In today's fast-paced world, companies need to constantly improve their products and services to stay ahead of the competition. Quality management has always been an essential component of organizational success. However, the emergence of Industry 4.0 has opened new avenues for enhancing the quality of products and services. Quality 4.0 is the integration of modern technology and digital transformation to achieve excellence in quality management.
A recent scientific paper discussed the concept of Quality 4.0 and its implementation in the packaging industry. The paper highlighted the importance of data-driven and intelligent quality management strategies to improve organizational efficiency and competitiveness. However, implementing Quality 4.0 presents several challenges, and the paper emphasized the need for readiness assessment to systematically guide managers and highlight the level of readiness for implementing any initiatives.
To assess the readiness of packaging industries for implementing Quality 4.0, the authors developed a model that included eight dimensions: knowledge and awareness, organizational culture, leadership, top management support, customer readiness, supplier readiness, Quality 4.0 vision and strategy, and training and rewards. They developed a survey instrument for data collection and conducted a pilot test with 10 respondents. They also collected data from 45 respondents from small, medium, and large-scale organizations.
The results showed that the developed instrument was valid and reliable for assessing the readiness of Quality 4.0 implementation in manufacturing organizations. The authors then tested the tool in six packaging companies and categorized organizations into Chaotic, Primitive, Structured, Mature, and Proficient levels of readiness. The study contributes to quality management literature by providing a practical tool that organizations can use to assess their readiness for Quality 4.0 and strategically deploy resources to gain a competitive advantage.
The paper also identified top selected factors for Quality 4.0 readiness assessment, including top management and commitment, leadership, organizational culture, employee competency, and ISO QMS standard implementation. These factors and subfactors were validated by reviewing them with industry professionals utilizing reliability analysis. The final assessment showed that some organizations were classified as structured organizations for the implementation of Quality 4.0, while others were classified as mature organizations for Quality 4.0 adaptation.
Overall, this study provides a useful framework for organizations to assess their readiness for Quality 4.0 and take strategic actions to implement it successfully. The integration of advanced technologies with traditional quality management approaches can help organizations achieve new optimums in performance, operational excellence, and innovation. Future research can be conducted to test the tool in other industries and countries.
Authors
Zulfiqar, M., Antony, J., Swarnakar, V., Sony, M., Jayaraman, R., & McDermott, O. (2023). A readiness assessment of Quality 4.0 in packaging companies: an empirical investigation. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2023.2170223