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The need to optimize the triangle formed by “quality, cost and time” culminated in increasing the focus from product to process quality. By analyzing the evolution of quality and the impact of Industry 4.0 on it, this research seeks, through a technical point of view, to comprehend the state of the art of quality 4.0 and intelligent quality management (IQM) by defining concepts, technologies, challenges and applications.

The review was conducted only in English, on IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Engineering Village and Web of Science databases with a backward citation analysis, having technology and quality as main concepts. In total, 109 papers were reduced to 24, and 11 characteristics were extracted.

Although many authors point to the same 4.0 technologies and the importance of quality for Industry 4.0, they differ in the concept of quality 4.0 and the implementation frameworks to achieve it.

This paper is one of the few studies that have searched for the roots of quality 4.0 and IQM. The work also seeks to identify their differences and their relationship with Industry 4.0.

The study aims to explore the dimensions of Quality 4.0 adoption, prioritization of these dimensions and the influential dimensions and their causal relationships that can guide the smooth adoption of Quality 4.0 to boost organizational performance.

The Quality 4.0 dimensions are explored from the extant literature. The qualitative data were captured from 12 highly experienced experts from diverse industries and academia through structured interview questions and group discussions in multiple phases. The inputs obtained from the experts were analyzed using Fuzzy-Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution for dimension priority, and Fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory was employed to reveal the influential relationship between them.

The analysis reveals that quality scalability, quality culture and quality conformance are investigated as primary drivers of Quality 4.0 adoption. Data-driven analytical thinking and customer centricity emerge as dynamic dimensions that act as quality deliverable ends. Integrating these methodologies provides a robust framework for understanding and managing Quality 4.0 complexities, offering actionable insights for prioritizing initiatives and addressing interdependencies to ensure successful adoption and implementation.

The practical implications guide industries in creating strategic action plans tailored to their needs and fostering a quality-focused culture. The study also offers valuable insights into government policies, promoting sustainability, efficiency and a circular economy.

The study’s novelty lies in its prioritization and examination of the most influential causes and effects within the Quality 4.0 dimensions. This approach highlights core drivers and critical factors, providing a comprehensive framework for successful implementation.

Quality 4.0 is essential to the Industry 4.0 framework, notably in the electronics sector. It evaluates product quality in real-time using automatic process controls, quality tools and procedures. The implementation of Quality 4.0 criteria in the electronics industry is the subject of this study’s investigation and analysis. In this study, nine Customer Requirements (CRs) and 18 Design Requirements (DRs) have been defined to adopt Quality 4.0, aiming to increase yield while reducing defects. This study has developed a Quality 4.0 framework for effective implementation, incorporating the People, Process and Technology categories.

Many CRs and DRs of Quality 4.0 exhibit interdependencies. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) considers interdependencies among the criteria at various levels. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can capture the customer’s voice, which is particularly important in Quality 4.0. Therefore, in this research, we use an integrated ANP-QFD methodology for prioritizing DRs based on the customers' needs and preferences, ultimately leading to better product and service development.

According to the research findings, the most critical consumer criteria for Quality 4.0 in the electronics sector are automatic systems, connectivity, compliance and leadership. The Intelligent Internet of Things (IIOTs) has emerged as the most significant design requirement that enables effective control in production. It is observed that robotics process automation and a workforce aligned with Quality 4.0 also play crucial roles.

Existing literature does not include studies on identifying CRs and DRs for implementing Quality 4.0 in the electronics industry. To address this gap, we propose a framework to integrate real-time quality measures into the Industry 4.0 context, thereby facilitating the implementation of Quality 4.0 in the electronics industry. This study can provide valuable insights for industry practitioners to implement Quality 4.0 effectively in their organizations.

The research aims to develop an assessment framework that evaluates critical success factors (CSFs) for the Quality 4.0 (Q 4.0) transition among Indian firms.

The authors use the fuzzy-Delphi method to validate the results of a systematic literature review (SLR) that explores critical aspects. Further, the fuzzy decision-making trial and laboratory (DEMATEL) method determines the cause-and-effect link. The findings indicate that developing a Q 4.0 framework is essential for the long-term success of manufacturing companies. Utilizing the power of digital technology, data analytics and automation, manufacturing companies can benefit from the Q 4.0 framework. Product quality, operational effectiveness and overall business performance may all be enhanced by implementing the Q 4.0 transition framework.

