Consumers are picky. And an increasingly global marketplace comes with more choices. Which car the safest? What brand of potato chips tastes the best? Which over-the-counter medicine cures a cold the fastest? As recalls continue to rack up, consumers are quick to place everything under their microscope. If the product they buy is not up to par, they will be even quicker to make that known, whether they leave a one-star review on Amazon, or if they report a possible foodborne illness to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a result, the manufacturer’s reputation, and therefore, its future, is on the line.

It is now more important than ever for manufacturers to address quality issues before their products go out the door and reach the hands of consumers. Although many manufacturers already have various technologies in place to support their quality programs, the global nature of the supply chain is not only affecting consumer behavior, but also the ability to achieve any type of standardization across plants—much less the enterprise.