Invisible workflows in sustainable production: a case study of handmade paper production

Abstract

Cottage industries are widely recognised for their contribution to local livelihoods and low-impact production. However, within development and policy discourse, they are frequently classified as part of the informal economy, often assumed to lack structured production systems. This study challenges that assumption by reframing informality as an undocumented organisation rather than a structural absence. Focusing on handmade paper production within the Ali Mana cottage industry community in Pahathahewahata, Kandy, Sri Lanka, the research adopts a qualitative embedded case study design across the only active five households. Production workflows were documented through Photographic observation and informal in-context discussions. Comparative stage-based analysis identified eight shared production stages, which were subsequently modelled using the IDEF0 framework and examined through a structured consistency coding scheme across Inputs, Controls, Mechanisms, and Outputs. Findings reveal a stable material transformation backbone from harvesting to paper forming, alongside adaptive variation in tool use, environmental responses, and finishing practices. The results demonstrate that informal production systems are flexibly structured rather than unorganised. By externalising internal workflows, the study contributes a process-based understanding of cottage industries and positions them as viable models for resilient and future-adaptive sustainable production.