The study highlights significant awareness of Q 4.0 in the Indian manufacturing sector that is acquired through various means such as training, experience, learning and research. However, most manufacturing industries in India still follow older quality paradigms. On the other hand, Indian manufacturing industries seem well-equipped to adopt Q 4.0, given practitioners' firm grasp of its concepts and anticipated benefits, including improved customer satisfaction, product refinement, continuous process enhancement, waste reduction and informed decision-making. Adoption hurdles involve challenges including reliable electricity access, high-speed Internet, infrastructure, a skilled workforce and financial support. The study also introduces a transition framework facilitating the shift from conventional methods to Q 4.0, aligned with the principles of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR).

This research exclusively examines the manufacturing sector, neglecting other fields such as medical, service, mining and construction. Additionally, there needs to be more emphasis on the Q 4.0 implementation frameworks within the scope of the study.

This may be the inaugural framework for transitioning to Q 4.0 in India's manufacturing sectors and, conceivably, other developing nations.

This review paper aims to explore and investigate the Quality 4.0 current knowledge, emerging areas, and trends available in the literature and provide insights for future research directions. The bibliometric analysis determines the most prominent journals, authors, countries, articles, and themes. The Citation and PageRank analysis identifies the most influential and prestigious articles. The author's keyword analysis identifies the research theme, patterns, and trends within a particular area of research.

This study utilised the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) declaration as a review protocol, and the data is retrieved accordingly. Therefore, 104 articles from Scopus and 28 from Web of Science were combined in R-Environment, and 25 duplicates were removed using RStudio. Finally, 107 papers were selected for further analysis. After the abstract level screening, the study reviewed 99 articles bibliographically published in peer-reviewed journals from prominent academic databases Scopus and WoS between 2011 to April 2023. We used the VOSviewer software tool for analysing bibliometric networks that allow the construction, visualisation, and exploration of maps based on any form of network data.

The review identified emerging themes: artificial intelligence, digitalization, sustainability, root cause analysis, topic modelling, and digital voice-of-customers. To establish the intellectual structure of the field and identify gaps, co-citation and content analysis were used. The content of 49 papers in the identified clusters was then carefully analysed. The four primary themes are the relationship of Quality 4.0 with Industry 4.0, the conceptualization of Quality 4.0, recommendations for the new Quality 4.0 model, and the impact of Quality 4.0. The findings provide an excellent foundation for future research in this field for policymakers, managers, practitioners, and academia.

This is the first systematic literature review-cum-bibliometric analysis on quality 4.0 that covers the field comprehensively. Based on the present review, the paper proposes six possible future research directions to investigate.

This study aims to investigate and provide comprehensive insights into the state of research on Quality 4.0 across various sectors. The investigation focusses on studies conducted in different countries and is motivated by the perceived benefits of adopting Quality 4.0 and the existing research gap in this domain. The literature review examines two main aspects of Quality 4.0: implementation ingredients and its applications.

This study employed a comprehensive systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis of Quality 4.0 publications to identify the benefits, challenges and trends of adopting Quality 4.0.

The applications of Quality 4.0 are centred on six key areas, including agile product development, predictive quality algorithms, cloud databases, automation, reduced cost of quality, streamlined quality processes, accurate demand forecasting and monitoring suppliers and quality metrics using digital dashboards. Geographical disparities in research were identified, with India and the United States of America emerging as the top publishing countries. The dominance of the subjects of business, management and accounting underscored the importance of quality management across diverse sectors.

The limitations of this study include the novelty of the Quality 4.0 topic, which posed a challenge in finding academic material, and the analysis period of six years, which could potentially limit the coverage of recent developments.

The insights and observations from this research offer valuable guidance to academics, practitioners and professionals seeking to implement Quality 4.0 in diverse sectors.

This study contributes a novel perspective to the field by examining the application, utilisation and evaluation of Quality 4.0, providing valuable insights for effectively managing its implementation.

This research paper aims to analyze the scientific and grey literature on Quality 4.0 and zero-defect manufacturing (ZDM) frameworks to develop an integrated quality 4.0 framework (IQ4.0F) for quality improvement (QI) based on Six Sigma and machine learning (ML) techniques towards ZDM. The IQ4.0F aims to contribute to the advancement of defect prediction approaches in diverse manufacturing processes. Furthermore, the work enables a comprehensive analysis of process variables influencing product quality with emphasis on the use of supervised and unsupervised ML techniques in Six Sigma’s DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) cycle stage of “Analyze.”

The research methodology employed a systematic literature review (SLR) based on PRISMA guidelines to develop the integrated framework, followed by a real industrial case study set in the automotive industry to fulfill the objectives of verifying and validating the proposed IQ4.0F with primary data.

