What is Quality 4.0 and How Can It Improve Manufacturing?

Quality 4.0 is about using smart technologies to advance quality management and drive manufacturing firms towards operational excellence. It aims to boost product quality, enhance day-to-day operations, improve compliance, and minimize costs.

Quality 4.0 works hand in hand with Industry 4.0, the current rapid expansion of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, big data, and more to optimize production processes. In today’s ever-changing manufacturing landscape, it’s important to implement smart devices and digital technology on the shop floor to identify trends in production, create quality goods, and continuously improve production line procedures.

This is where Quality 4.0 can help. Read on to learn more about this manufacturing methodology and its technologies:

Quality 4.0 tools and technologies
Main components of 4.0
Examples of quality 4.0 in the supply chain

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Quality 4.0 tools and technologies

Quality 4.0 leverages tools and technologies to improve quality management processes and overall product creation. These technologies have contributed to the evolution of quality within the context of Industry 4.0. Thanks to technology, even smaller companies can implement Quality 4.0 and compete on the same level as larger firms.

The 11 Quality “Axes” Identified by LNS Research

These tools and tech include:

Cloud computing: A cloud-based management system helps to store and process large amounts of data to increase real-time quality management and effective collaboration across different departments and teams.
Data analytics: This consists of analyzing production data and customer feedback to identify patterns and trends. With these insights, the organization can improve how products are made and distributed.
Artificial intelligence: AI involves using machine learning algorithms to detect defects, augment frontline worker activity on the shop floor, and improve overall quality management.
Frontline operations technology: Frontline operations technology, including mobile devices and connected worker solutions, can help digitize and optimize the activities of workers who are involved in quality processes on the shop floor.
Blockchain: This is a secure system of recorded and stored data on shop floor operations and other quality-related information.
Internet of Things (IoT): This smart tech involves connecting sensors, devices, and machines to the internet to monitor production procedures in real time, pinpoint any deficiencies, and optimize quality management practices.
Virtual and augmented reality: Both virtual and augmented reality can be used to simulate real-world situations to improve processes, train workers, and find quality issues.

Keep in mind that these technologies and tools can be used alone or in combination with one another to ensure that everything is running smoothly on the production floor.

Main components of Quality 4.0

Quality 4.0 depends on digital innovation to improve how well a manufacturing plant operates and ensure that quality objectives are met.

Although there isn’t a set list of Quality 4.0 main components, most can be boiled down to:

First-time quality: This management strategy focuses on creating goods that are free of defects on the first try to eliminate product waste and repeat work.
Standardizing quality assurance (QA) procedures: Standardized QA procedures help ensure conformity on the production floor, eliminate deficiencies, and ultimately determine whether a product meets the requirements for delivery.
Automating and digitizing processes: This component consists of using IoT, data analytics, AI, connected worker solutions, and other smart tech to automate and optimize organizational methods for quality.
Customer focus: If customers don’t like the products you’re producing, the chances are you’re doing something wrong. It’s imperative to always keep the consumer in mind, understand their needs, and use feedback to improve product quality and distribution.
Kaizen (continuous improvement): Striving for continuous improvement is a staple of Quality 4.0. This principle can help reduce defects, increase consumer satisfaction, and raise quality.
Risk management: It’s crucial to identify and manage potential risks to decrease product malfunctions and stop problems before they become greater issues.
Collective collaboration: Collaborating with team members across production, quality, and customer service departments can help ensure that everyone is committed to producing high-quality goods and striving towards continuous improvement.

Examples of quality 4.0 in the supply chain

Quality 4.0 in supply chain management revolves around implementing smart technologies to boost good quality, efficiency, and productivity.

Some of the ways Quality 4.0 is being applied in the supply chain:

IoT sensors can monitor transportation conditions (e.g., trucks bringing raw materials to a manufacturing plant) to pinpoint potential quality issues and improve supply chain procedures.
Supply chain data can identify patterns in supply chain processes to improve efficiency, lower costs, and boost quality.
Blockchain tech creates a secure record of real-time data, which increases transparency. This allows management to audit the supply chain to enhance quality and minimize the creation of second-rate goods.
Machine learning algorithms help analyze data from the supply chain to predict potential quality problems and prevent them from occurring.

Augmentir can help implement Quality 4.0 into your everyday operations with our AI-powered connected worker solution. We make it our priority to help manufacturers strive towards operational excellence through technology. Learn more about our quality use cases.

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