Quality 4.0 is the latest initiative for companies looking to improve operational efficiency and product quality through digital technology. Transforming quality management is essential to address the major challenges posed by changing global markets and disruptive technologies, particularly in regulated industries. However, recent surveys suggest that most companies are not prepared to take on the issues that Quality 4.0 attempts to solve. For example, one survey on the status of Quality 4.0, conducted by the Boston Consulting Group and partners ASQ and DGQ, found that only 16% of respondents claim that their company has started to implement Quality 4.0, and only 20% report that their company has begun planning for implementation. Similarly, another survey of 700 senior executives by LNS Research, reported that the median adoption rate for automation of all processes is just 23%, and many respondents’ companies have yet to begin. Clearly quality management improvement efforts are in the early stages, and much work remains to gain the all-important executive buy-in and widespread acceptance within regulated sectors.
Building a business case for embracing Quality 4.0 within the C-suite starts by clearly defining it. The term refers to the seismic shifts created by digital connectivity among people, technology, and data that are shaping all aspects of product manufacturing and commercialization. It follows three prior megatrends in how people live and how business operates, beginning with the industrial revolution, followed by production lines and mass marketing, and the use of electronics and control systems in manufacturing.