Quality in the Era of Industry 4.0

4Quality Management in the Era of Industry 4.0

4.1 Introduction

The evolution of quality management systems (QMS) toward Industry 4.0 has been significantly propelled by technological advancements and an increasing need for efficient, automated, and customer‐focused approaches. Traditional QMS, while effective in maintaining quality standards, have often been reactive, dealing with quality issues after their occurrence. However, the advent of Industry 4.0 and its myriad technologies have allowed for a shift toward a more proactive approach, integrating quality management into the fabric of operations and spanning the entire product lifecycle.

This paradigm shift in quality management has been well‐documented in various studies. For instance, Zawadzki and Żywicki discussed how Industry 4.0 could transform traditional QMS into a data‐driven, highly integrated system [1]. Similarly, Moeuf et al. emphasized the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in enhancing QMS within the Industry 4.0 framework [2]. There is plenty of literature discussing about QMS in the era of Industry 4.0 [3, 4]. Now, the QMS in Industry 4.0 utilizes the latest digital technologies, proactively predicting and preventing defects, as well as addressing quality issues that do occur.

Key capabilities and benefits of a QMS in Industry 4.0 include:

1. Data Integration: The QMS amalgamates data from a variety of sources, such as IoT devices, sensors, and software systems, enabling ...