THE IMPORTANCE OF AGILITY STRATEGY FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED PRODUCTION COMPANIES IN TRANSITIONING ECONOMIES

Abstract

This research report analyzes the critical role of agility strategy in the survival and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within transitioning economies. As global markets shift toward a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, traditional rigid planning has proven insufficient for firms in states moving from centrally planned systems to market-oriented frameworks. Focusing on manufacturing and production sectors, the report examines how strategic and organizational agility serves as a meta-capability, enabling SMEs to sense disruptions and reconfigure resources rapidly. Through a multi-country lens—analyzing Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and Poland—the study details how digital transformation, flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), and modular product architectures foster industrial resilience. The findings indicate that while agility facilitates improved export readiness and innovation capacity, its implementation is frequently constrained by institutional voids, limited finance access, and entrenched management cultures. The analysis concludes that agility is a fundamental requirement for navigating global economic integration and the “twin transition” toward digital and green industrial models.