Are QM models aligned with Industry 4.0? A perspective on current practices

The latest technological developments epitomized in Industry 4.0 have created a disruptive effect on the production/service systems and value chains. Industry 4.0, building on the integration of information and communication technologies, Internet of things, robotics, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, aims for developing autonomous and dynamic operations to enable the mass production of highly customized products. Industry 4.0 and quality management share the same objective, that is, improving process performance, yet through different trajectories. However, notwithstanding Industry 4.0 developments, quality management models have remained stagnant and failed to keep abreast of these advancements. This paper evaluates the alignment of quality management models with Industry 4.0. The paper shows that quality models are not congruent with Industry 4.0. The former build on the paradigm that supports establishing formal systems, compliance with specifications, and meeting requirements which are quite irrelevant to Industry 4.0. The paper compares the features of Industry 4.0 against quality models, highlights inadequacies in quality models, and develops recommendations for future quality models. This study is the first to review quality management models in light of the Industry 4.0 developments. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.