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International Journal Of Management And Economics Fundamental

Peer Reviewed | Open Access | E-ISSN: 2771-2257
Published Article

Centering Reliability in Digital Transformation: Site Reliability Engineering as a Socio-Technical Catalyst for Sustainable Industry 4.0 Adoption in Legacy Retail and Service Infrastructures

Centering Reliability in Digital Transformation: Site Reliability Engineering as a Socio-Technical Catalyst for Sustainable Industry 4.0 Adoption in Legacy Retail and Service Infrastructures

Authors

  • Dr. Elena Marovic
    Faculty of Information Technology, University of Melbourne, Australia

Keywords:

Site Reliability Engineering Digital Transformation Legacy Infrastructure Industry 4.0

Abstract

Digital transformation has emerged as a defining imperative for organizations navigating the converging pressures of technological acceleration, sustainability mandates, and heightened stakeholder expectations. Across sectors, legacy infrastructures—particularly in retail and service-oriented industries—remain deeply entangled with outdated architectures, fragmented operational practices, and socio-technical rigidities that constrain the realization of Industry 4.0 ambitions. Within this context, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) has gained scholarly and practical relevance as a systematic approach to embedding reliability, resilience, and continuous improvement into complex digital systems. While SRE originated within hyperscale digital-native organizations, its diffusion into legacy environments presents both conceptual challenges and transformative potential. This research article advances an integrative theoretical and interpretive analysis of SRE as a socio-technical enabler of digital transformation, sustainability alignment, and organizational learning in legacy retail and adjacent service infrastructures.

Anchored in contemporary digital transformation scholarship and informed by systems thinking traditions, the study synthesizes insights from information systems research, sustainability studies, and organizational theory to interrogate how SRE practices reconfigure operational logics, governance structures, and human–technology relationships. Particular analytical emphasis is placed on the articulation of reliability as a strategic capability rather than a purely technical attribute, thereby positioning SRE as a mediating construct between Industry 4.0 technologies, such as digital twins and blockchain, and broader organizational objectives related to resilience, equity, and sustainable development. The article builds on recent empirical and conceptual contributions that highlight the complexities of implementing SRE within legacy retail infrastructures characterized by monolithic systems, siloed teams, and historically risk-averse cultures, demonstrating how reliability engineering becomes inseparable from organizational transformation (Dasari, 2025).

Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, theory-driven interpretive approach grounded in extensive literature integration and comparative conceptual analysis. Rather than producing new empirical datasets, the study generates analytical findings through the systematic interpretation of prior research across domains including digital transformation frameworks, soft systems methodology, stakeholder management, and sustainability governance. The results articulate a set of interrelated patterns through which SRE reshapes legacy infrastructures: the normalization of failure as a learning mechanism, the institutionalization of error budgets as governance tools, and the reframing of operational excellence as a continuous socio-technical negotiation. These patterns are further contextualized within broader debates on digital inclusion, skills development, and ethical data governance.

The discussion extends these findings by critically engaging with alternative scholarly perspectives that caution against the technocratic appropriation of SRE and the potential reproduction of digital divides. By situating SRE within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Industry 4.0 discourse, the article argues that reliability engineering, when reflexively implemented, contributes not only to system stability but also to long-term organizational sustainability and social value creation. The study concludes by outlining theoretical implications for digital transformation research and proposing future research trajectories that empirically examine SRE as a boundary-spanning practice across sectors.

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