the same time, customers can also feedback the 

construction effect through online platforms or offline channels, and the system 

will also assign corresponding logistics personnel to provide timely assistance. 

2.5.3   Hypothesis 3 

Digital technology enhances and improves the performance and quality of interior 

design products. Deeply satisfying user experience and user expectations by 

digital products, lower costs, and efficient services. 

 



 
41 

2.6 Conclusion of Literature Review  

Introduce the concept of digital technology and digital management into the 

business operation process, start with the internal management model and digital 

construction of the enterprise, and promote the digital transformation of the 

enterprise. Through the application of digital technology and the embedding of 

digital concepts, the comprehensive strength of the enterprise is continuously 

improved. In addition, in the digitization of the core design process, digital 

technology should be used to improve the efficiency of different design stages. 

Provide customers with design products and services in digital form, focusing on 

the construction of user experience and the development of digital products. 

2.6.1 Hypothesis 1 

Digital transformation and the application of digital technology can improve the 

internal management model of enterprises, and enhance the performance of 

interior design enterprises’ core business processes. 

2.6.2 Hypothesis 2 

The application of digital technology optimizes the core design process, improve 

production efficiency and reduce expenses, providing integrated resources, 

higher operational efficiency and better solutions. 

2.6.3 Hypothesis 3 

Digital technology enhances and improves the performance and quality of interior 

design products. Deeply satisfying user experience and user expectations by 

digital products, lower costs, and efficient services . 

 

 

 



 
42 

Table 3. Consistency table 

RQ 

# 

State Research Question or 

Objective 

Prop/hyp 

# 

State Proposition or Hypothesis 

1 To what extent has digital 

technology changed 

the  internal operational 

platforms and core business 

processes of the interior design 

enterprise? 

1 Digital transformation and the 

application of digital technology can 

improve the internal management 

model of enterprises, and enhance 

the performance of interior design 

enterprises’ core business 

processes. 

1.1 How does the back-office and 

front-office system maintain the 

development of the enterprise 

and the operation of core 

business processes? 

1.1 

A stable and efficient digital back-

office and front-office system are the 

foundation of a company's digital 

transformation 

1.2 What role does the application 

of enterprise system and digital 

platform play in enterprise 

development ? 

1.2 The combination of enterprise 

systems and digital platforms can 

enhance the overall strength of the 

enterprise . 

1.3 What is the impact of digital 

maturity in the enterprise 

digitization process ? 

1.3 The application of the digital 

maturity model helps enterprises 

complete digital transformation. 

2 In what aspects has digital 

technology changed the core 

service offering of the interior 

design industry?  

2 
The application of digital technology 

optimizes the core design process, 

improve production efficiency and 

reduce expenses, providing 

integrated resources, higher 

operational efficiency and better 

solutions. 

 

2.1 In what way has the application 

of digital technology changed 

the core design process ? 

2.1 The application of digital technology 

increases the efficiency of the 

design process and reduces the 

cost. 



 
43 

RQ 

# 

State Research Question or 

Objective 

Prop/hyp 

# 

State Proposition or Hypothesis 

2.2 What problems does the 

application of digital technology 

solve for the design process? 

2.2 The application of digital technology 

can break through design barriers 

and expand solutions. 

2.3 What advantages does the 

application of digital platform 

bring to the design process? 

2.3 The integrated digital platform 

allows designers to obtain better 

design resources. 

3 How does digital technology, as 

applied with regard to (1) and 

(2) above,  improve  user 

experience ? 

3 
Digital technology enhances and 

improves the performance and 

quality of interior design 

products.Deeply satisfying user 

experience and user expectations 

by digital products, lower costs, and 

efficient services . 

 

3.1 How does digital technology 

affect product performance? 

3.1 
The apply of digital technologies 

provides better performance for 

interior design products. 

3.2 What is the impact of digital 

technologies used in interior 

design products and processes 

on users? 

3.2 
The embedding of digital platform 

can better meet customers' 

expectations and satisfaction of 

products. 

 

Table 3 : Consistency table. 



