Content area
Traditional industries, such as logistics, are facing the challenge of digital transformation. Barriers, such as the slow adoption of new technologies and the emergence of competitors from the software industry, increase the pressure on established firms. In this context, open source (OS) eases the collaboration among the stakeholders within traditional industries to solve common digital problems and leverage the innovation potentials of the OS community. However, research on the strategic use of OS software (OSS) is mainly limited to the software industry. Consequently, these potentials are left untapped for the more traditional industries based on physical assets. The paper starts at this point and reports on a systematic literature review and a comprehensive interview study. The results uncover influencing factors regarding the adoption of OSS, focusing on the logistics industry as a prototypical example of a traditional industry. The influencing factors are structured using the TOE framework and a SWOT analysis, allowing researchers to focus on how to avoid barriers or unlock specific potentials to drive digital transformation and innovation. In terms of practical contributions, practitioners can use the influencing factors to strategically incorporate OSS by focusing on non-technical aspects that hinder the adoption of OSS in traditional industries.