Cite this as
Smajdorová T (2024) Journey to Quality 6.0: Evolution of quality management across industrial revolutions. Trends Comput Sci Inf Technol 9(2): 063-070. DOI: 10.17352/tcsit.000082Copyright License
© 2024 Smajdorová T. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This article explores the development of industrial revolutions and their relationship to the evolution of quality management from the first to the fifth revolution. The analysis covers significant changes in manufacturing processes, technologies, and business models that shaped the concept of quality in industry. Special emphasis is placed on the transition from manual labor to automation, the development of industrial standards, and the increasing role of quality in corporate leadership. Furthermore, the article introduces considerations about the potential form of the sixth industrial revolution, highlighting the impacts of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and digitization on the future of industry. A focal point of interest is the visualization of “Quality 6.0,” representing the next level of quality management in light of emerging technologies and industrial trends. This article offers a perspective on how quality management could respond to the anticipated sixth industrial revolution and what innovative quality might look like in the digital era.
The development of quality management is closely related to the dynamic development of industry. It all started with the advent of mechanization during the first industrial revolution to the digital transformation during Industry 4.0. We are now at the beginning of the fifth industrial revolution, which is mainly connected with the interconnection of people and machines, and also a lot of attention is paid to sustainability and ecology. What awaits us in the future in the sixth industrial revolution? Will it be the connection of all systems in real-time, the development of artificial intelligence, or the development of biological materials?
This article is devoted to the historical development of the industry and the related development of quality management. It examines how the pursuit of quality management has developed hand in hand with technological innovation. How quality management has evolved from 100% control carried out by the manufacturer himself, to the introduction of various tools such as sample inspection, SPC, PDCA, Lean management tools, and more. In addition, he is also considering the future focus of Quality 6.0.
Take a journey through industrial progress with this article that reflects on the past, analyzes the present, and speculates on future possibilities.
Industry 4.0 has a huge impact on society and social life. It is connected not only with industrial but also with social transformation. Robots, automated decision-making systems, learning machines, 3D printing, and others dominate the manufacturing process. Machines begin to play the role of a member of the decision-making team and have all the rights to make decisions. For example, 3D printing is progressing really fast daily necessities or even artificial human organs are being printed. The concept of smart cities is also rapidly spreading around the world [1].
The transition from agriculture to industrial society, i.e., the first, then the second, and third industrial revolutions was acknowledged and accepted by society. Similarly, also the transition to Industry 4.0 requires extensive analysis so that society will be able to understand and accept the inevitable and irreversible changes associated with it. Several elements of the changes with significant social impacts on the company are listed below [2]:
As far as production processes and the use of new technologies are concerned, it is not clear whether this is a new revolutionary initiative or a development of an existing concept [3].
There are several definitions of Industry 4.0. Synonymous with smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0 is the realization of a digital industry transformation that brings real-time decision-making, increased productivity, flexibility, and agility to revolutionize the way companies manufacture, improve, and distribute their products [4]. Industry 4.0 is the next step of the industrial revolution, which can potentially continue to transform the production flow and also change the communication between people and machines as the interaction between suppliers, manufacturers, and customers. It consists of nine perspective pillars and includes, for example, autonomous robots, simulation, horizontal and vertical system integration, cyber security, and augmented reality and can be further enhanced by artificial intelligence solutions [5]. The term Industry 4.0 is not just a buzzword, but a powerful tool that is spreading globally and infecting all aspects of human life today [6]. The concept and definition of Industry 4.0 focus on the automation of the industrial world. It ensures the implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) or the digital world as the backbone of its current existence [7]. Some people consider the dominant feature to be digitization, while others focus on autonomous production systems [8].
The transformation of production continues to grow exponentially. This transformation is driven by a number of factors, from technological innovation through changes in customer behavior to a turbulent manufacturing environment. Firms are thus under a lot of pressure to introduce new innovations at an ever-faster pace [9].
Industry is a collective term that includes many modern systems and production technologies. These are, for example, cloud systems, data mining, machine-to-machine decision-making, IoT, virtual production, or intelligent robotics [1].
Manufacturing in I4.0 systems means a system where machines offer services and share information in real-time, facilitate system monitoring and diagnostics, and are more environmentally friendly and sustainable by using more environmentally sensitive resources [1].
The First Industrial Revolution began in the second half of the 18th century and lasted until the beginning of the 19th century. During the First Industrial Revolution, machine manufacturing was introduced. The development of electrification and the increasing division of labor led to the Second Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century. This was followed by the Third, or Digital Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 1900s, and early 2000s. During this period of time, advanced electronics and IT increasingly contributed to the development of automation of production processes. Then an initiative called Industry 4.0 was introduced, where the ideas of digitization with a certain degree of machine automation were promoted [10].
Lucke points out the great importance of production systems and technologies that face the new challenges of ever-increasing demands for global sustainability [11].
Kowalska sees our future optimistically, stating that all objects will be connected to the Internet and will cooperate with each other anywhere in the world and at any time [12].