 
44 

2.7      ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK 

2.7.1 Theoretical Framework 

  

                                                                            Final research result  

 

The core direction of this research is "digital transformation of the interior design 

industry". The research background is derived from the development of digital 

technology in the industry brought about by the fourth industrial revolution. In 

terms of research background, the company's digital maturity and the company's 

Table 4: Theoretical Framework 



 
45 

digital system development have brought innovative development models to the 

interior design industry. In the process of digital technology application, study the 

impact on the design process, user experience and final product delivery (Table 

5). In the literature review stage, the digital maturity theory and the digital level of 

enterprise systems are used to study the digital maturity of interior design 

companies and the application level of digital technology. The research focuses 

on the South African interior design industry as well as the digital maturity and 

digital transformation models on a global scale. The research objects are based 

on South African and global interior design companies, professional designers, 

and consumer groups who have consumed or experienced interior design 

products and services. Finally, through the feedback they brought, the final 

research conclusion was put forward. 

2.7.2  Conceptual Framework 

 

 

Table 5: Conceptual Framework. 

To research the application and influence of digital technology in the operation 

process of interior design companies, in the core business process and core 

Service Offerings of the company. Through the digital transformation of core 



 
46 

business processes and core Service Offerings, it promotes business 

performance . 

 



 
47 

CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 

3.1 Research approach 

“According to this report's topic and background, qualitative research methods 

are used in research and analysis. The primary purpose of qualitative research 

is to describe and explain the things, events, and phenomena to be remembered 

and better understand the researched issues' research methods through these 

research objects (Silverman, 2016).” The research direction is mainly aimed at 

interior design companies, interior designers, consumer groups of interior design 

products, and the scope and influence of digital technology. “According to the 

particularity of the research goal, the primary analysis method used is an 

induction to understand the first-hand data of the research goal, analyze the 

meaning and behavior of the feedback from the research sample's feedback, and 

establish a hypothesis—this foundation and theory (Chen, 1996).” By 

understanding the sample data of interior designers in SA and other countries 

and regions, we can use the data generated from interviews and surveys with 

interior designers in the company, interviews and questionnaires with interior 

designers in South Africa and other countries and regions the audience of users 

and the data provided by authoritative literature are summarized and 

summarized, and finally the research conclusions are drawn. 

3.2 Research design 

According to the research topics, starting with "digital transformation", and taking 

the application of digital technology and the maturity of enterprise digitalization 

as the main observation points for research and design, many survey projects will 

become reality during the design process. “At the same time, each process will 

affect the operation of other processes (Maxwell, 2012).” Therefore, the research 

direction has expanded from digital transformation to digital maturity. 

Organizational research starts from the designer, goes to the design process, 

then to the company’s employees (designers), and finally reaches the product, 

and finally reaches the audience for consumer research. The entire research 



 
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process is gradually carried out in layers, so that the research results are more 

persuasive. 

The first part is feedback and document support from designers from different 

countries, showing the development of various interior design industries in 

different countries, analyzing the digital differences in interior design between 

South Africa, China, and Canada, and the digital technology application scale. 

The application level of digital technology, the degree of enterprise digitalization, 

the core design process, and other factors analyze the future development 

direction of the three countries' interior design industry. The second part uses a 

questionnaire survey to sample consumer groups of interior design products and 

services in three different countries to  exploring consumer groups' intuitive 

feelings, opinions and suggestions on the application of digital technology, from 

the perspective of consumers, analyze the changes brought by the application of 

digital technology to the entire industry. Determine what positive or negative 

effects the emergence and application of digital technologies have brought to 

consumers. There’s 30 questionnatires in each country. To analyze how to 

improve product performance and service quality, and meet customer 

requirements, sort out and analyze based on feedback, and propose 

corresponding analysis reports and solutions. 

 

Table 6: Research Design Framework. 

 



 
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3.3 Data collection methods 

This research mainly consists of three research objectives. These three research 

goals point to three different directions of research topics. 

 

1. To research the current level of adoption of digital technology in the 

interior design industry, globally and in South Africa . 

 

To research the application scope and application mode of digital technology in 

the internal operation management of selected interior design companies in 

South Africa and around the world. And how digital technology drives the core 

business processes of the company. 

 

2. To research how digital technologies have transformed core processes 

of the Interior Design Industry . 

 

The application and application mode of digital technology in interior design 

process are understood through face-to-face interview of designers in selected 

interior design companies. And compared with the traditional interior design 

mode, digital technology for the design process of the impact. 

 

 

3.To research the extent to which digital technologies have improved 

profitbility and customer experience measures in the SA and goobal interior 

design Industry. 

