In today's fast-paced world, advancements in technology are revolutionizing the way organizations conduct their business. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, commonly known as Industry 4.0, is characterized by the digitalization of processes, automation, and the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), and Cloud Computing. This has led to a shift in the concept of quality and how it is managed in organizations.
Traditionally, quality management involved inspecting products for faults and improving processes through Total Quality Management (TQM) and statistical control charts. However, with the advent of Industry 4.0, the concept of quality has evolved to include personalized products and services. Quality 4.0 is the digitalization of quality management, which combines traditional quality control methods with the new capabilities of Industry 4.0. This has resulted in a need for a cultural shift in organizations, with a focus on design, safety, and the quality of service.
A scientific paper published on the topic of Quality 4.0 highlights the importance of expanding the concept of quality beyond mass production to personalized products. The paper also discusses how new technologies such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IoT can be used to achieve excellence in quality. The paper presents the results of a bibliometric analysis of 104 articles published between 1993 and 2021 on the topic of Industry 4.0, Quality Management, and Quality 4.0. The analysis reveals the growth of publications, the main sources of publications, the main countries that produce research, and the most frequent terms used in the papers.
The adoption of Quality 4.0 presents both challenges and opportunities for organizations. Challenges include the need for a change in basic quality concepts and the development of new competencies to adapt to new technologies. However, Quality Management can become a leader within organizations by adapting and integrating new technologies to improve processes and maintain quality assurance in real-time. Virtual Quality Management and open quality are among the concepts proposed to better understand the integration of Industry 4.0 and Quality Management. Furthermore, new technologies such as smart glasses, smart gloves, and virtual reality will play an increasingly important role in quality control and product development.
It is important to promote a culture of quality actions and provide a conceptual framework for quality concepts in the digital transformation context. The lack of qualified individuals to handle new technologies is a challenge for Quality 4.0. Traditional methods of quality will not be replaced but improved. Research on Quality 4.0 is still in its early stages, and further research is necessary to support the transformation of quality.
In conclusion, Quality 4.0 is a new era of quality management that combines traditional quality control methods with the new capabilities of Industry 4.0. The digitalization of quality management presents both challenges and opportunities for organizations. While the lack of qualified individuals to handle new technologies is a challenge, the adoption of new technologies presents opportunities for Quality Management to become a leader within organizations. Further research is necessary to support the transformation of quality in the era of Industry 4.0.
Authors
Broday, E. E. (2022). The evolution of quality: from inspection to quality 4.0. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-09-2021-0121