Quality 4.0 is the concept used to name new technologies applied in the area of quality. It is based on the blend of these new technologies with traditional quality methods that help improvement and achieve innovation.
To understand the concept of Quality 4.0, it’s important to look at history; the industrial revolutions precisely. The first industrial revolution was characterized by steam engines in the late 1700’s, the second industrial revolution was dominated by power lines and production machines in the late 1800’s and in the late 1960’s came the third industrial revolution with automation and industrial processes. What about the fourth industrial revolution?
The fourth industrial revolution is a wave that brings innovative tools to the forefront of all industries and will change the way we do business, manufacture products, provide services and deliver value.
Through tools such as cloud computing, blockchain, social networking, mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), coupled with a better Internet structure worldwide, the fourth industrial revolution will revolutionize everything and what we know today as business.
What is Quality 4.0?
Quality is an aspect that is part of all businesses across all industries. It is basically divided into quality control and quality assurance. Quality 4.0 is part of both and uses new technologies such as the ones mentioned above which can be integrated into management systems, certifications, etc.
Blockchain, for example, can be a very important method for process traceability, from an equipment calibration certificate to even process data analysis control.
The internet of things (IoT) and big data, for example, are already used for real-time process monitoring and measurement. The way we monitor a simple indicator today will be transformed with Quality 4.0. How are businesses changing? The way we interact with information is changing. Augmented reality, for example, is blending the physical-digital environment and helping us navigate through it easier. There is more connectivity, new modes of production, and intelligent processing with computing capabilities that allows us to visualize data faster and better than ever.
Current Scenario
In a recent American Society of Quality survey of companies around the world, it was found that only 16% of companies have started any Quality 4.0 initiatives, and 63% of companies say they have not started any planning on the topic.
According to the survey, Europe is ahead of the Quality 4.0 race. About 21% of companies have already started planning on the subject, while in the US this number drops to 6%.
In the same survey, companies that initiated Quality 4.0 initiatives have stated that they intend to apply the concept for quality data centralization, data security and continuous monitoring anywhere, anytime.
This topic is still very new, but quality professional should be increasingly aware of it and try to understand how to create a plan to define their strategies in their companies. Quality 4.0 will transform everything we know about implementation and quality controls. In the ISO world, innovation is not taken for granted. Have you heard of ISO 56002 – Innovation Management Systems? Welcome to the future!
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