 

The research object of this target is mainly aimed at the users of interior design, 

that is, consumers in South Africa and other countries. The main way is to 

analysis the impact of the apply of digital technologies in interior design on 

consumers and the later experience through interviews and questionnaires. To 

analysis the impacts on digital technology on delivered product performance and 

user experience. 

 



 
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3.4 Population and sample 

3.4.1 Population 

The research population for Objective 1-2 is interior designers from South Africa, 

China, and Canada. From a professional perspective, this paper makes 

professional comments and discussions on interior design enterprises, internal 

environment of enterprises, design process, application of digital technology and 

other aspects. The population selected in objective 3 is the target audience of 

interior design products in South Africa, China and Canada. And conduct 

comprehensive feedback for the different experiences generated by themselves. 

3.4.2 Sample and sampling method 

In this project, the form of interview will be adopted for Objective 1-2, and targeted  

designers working in South Africa, China and Canada interior design companies 

will be selected.From a more professional and authoritative perspective, they can 

provide professional answers to the questions in the professional field involved in 

this subject.In order to ensure the authoritativeness of this academic topic, 

detailed discussions and feedbacks are generated from the internal issues of the 

enterprise, design process, application of digital technology and other 

aspects.For target 3, research was conducted on the audience of interior design 

products in South Africa, China and Canada. First of all, through the form of 

interview, interview sampling survey of the selected population as a 

sample.Secondly, through questionnaire survey, a batch questionnaire survey 

was conducted on the target population and the survey feedback was collated to 

form professional data to support the theory proposed in this paper. The 

investigation focuses on the influence of digital technology in interior design 

product delivery and on  product itself from the perspective of user experience. 

3.5 The research instrument 

This research mainly adopts qualitative research methods to illustrate the 

innovation and challenges that digital technology brings to the application 



 
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process of the interior design industry, as well as the impact on the development 

of interior design enterprises, interior design process, user experience and other 

products. The first part addresses question 1, "To what extent has digital 

technology changed the internal operational platforms and core business 

processes of the interior design enterprise?" Use face-to-face interviews or 

telephone interviews to investigate designers of interior design companies. For 

the first question, the questions designed in the interview include: 

-What digital technologies are used in the process of digital transformation and in 

the construction of back-office and front-office system? 

-And how does it affect the performance of the back-office and front-office 

system? 

-What digital technologies have been applied to the core business processes of 

the enterprise? 

-And what changes have been made to the core business processes of the 

enterprise? 

During the operation of the enterprise, the application and development of digital 

technology play a vital role in the digital transformation of the enterprise. In which 

fields are digital technology applied, the advantages and disadvantages of digital 

technology application, etc. Finally, from the interview Classify and summarize 

the information obtained, learn and discuss the impact of integrated digital 

technology on the enterprise. 

For question 2, the factors involved in "In what aspects has digital technology 

changed the core service offering of the interior design industry?" are: 

-What digital technologies are used in the interior design core process? 

-How do these digital technologies affect the core design process? 

The core goal of this part of the survey is to study the impact of digital technology 

on the design process from the designer's professional perspective. The survey 

is mainly conducted through interviews and telephone interviews, focusing on the 



 
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application, impact, efficiency and cost of digital technology in the interior design 

process. 

Regarding question 3 "How does digital technology, as applied with regard to (1) 

and (2) above, improve user experience?", the elements involved are 

-How has the application of digital technology changed the design of products 

and services? 

-How dose the application of digital technology on design product and service 

improve the business profitability? 

-Do digital interior design products satisfy users' demands for products and 

services from a deeper level? 

From the perspective of consumer experience, this article studies and explores 

how the application of digital technology in interior design and production can 

bring about changes in consumer experience. Through interviews, telephone 

interviews and questionnaire surveys, to understand the use of interior design 

users on product design and work experience, the application of digital 

technology to their families, why choose a design company to complete the 

interior design, instead of choosing your own design, the application of digital 

technology Compared with traditional interior design, what are the advantages 

and disadvantages. 

3.6 Procedure for data collection 

In the first part of the survey, it will be conducted in the design department of the 

selected interior design company and collect data on designers in the design 

department in the form of interviews or videophone interviews. During the thesis 

design stage, we had effective discussions with several representative and 

authoritative interior designers from South Africa, China and Canada. Discussed 

research methods and methods with the designer, and repeatedly confirmed the 

theories, hypotheses and research goals involved in the research and design to 

ensure that in the second part, the group involved in this part is mainly the users 

of interior design. Through the interviewed designer’s customer network and the 



 
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designer’s ongoing projects, select customers for personal visits, email visits, 

online visits and other methods to obtain user feedback. On the other hand, a 

corresponding number of questionnaires will be prepared and distributed to 

users. Users who have passed interior design related services, and then extract 

feedback information from them for classification and comprehensive 

comparison. 