During the First Industrial Revolution, productivity and work efficiency improved thanks to the first steam engines. The Second Industrial Revolution then enabled the introduction of mass production thanks to electricity, and the Third Industrial Revolution was characterized by the automation of production through the development of electronics and IT [13].
Industry 4.0 involves rapid and disruptive changes including digital manufacturing, network communication, computer and automation technologies, and much more [14].
This new paradigm includes a set of technological innovations, such as IoT, robotics, Big Data, or Cloud Manufacturing, which enable an increase in efficiency and productivity [15].
Another development of the industry, which can be referred to as Industry 5.0, involves the interaction of intelligence and creativity with the cognitive properties of computer technology [16].
The I5.0 concept, introduced in 2015, enables the personalization of products and greater involvement of human intelligence in the production process. Following on from I4.0 technologies, the integration between humans and robotic technology is being strengthened [17].
The concept of Industry 5.0 was introduced to meet the increasing demands for people’s personal needs. It provides highly personalized products and services. It is a revolution in which humans are getting closer to machines [16].
Nahavandi states that the biggest problem with I4.0 is that it aims to improve process efficiency while completely ignoring the human benefit of process optimization [18].
Maddikunta says that while the main priority of I4.0 is to automate processes, thereby reducing human intervention in the process, in I5.0 we can put human power back into the production process and thus support highly skilled jobs [19].
Another significant change within I5.0, which will affect absolutely the entire world, is a change in material engineering. For example, 3D printers will start using fillings that we could only dream of until today. Houses, cars, rocket engines, weapons, furniture, and statues are already being printed. Food or artificial organs from stem cells will follow soon. The field of nanotechnology will expand. It can be assumed that a number of mineral resources will cease to be mined and they will be replaced by new materials with precisely defined useful properties. Everything around us will be made to measure, without cutting, machining, and mostly without waste [20].
How far could the industry go, what will industry 6.0 or even 7.0 look like? Soon, quantum physics will be used, which could turn the current world upside down. And the so-called biologization of industry will also have a big impact - all systems will be a combination of natural materials and materials from artificial DNA. If we want to know in which direction the industry will develop, we can be inspired by the authors of science fiction films. They have a very big imagination and many of their previously unthinkable visions are commonplace today. Long ago, in the 1985 movie Back to the Future, 15 inventions, such as drones or glasses for virtual reality appeared, of which 10 are readily available today [20].
The basic task of quality management is to ensure the competence of the organization and the ability to provide high-quality products. Although the basic ideas and goals remain the same, the paradigms for developing and implementing methods and tools change over time [21].
According to T.S Kuhn, a paradigm is a collection of basic presumptions and assumptions. Adopting a new paradigm means a revolution in world perception [22].
The idea of meeting customer requirements while maximizing profit and minimizing costs is almost as old as humanity itself. In the beginning, these were matters between the provider and the customer, and compliance was guaranteed by law and “craft honor” based on the personal responsibility of the provider. However, this situation changed dramatically with factories. The development of the division of labor and the increased proportion of machine work resulted in the impossibility of assigning responsibility for quality to a specific person. This situation resulted in a demand for the introduction of control activities, which can be considered as the origin of quality management in the company [23].
The history of the quality management system began in 1910 when F. Taylor laid the foundations of “scientific management”, which aimed to increase profit and labor productivity while simultaneously reducing energy consumption. In 1924, W. Shewhart presented the method of statistical quality control. His control charts became the basis of lean manufacturing and the Six Sigma methodology. They also served as the basis for the future PDCA methodology. The American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) was founded as early as 1946, later changing to the well-known American Society for Quality (ASQ). In the fifties of the 20th century, J.M. Juran published a quality management manual, which is considered a basic source of information on quality. Juren’s concept of quality is based on the Pareto principle, management theory, and his quality trilogy (planning - management - improvement). At the same time, Toyota introduced the TPS production system, which is the predecessor of lean production. In the 1960s, General System introduced the TQM concept. And the Japanese theoretician Ishikawa puts into practice the concept of quality circles, which strengthen the position of workers in the field of quality. In the early seventies of the 20th century, Toyota develops the concept of JIT as a means of satisfying customer requirements. In 1982, Ishikawa introduced his cause-and-effect diagram, which is used to identify defects. In 1986, Motorola introduced the concept of Six Sigma, which focuses on increasing efficiency and also uses the DMAIC methodology. In 2000, the International Organization for Standardization introduced a comprehensive series of ISO 9000 standards, which serve as the basis for many of today’s standards. Currently, companies are moving to cloud-based solutions for enterprise quality management systems, which allow easier access to the necessary data and faster resolution of problems [24].
For the preparation of this article, a qualitative research method was used. This research included a detailed analysis of technical papers, scientific studies, and industry trends. The analysis made it possible to understand the context of the development of the industry and the historical development in the history of mankind, and thus also the current state of the industry. Subsequently, this analysis allowed us to predict the possible development of the industry in the future.
