WORKFORCE-LED DIGITAL INNOVATION IN UZBEKISTAN'S AGRI-FOOD SMEs: A CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND ADOPTION ROADMAP

Abstract

Digital tools can improve recordkeeping, production coordination and post-harvest decision-making in agrifood businesses, yet implementation often fails when technology selection precedes managerial preparation. This conceptual paper examines how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Uzbekistan's agrifood sector could organise workforce-led digital innovation. It synthesises evidence on digital adoption in Uzbekistan, SME transformation, sociotechnical change and food-loss management to develop a five-step implementation roadmap: diagnose, co-design, train, pilot and embed. The proposed model places employees and process owners at the centre of data quality, incentive alignment and technology evaluation. Examples involving stock records, lot tracking, temperature logs and order planning illustrate possible applications; they are not reported field cases. The paper proposes a balanced scorecard covering operational reliability, workforce use, financial viability and data governance, while distinguishing digitalisation from demonstrated performance improvement. Its contribution is a management-oriented adoption process that can be tested in Uzbek food processing, storage and distribution SMEs through future empirical studies.