3.7 Data analysis and interpretation 

Two methods were mainly used in this study:  

 

1. Taking the degree of digital transformation, the application of digital technology, 

and digital strategy implementation as independent variables. The future 

development status and direction of enterprises and industries and the impact on 

consumer groups are used as dependent variables to judge the necessity of 

digital transformation of the interior design industry. 

 

2.Construct validity: Through the establishment of a data analysis framework for 

the collected data, the data can be standardized and standardized analysis.The 

data indicators to be evaluated in this paper are as follows. 

 

1. The influence of the apply of digital technologies on operation and 

development of interior design enterprises (cost, efficiency, risk, etc). 

 

2. The impacts on the application of digital technology on interior design 

enterprises (efficiency, quality, etc). 

 

3. The impacts on digital technologies on design process (efficiency, quality, 

cost, etc). 

 

4. The impacts on digital technologies on interior design process (efficiency, 

quality, cost, etc). 

 

5. Changes in interior design products caused by the application of digital 

technology (quality, cost, efficiency, etc). 



 
54 

 

6. Impact of digital interior design products on consumers (user experience, 

cost, etc). 

 

 

In the research process, the questions raised in the questionnaire survey for the 

consumer group are measured according to the following standards. 

 

- Users' trust and support for digital interior design products. 

 

- Users' feelings on the performance of the designed products in the digital 

community. 

 

- The impact of digital interior design products and services on user needs. 

 

- Whether the digital community design products have economic advantages 

over the traditional design model. 

 

- Whether users have long-term demand for interior design products. 

 

3.8 Limitations of the study 

In this report , the core target of the selected case is the interior design industry, 

and the main application of digital technologies in the interior design industry, its 

limitation is that the research results discussed can represent the interior design 

industry. In addition , due to  different degree of digital infrastructure construction 

of different countries, or different interior design enterprises will apply different 

digital technologies, the comprehensive comparison of research results will show 

certain differences. And the interior design industry will also be affected by 

cultural, geographical and other factors, there is no guarantee that the feedback 

data from different countries will be highly matched. 



 
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3.9 Transferability and dependability 

3.9.1 Transferability 

The subject of this paper is "Digital Transformation of the Interior Design 

Industry: A comparison of South African and Global Case Studies", and three 

representative countries, South Africa, China and Jin Ah Da University, are 

selected in this study. The three countries have different geographical 

environment, different culture, different degree of digital infrastructure and so on 

factors, so when the results of the study in the process of adoption, adopters can 

according to the status quo and characteristics of their own country, and in the 

results of different samples, in order to obtain and research the most relevant 

data. 

3.9.2 Credibility 

In this study, the samples selected during the interview are the core part of the 

interior design industry, designers.As a service industry, the quality of the design 

work provided and the relevant user experience are the core elements for the 

development of the industry. However, designers officially guarantee the 

development of these core elements.The designers selected in the interview all 

work in representative interior design companies in different countries and have 

more than four years of working experience.Because of the different countries 

and background elements, the feedback provided is diversified, representative 

and professional. In the questionnaire survey, the main people who fill in the 

questionnaire are those who have purchased interior design services and are 

capable of providing relevant service experience, product use feedback and other 

data, which are targeted and representative. 

3.9.3 Dependability 

All interviewees are designers with many years of professional experience. They 

have absolute experience in the process of design and corporate effectiveness. 

Can skillfully use and operate the internal digital system and digital tools in the 



 
56 

design process. The samples are all engaged in professional work in professional 

fields, and the research results are representative and reliable. On the other 

hand, in the questionnaire survey, the respondents have purchased or 

experienced consumer groups of interior design products and services. In this 

case, the sample itself has experienced interior design services and products of 

different companies, and the feedback provided is based on interior design in the 

context of products and services, and the purpose and direction of the research 

are pertinent. 

