The Convergence of Quality and Digitalisation in a Changing World: Implications for Developing Nations such as the BRICS Group

Abstract

The emergence of digitalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution has resulted in a significant shift in practices, resulting in a disconnection among organisations, employees, and technology, particularly affecting developing nations like the BRICS group which have faced disproportionate challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of quality in the context of intelligent and automated systems operating in a technologically advanced environment. The study employs a systematic literature review methodology, which encompassed a rigorous process of identifying and selecting 38 articles, followed by a comprehensive thematic analysis. The findings highlight that organisations need to adapt their quality systems to effectively operate in a world dominated by intelligent and automated systems. The implication is that by leveraging digital technologies, organisations can embrace the integration of quality with machine learning, programmable logic controllers, adaptive feedback loops, automated information collection, and blockchain technology to develop a value-based, transparent, and secure quality system. The proposed roadmap and model derived from this study affords organisations the opportunity to establish an intelligent quality ecosystem that aptly aligns with the requisites of the technologically advanced era, thereby ensuring the attainment of excellence in quality during the digital era.