Purpose - This study examines how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan's dates packaging industry are preparing to adopt Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) within the broader transition toward Industry 4.0. It develops a staged readiness framework that explains how fragmented key performance indicator (KPI) practices can evolve into integrated OEE capability in a resource-constrained agri-food context. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on qualitative evidence from 30 semi-structured interviews with owners, managers, operations staff, QA/QC personnel, maintenance staff and automation-related respondents from dates processing and packaging SMEs in Sindh, Pakistan. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis and interpreted using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the Resource-Based View (RBV) using NVivo software. Findings - Readiness was found to be developing but uneven. Most firms already monitored output, rejects, downtime, cleaning losses and compliance-related activities, yet these routines remained split rather than consolidated into a disciplined OEE system. Leadership commitment, workforce capability, maintenance management and technology adoption readiness emerged as the most influential dimensions, while export pressure, traceability requirements and local infrastructure conditions shaped adoption speed. Traceability-related digitalisation was identified as the most practical gateway to Industry 4.0-enabled OEE adoption. Originality/value - The study contributes a context-sensitive TOE-RBV framework showing that OEE readiness in agri-food SMEs is best understood as a staged capability-building journey rather than a binary condition. It also offers an actionable roadmap for managers and policymakers seeking to improve equipment effectiveness without assuming immediate full automation.
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