3.10 Demographic profile of respondents 

There are two ways to obtain special data: interview method and questionnaire 

survey method. In the interview, an interior designer with many years of work 

experience in South Africa, Canada and China was selected. Through the 

interview, the designer is in different countries and to different degrees. Analyze 

the background of the digital infrastructure, different environmental backgrounds 

and other factors, and conduct professional exchanges and discussions based 

on your own work status and the actual indoor industrial environment. Since the 

scope of this article is global, the three countries selected in this article all 

represent three different levels of digital infrastructure. The advantages and 

disadvantages of the South African interior design industry compared with the 

international environment can be clearly compared. Finally, the data is 

summarized, sorted and comprehensively analyzed to prove its status and 

function. The impact of digital technology on the interior design industry. 

Comprehensive discussion, the working mode and role of digital technology in 

the interior design industry. 

In the questionnaire survey, the selected respondents were also distributed in 

South Africa, Canada and the United States. By comparing differentiated data, it 

analyzes the feedback factors of different countries, environments, digital 

infrastructure and consumers on interior design products and services, and how 

digital technology drives the effectiveness of interior design products and user 

experience analysis and integration data according to the situation. Draw 

conclusions and analyze the advantages and disadvantages. 



 
57 

3.11 Ethical considerations 

This research requires information about the degree of digitalization of interior 

design companies, as well as interior designers’ work experience, personal 

opinions and professional information. It does not involve the company's core 

confidential data. The company data used is taken from the company’s official 

website or published company reports. The data risk index generated in the 

research is low-risk. During the interview and questionnaire survey phase, 

respondents can voluntarily participate and can withdraw from the research 

project at any time. In addition, the respondent has the right to check the progress 

of the research process and data adoption process. When the research is 

released, the personal information of the respondents and questionnaire 

participants will be protected. Without the permission of the respondents, no 

background and work information about the respondents will be published. All 

respondents and participants in the questionnaire have the right to understand 

the entire search process and participate voluntarily, and have the right to 

withdraw from the survey at any time. Throughout the research process and 

analysis process, the data used will maintain the highest authenticity. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
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Chapter 4 .     PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS 

 

4.1  Introduction 

The research content of this paper is to study the digital transformation in the 

interior design industry. The countries covered in the study are South Africa, 

China and Canada. This study used interviews and questionnaires to collect data. 

Two interior designers with more than three years of work experience were 

selected for interviews in each country. Secondly, 30 questionnaire surveys were 

put into each country, combined with the theoretical support provided in the 

literature review, to discuss and answer the following three research hypotheses: 

1.Digital transformation and the application of digital technology can improve the 

internal management model of enterprises, and enhance the performance of 

interior design firms’ core business processes. 

2.The application of digital technology optimizes the core design process, 

improve production efficiency and reduce expenses, providing integrated 

resources, higher operational efficiency, and better solutions. 

3.Digital technology enhances and improves the performance and quality of 

interior design products. Deeply satisfying user experience and user expectations 

by digital products, lower costs, and efficient services. 

The questionnaire survey covers a total of fourteen core questions. During the 

interview, many related questions were discussed on the core questions to 

discover and verify the degree of match between the actual situation and the 

hypothesis. In addition, ten core questions were set up in the questionnaire to 

discover and verify the hypotheses involved. This chapter mainly explains how 

interview and questionnaire questions verify the hypotheses put forward, as well 

as the reasons and methods for verifying the hypotheses put forward by each 

core question. 

 



 
59 

4.2. Finding pertaining Hypothesis 1 

Hypothesis 1 - Digital transformation and the application of digital technology 

can improve the internal management model of enterprises, and enhance the 

performance of interior design firms’ core business processes. 

RQ 

# 

State Research Question Hyp # Hypothesis Data 

collection 

detail 

1 To what extent has digital 

technology changed the  

internal operational 

platforms and core business 

processes of the interior 

design enterprise? 

1 Digital transformation and 

the application of digital 

technology can improve 

the internal management 

model of enterprises, and 

enhance the performance 

of interior design firms’ 

core business processes. 

Interview 

questions 1 to 8 

. 

1.1 How does the back-end 

system maintain the 

development of the 

enterprise and the operation 

of core business processes? 

1.1 A stable and efficient 

digital back-end system is 

the foundation of a 

company's digital 

transformation . 

Interview 

questions 1 to 4 

. 

1.2 What role does the 

application of enterprise 

system and digital platform 

play in enterprise 

development ? 

1.2 The combination of 

enterprise systems and 

digital platforms can 

enhance the overall 

strength of the enterprise . 

Interview 

questions 5 to 6 

 

1.3 What is the impact of digital 

maturity in the enterprise 

digitization process