From Aspirational to Transformed: Configurational Recipes for Analytics-Driven Operational Excellence

Analytics technologies are vital for improving operational performance, yet the configurations that maximise their value remain unclear. Drawing on complexity theory and contingency theory, this study examines how supply chain governance, organisational capability, and environmental conditions interact with different levels of analytics capability. Using secondary data from 205 Chinese high-tech firms over two years, we combine content analysis with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to uncover configurations that enhance performance. Results show that firms must align governance, capabilities, and environmental strategies with their analytics maturity, aspirational, experienced, or transformed. The study advances understanding of analytics implementation and offers practical guidance.