The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and with it comes a new era of advancements in technology. It is characterized by machine intelligence, pervasive computing, affordable storage, and robust connectivity. As the cost of enabling technologies decreases, they are becoming an integral part of digital strategies. The process of digital transformation is revealing changes in how we perceive customers and organizational boundaries. The emergence of new technologies, such as blockchain, has the potential to change the nature of production.
In this scientific paper, we will discuss the evolution of quality management in industrial production. It has evolved from a focus on inspecting bad quality out of the total items produced, to designing quality into processes to prevent quality problems, and now to the adoption of connected, intelligent, and automated systems known as Quality 4.0.
Quality 4.0 initiatives utilize technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and big data to augment human intelligence. They increase the speed and quality of decision-making, improve transparency and traceability, anticipate changes, reveal biases, and cultivate self-awareness and other-awareness as skills. Quality professionals are uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation efforts, and should focus on adding intelligence to monitoring and managing operations rather than replacing people.
The shift to Quality 4.0 requires addressing several key shifts in the way we approach and tackle problems. Quality professionals need to embrace these shifts and adapt to the changing landscape. The changes that are happening include the production and availability of information, connectivity, intelligent processing, new modes of interaction and production, and the emergence of new technologies.
One of the most significant changes brought about by Quality 4.0 is the use of blockchain. Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce goods and services. It provides a secure, transparent, and tamper-proof way to store and manage data, making it ideal for use in supply chain management and other areas of production.
Quality 4.0 also requires a new approach to quality management. It involves designing quality into processes from the outset, rather than simply inspecting bad quality out of the total items produced. This approach requires a deep understanding of the production process and the use of advanced analytics and automation to identify and address quality issues.
In conclusion, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing about significant changes in the world of quality management. Quality 4.0 initiatives are driving the adoption of connected, intelligent, and automated systems that utilize advanced technologies to augment human intelligence. Quality professionals are uniquely positioned to lead digital transformation efforts and should focus on adding intelligence to monitoring and managing operations. The shift to Quality 4.0 requires addressing several key shifts in the way we approach and tackle problems, and embracing these shifts will be critical to the success of organizations in the years to come.
Authors
Radziwill, N. M. (2018). Quality 4.0: Let's Get Digital-The many ways the fourth industrial revolution is reshaping the way we think about quality. arXiv preprint arXiv:1810.07829. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1810.07829