The evolution of quality: from inspection to quality 4.0

Abstract

Purpose

Quality has undergone several transformations over the past decades. From the inspection to total quality management (TQM), some tools have been created to improve the performance of industrial processes and services, such as control charts and Pareto’s diagram. Now, the fourth industrial revolution (4th IR), Industry 4.0, has become part of the routine of organizations and people. The purpose of this paper is to verify how traditional quality concepts are being adapted within organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

As the term “Quality 4.0” is still recent, this research aimed to conduct a literature review on the topic by using the systematic literature review method called Bibliometrix. Through the combination of keywords, 116 papers were found. After eliminating the repeated papers, an analysis was made with the remaining 104 papers, presenting the sources of publication, period of publication, countries, among other characteristics. Finally, a more detailed analysis of the 10 most recent papers published in journals was performed.

Findings

The main results of this research are: publications on the topic have increased significantly from 2013, mainly in journals and conference papers; the most important elements connected with Quality 4.0 are Quality Management and Industry 4.0; there is not yet a universal definition for Quality 4.0; however, it seems that digital tools can be used to improve the performance of processes; one can expect a natural evolution from TQM to Quality 4.0, not replacing the traditional quality methods; activities inside organizations will be faster and smarter, due to the use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), combined with traditional quality methods.

Originality/value

Identifying new approaches and gaps for quality research may improve the development of new concepts and tools.