Toward quality 4.0 : identifying trends for the future studies

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has driven significant changes in organizational processes for product and service development. As result, companies have created strategies and practices to implement I4.0 technologies in various areas, such as quality, occupational health and safety, and marketing. The implementation of I4.0 technologies in quality, known as Quality 4.0 (Q4.0), can improve operational performance and financial results for organizations. Q4.0 enables the identification and implementation of process, product, and service improvements, facilitates more assertive decision-making, monitors and controls defects, and improves the design and development of new products, etc. However, Q4.0 is an emerging topic, and organizations may encounter challenges in implementing it effectively. Therefore, this work aims to identify and systematize the main scientific gaps in Q4.0 to support the development of new studies that contribute to the advancement of this research field. A literature review was conducted to selectand analyze articles and scientific reviews published in the Scopus database. The scientific gaps identified were grouped into six clusters according to their affinities. Thus, this work contributes theoretically to the thickening and expansion of theory on the subject, supporting the development of new research on Q4.0. In a practical way, this study contributes to increasing customer satisfaction and the competitiveness of organizations.