This research work demonstrates the value of a “stepwise framework” to facilitate a shift from conventional quality management systems (QMSs) to QMSs 4.0. It uses the IDEF0 modeling methodology and Six Sigma’s DMAIC cycle to structure the steps to be followed to adopt the Quality 4.0 paradigm for QI. It also proves the worth of integrating Six Sigma and ML techniques into the “Analyze” stage of the DMAIC cycle for improving defect prediction in manufacturing processes and supporting problem-solving activities for quality managers.

This research paper introduces a first-of-its-kind Quality 4.0 framework – the IQ4.0F. Each step of the IQ4.0F was verified and validated in an original industrial case study set in the automotive industry. It is the first Quality 4.0 framework, according to the SLR conducted, to utilize the principal component analysis technique as a substitute for “Screening Design” in the Design of Experiments phase and K-means clustering technique for multivariable analysis, identifying process parameters that significantly impact product quality. The proposed IQ4.0F not only empowers decision-makers with the knowledge to launch a Quality 4.0 initiative but also provides quality managers with a systematic problem-solving methodology for quality improvement.

Recent research has garnered increasing attention to Quality 4.0, yet its implementation poses significant challenges across various industries. This study aims to identify and analyze the factors influencing Quality 4.0 implementation, considering their types and interactions. It offers solutions to facilitate the adoption of Quality 4.0 within Iran’s home appliance industry.

This research involved identifying the factors impacting Quality 4.0 implementation through a comprehensive review of relevant literature and the evolution of Quality 4.0. To evaluate the present status of these factors, data were gathered from the top ten manufacturing companies in Iran’s home appliance industry.

The study revealed that Perceived Saving Time emerged as the primary factor influencing changes in one of the backward scenarios of Perceived Saving Cost. Additionally, the research findings indicate that enhancements in the Vision and Strategy factor trigger a cascade effect across multiple factors, ultimately resulting in improvements in Knowledge and Awareness of Quality 4.0.

This research’s outcomes offer valuable insights for implementing Quality 4.0 and provide a novel perspective for researchers engaged in quality management.

This paper examines the factors influencing the adoption of Quality 4.0 technologies by quality professionals. The study evaluates perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude towards use, and intention to use new technologies.

The research involves a literature review, identification of latent variables derived from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and a survey conducted among 200 quality professionals in the high-tech sector using computer-assisted web interviews.

The study elucidates the attitudes and intentions of high-tech industry employees towards adopting Quality 4.0 technologies. The primary conclusion drawn is that the predominant factor shaping the attitude of quality professionals towards new technologies is their confidence in their ability to effectively engage with these technologies rather than solely the perceived usefulness of such technologies to themselves or their organization.

This study is subject to certain limitations. Firstly, it focuses on five variables identified in the TAM model, potentially overlooking other pertinent factors that could provide a more comprehensive understanding. Secondly, the analysis of Quality 4.0 technologies is presented in a generalized manner, possibly resulting in nuanced differences if each specific technology were examined individually.

This article fills a gap in the literature by identifying the factors influencing quality professionals' adoption of Quality 4.0 technologies and delineating the relationships between these factors.

Quality 4.0 is being presented as the new stage of quality development. However, its overlying concept and rationale are still hard to define. To better understand what different authors and studies advocate being Quality 4.0, a systematic literature review was undertaken on the topic. This paper presents the results of such review, providing some avenues for further research on quality management.

The documents for the systematic literature review have been searched on the Scopus database, using the search equation: [TITLE-ABS-KEY (“Quality 4.0”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (Quality Management” AND (“Industry 4.0” OR “Fourth Industr*” OR i4.0))]. Documents were filtered by language and by type. Of the 367 documents identified, 146 were submitted to exploratory content analysis.

The analyzed documents essentially provide theoretical discussions on what Quality 4.0 is or should be. Five categories have emerged from the content analysis undertaken: Industry 4.0 and the Rise of a New Approach to Quality; Motivations, Readiness Factors and Barriers to a Quality 4.0 Approach; Digital Quality Management Systems; Combination of Quality Tools and Lean Methodologies and Quality 4.0 Professionals.

It was hard to find studies reporting how quality is actually being managed in organizations that already operate in the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Answers could not be found to questions regarding actual practices, methodologies and tools being used in Quality 4.0 approaches. However, the research undertaken allowed to identify in the literature different ways of conceptualizing and analyzing Quality 4.0, opening up avenues for further research on quality management in the Industry 4.0 era.

This paper offers a broad look at how quality management is changing in response to the affirmation of the Industry 4.0 paradigm.