The first step of the analysis was a search of a whole range of databases, such as Scopus or Web of Science. The criteria for this search were the historical development of industrial revolutions, advantages, and disadvantages of Industry 4.0, the influence of the historical development of industry on changes in quality management, Industry 5.0, Quality 4.0, Quality 5.0, future development of industry, and future development of quality management. The time range of sources studied was mainly focused on the period of the last five years; however, some older publications were also included. Professional articles, contributions to the proceedings, and also book publications were included in the research. As the subject of Industry 5.0 and Quality 5.0 is a relatively new research area, information from the websites of reputable organizations such as the American Society of Quality (ASQ) has also been included.
This analysis aimed to find quality information from the field of industry development and quality management, their present state, and the possibility of future direction. Both theoretical articles and contributions involving quantitative and qualitative research were sought. Contributions in both English and German were included and also partially in Czech. Those articles that did not address defined areas of research or those that did not contain clear arguments for their conclusions were excluded from the analysis.
Then, an extensive analysis of the collected publications was performed. First, abstracts and introductions were screened to exclude articles that did not address the required research areas. Afterward, the entire articles were read so that their conclusions could be included in this study. And finally, references to other sources mentioned in the articles were also studied, so that other publications could possibly be included in the study as well.
The next step was the analysis of the information obtained from selected publications. Individual publications were read several times in order to sort the articles into several categories and then to compare the obtained data. The articles were analyzed in detail and the information they contained ultimately led to the determination of conclusions.
The industrial revolution is a radical change in the way of production. These changes were caused by social, economic, and political conditions. Very often it is related to some kind of wartime crisis that led to a lot of technological innovation. The following is an overview of the historical development of individual industrial revolutions:
- Some experts suggest that the Fifth Industrial Revolution will be the development of technologies in the fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and quantum computing. These areas can bring new ways of manufacturing and processing materials, improvements in healthcare, and the development of new kinds of communication technologies.
- Another possibility for the Fifth Industrial Revolution is the development of so-called “green” technologies and a sustainable economy, which includes the development of new types of renewable energy sources and the use of materials with a low carbon footprint.
- The return of human creativity to the production process could also be part of the next industrial revolution. In the past, manufacturing processes sought to maximize efficiency and minimize human influence, leading to the introduction of machines and automated production lines. However, modern technology and the increasing need for product personalization and differentiation can lead to an increased involvement of human creativity in the production process. The inclusion of human creativity into the manufacturing process could lead to greater innovation, faster time-to-market for new products, and greater customer satisfaction. For this purpose, tools such as 3D printers are already used, which enable the rapid production of prototypes and testing of new ideas [30].
Quality management focuses mainly on satisfying customer needs. These are processes and procedures that aim to ensure high product quality and try to reduce production costs. The development of methods and tools is closely related to the development of industry.
In today’s turbulent world, ensuring the quality of production or services, i.e. satisfying the needs and expectations of customers, is in the first place.
The development of quality management and the development of industry go hand in hand and influence each other. At the same time, the development of quality management leads to more efficient production and higher product quality, which leads to improved competitiveness and also leads to the development of new technologies.
The current trend of quality management is increasing the efficiency and flexibility of production, reducing costs.
The development of quality management tools, as part of the Quality 5.0 concept, will probably continue in line with the trend of digitization and automation, which has been prominent in the industry in recent years. A few possible directions that could lead to further development of these tools include:
Industry 6.0:
Trends that could lead to the next, already sixth industrial revolution:
All of the above trends can and probably will lead to a new sixth industrial revolution, which will follow the fourth and fifth revolutions [31,32].
Quality 6.0 concept:
As the industry has developed over time and the methods and tools of quality management have also developed along with it, even with considerations of the sixth industrial revolution, it is necessary to think about possible changes and the future direction of quality management. So what could quality management 6.0 look like:
What other technologies could be part of quality 6.0:
One of the main objectives of quality management is the continuous improvement of products and processes. And the future associated with new technological challenges will offer many interesting opportunities to ensure this improvement.
It is necessary to adapt to new trends such as IoT, AI, and autonomous systems. These new technologies will offer new ways of quality assurance. The future goal of quality management will not only be to ensure quality products, but the focus will be mainly on flexibility, personalization, shared economy, sustainability, and ecology.
Future success will require organizations to invest in training their employees, new technologies, openness to innovation, and quick response to new technologies. The future of quality management will depend on the adaptive approach of companies to new trends. This article can be an insinuation and an open window into the future of quality management 6.0.
The work was supported by the Development and Education and the specific university research of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic No. SP2024/065.
Declaration for the use of AI-assisted technology: ChatGPT version 3.5 was used for some parts of this article. All output has been reviewed and edited by the author. The author assumes full responsibility for the content of the publication.
Subscribe to our articles alerts and stay tuned.
PTZ: We're glad you're here. Please click "create a new query" if you are a new visitor to our website and need further information from us.
If you are already a member of our network and need to keep track of any developments regarding a question you have already submitted, click "take me to my Query."