A TISM and Fuzzy MICMAC Analysis of Barriers to Immersive Technology Adoption in Supply Chains: A Structural Modeling Study

Abstract

Immersive technologies (virtual, augmented, and extended reality) are entering supply chain operations through warehouse order picking, assembly support, workforce training, and collaborative planning, yet adoption remains uneven because barriers interact in reinforcing ways rather than operating independently (Rejeb, Keogh, Wamba, et al., 2021; Jalo et al., 2022; Pote et al., 2025). This study structures ten adoption barriers through an interpretive structural modeling workflow: a graded fuzzy influence matrix summarized in a Structural Self-Interaction Matrix, fuzzy max-min transitive closure, thresholded level partitioning, link-level interpretation, and Fuzzy MICMAC classification. Although practitioner surveys rank high implementation cost among the leading obstacles to adoption, the model assigns it the highest dependence power and places it at the top of the hierarchy: a lagging manifestation of weak sponsorship, an undemonstrated business case, and infrastructure gaps rather than a root cause. Limited customer readiness forms the structural root; a six-barrier core containing all four linkage barriers transmits and amplifies influence; and data security risk and regulatory uncertainty join cost as dependent manifestations. No barrier classifies as autonomous, indicating a tightly coupled system. MICMAC classifications are threshold-invariant by construction, while the hierarchy depends on the binarization threshold, so a sensitivity analysis at 0.40, 0.50, and 0.60 is reported. The study is a methodological demonstration based on literature-informed judgments; complete matrices are published for replication, and a Delphi protocol for expert validation is specified.