Configurable production control platforms for SME smart manufacturing: A systematic review of design paradigms and low-cost enabling strategies

Small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) face persistent barriers to smart manufacturing adoption, yet the research on configurable production control platforms for these firms remains fragmented across three largely disconnected streams: closed-loop feedback control, modular reconfigurability, and KPI-driven performance management. This systematic literature review of 79 sources, guided by PRISMA 2020 and a 12-dimension coding framework with three-tier quality stratification, documents the cross-paradigm fragmentation and identifies seven specific gaps spanning transformation pathways, low-cost enablers, and platform design. The gaps reveal that the three streams operate with minimal cross-reference, creating blind spots that no single-stream review can detect. We propose a conceptual three-layer framework with two translational mechanisms (design decision mapping and platform instantiation) that unifies the three paradigms into a complete control cycle. The framework exhibits the property of incremental deployability: it enables value delivery at each readiness tier, from manual KPI tracking to fully digitized distributed manufacturing operations management. Six prioritized future research directions are derived from the coded gaps. The review contributes a structured analytical framework to guide integrated, evidence-based inquiry into affordable smart manufacturing systems for smaller firms. The framework is a synthesis of the reviewed literature and has not been empirically validated.