Quality management has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, driven by the advent of Industry 4.0. Quality 4.0 is an approach that emphasizes the use of technology to make quality a company-wide strategy, with executives driving performance. Quality 4.0 aligns quality management with Industry 4.0, helping organizations increase efficiency, performance, and improve business models. However, implementing Quality 4.0 can present challenges such as lack of leadership support, high costs, unreliable internet connectivity, cybersecurity concerns, and a shortage of Quality 4.0 skills, training, and knowledge.
Several scientific papers have explored the concept of Quality 4.0 and its benefits, challenges, and critical success factors. One study used qualitative data collection through interviews with senior managers from various industries and countries to identify themes such as the definition of Quality 4.0, benefits, motivations, readiness factors, leadership, challenges, critical success factors, tools of Industry 4.0, measures of success, required skills, and examples of implementation. The study highlighted the importance of combining new technologies and standard quality tools and methods to achieve superior performance, higher operational excellence, and optimal innovation.
Another paper explored the benefits and challenges of implementing Quality 4.0, identifying benefits such as customer satisfaction, headcount reduction, market share increases, and financial impacts. However, some of the challenges in adopting Quality 4.0 include lack of resources, uncertainty about linking it with organizational strategy and goals, and high initial investment. Quality professionals also need to develop new skills, such as data analytics, project management, and change control, while also maintaining soft skills like communication, teamwork, and change management.
Leadership plays a crucial role in implementing Quality 4.0, guiding the organization through digital transformation and leading in the digital environment. Leaders must possess several characteristics, including innovative visionary, networking intelligence, adaptable, motivating coach, digital intelligence, complexity master, social intelligence, democratic delegative, agile, learning by errors, role model, diversity champion, decisive courageous, creativity, openness, self-awareness, ambidexterity, knowledge-oriented, digital talent scout, employee-oriented, business intelligence, lifelong learner, and ethical.
The implementation of Quality 4.0 requires a combination of technical expertise and effective leadership. Organizations should make digital transformation and Quality 4.0 strategy an integral part of their corporate strategy and adapt their leadership styles to new ways of working. They should also invest in predictive analytics for quality management to significantly affect the quality and bottom lines in the future. The Internet of Things, automation, and machine intelligence can help manufacturers analyze product data generated from devices and inform them about the quality of the production processes in real-time.
In conclusion, Quality 4.0 is a concept that encompasses different aspects of quality, including inspection, design, empowerment, and discovery. To implement Quality 4.0 successfully, quality professionals need to be trained in structured problem-solving, data-driven decision-making, cultural change management, quality analytics, big data management, autonomous processes, quality compliance, and quality culture. Successful transformational change such as Quality 4.0 demands a full range of strategic, cultural, and technological issues. Organizations must embrace this change and invest in their employees to stay competitive in the digital age.
Authors
Antony, J., McDermott, O., & Sony, M. (2022). Quality 4.0 conceptualisation and theoretical understanding: a global exploratory qualitative study. The TQM Journal, 34(5), 1169-1188. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-07-2021-0215