Quality in the Era of Industry 4.0

3Quality by Design and Innovation

3.1 The Trend of Quality: Going Upstream

In first two chapters, we delved into the historical and linguistic interpretations of the term “quality,” tracing its evolution over time. The concept of quality invariably pertains to specific products or services. In a conventional business setting, all products or services undergo a cycle of development, design, and delivery, referred to as the product lifecycle. In order to assure superior quality, it is crucial to infuse every stage of this product lifecycle with rigorous quality work.

Table 3.1 serves to highlight how diverse quality assurance techniques and tools are seamlessly integrated and executed at every phase of a typical product lifecycle. This traditional approach to product development and manufacturing is sequential, unfolding gradually from stage 0 through stage 7. Here, the term “traditional” signifies a hardware‐dominated product development paradigm. However, it is important to note that the process might not follow a completely sequential pattern for software.

Modern quality methods took root following the Second Industrial Revolution in the early 20th century. At the onset of this revolution, manufacturers endeavored to refine tolerances for component interchangeability, enhance finishes to elevate esthetics and feel and establish material uniformity to ensure performance consistency. Notable figures such as Shewhart, Deming, and Juran led the way in the quality control of materials, ...