Developing a Quality 4.0 Implementation Framework and Evaluating the Maturity Levels of Industries in Developing Countries

Abstract

Industry 4.0 implementations integrate people, machines, data, technology, and processes and allow organizations to connect through digitization and cloud-based systems. The purpose of the present research is to realize the need and sustainability of digitization and connectivity within the quality management domain in developing countries, which is now called Quality 4.0. In previous research, several Quality 4.0 frameworks have been proposed. However, most of the frameworks are based on philosophy or require vast resources to implement. Hence, this research work proposes a framework for the implementation of Quality 4.0 in different industries. This framework is based on eleven dimensions that are the core requirements of the Quality 4.0; key variables are evaluated to gauge the maturity of the implementation of the framework. A research instrument is developed based on the variables to acquire the industry data, which are statistically analyzed to determine the maturity of implementation. It was found that scalability, culture, and app development require the most immense attention from industry to completely implement the requirements of Quality 4.0. Finally, recommendations are suggested that address the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in transforming traditional quality management systems to the Quality 4.0 framework.