Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing 6/2021

20-05-2021

Digitalization priorities of quality control processes for SMEs: a conceptual study in perspective of Industry 4.0 adoption

Authors: Gautam Dutta, Ravinder Kumar, Rahul Sindhwani, Rajesh Kr. Singh

Published in: Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing | Issue 6/2021

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Digitalization is an opportunity for manufacturing SMEs to transform, not only for the flexibility and agility, but also for improved responsiveness in meeting customer requirements. Quality, being an integral part of customer-orientation, needs to be at the forefront of transformation under digitalization. Also, the digitalization is the need of the hour for continuous improvement to avoid disparity between paper-based quality practices and the digitalized engineering value chain. In this research article, authors intend to address the digitalization priorities of quality practices for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in perspective of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. From the literature survey, authors observed that, there is extensive literature available regarding quality and its relevance for continuous improvement, while research insights regarding integration of quality practices in a digital environment are limited and even if considered, they have not been studied holistically. Authors have examined the available research to assimilate the effect of current market trends on quality practices. They have undertaken a survey of prevailing quality maturity in manufacturing SMEs. In current study, authors have understood the need of digitalization of quality processes and propose the priority digital approaches that can guide SMEs with a holistic view of transformation including quality. The key findings based on proposed approaches for adopting digital quality processes are: Firstly, to address the challenges of shorter time-to-market, increased complexity, flexibility and innovation, SMEs need to adopt digitalization across the PDCA quality cycle. Secondly, digitalization of quality practices needs to be considered holistically across value chain. Thirdly, five processes have been prioritized for digitalization based on their adoption maturity i.e. design for quality, compliance, incoming & outgoing goods control, statistical process control and complaint management. Based on finding of this study authors recommend that manufacturing SMEs take cognizance of these findings and adopt digital quality to successfully thrive in the emerging global market.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
go back to reference Kim, D. Y., Park, J. W., Baek, S., Park, K. B., Kim, H. R., Park, J. I., Kim, H. S., Kim, B. B., Oh, H. Y., Namgung, K., & Baek, W. (2020). A modular factory testbed for the rapid reconfiguration of manufacturing systems. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 31(3), 661–680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-019-01471-2CrossRef Kim, D. Y., Park, J. W., Baek, S., Park, K. B., Kim, H. R., Park, J. I., Kim, H. S., Kim, B. B., Oh, H. Y., Namgung, K., & Baek, W. (2020). A modular factory testbed for the rapid reconfiguration of manufacturing systems. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 31(3), 661–680. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s10845-019-01471-2CrossRef
go back to reference Klötzer, C., & Pflaum, A. (2017). Toward the Development of a Maturity Model for Digitalization within the Manufacturing Industry’s Supply Chain. In Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2017) (pp. 4210–4219). https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2017.509 Klötzer, C., & Pflaum, A. (2017). Toward the Development of a Maturity Model for Digitalization within the Manufacturing Industry’s Supply Chain. In Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2017) (pp. 4210–4219). https://​doi.​org/​10.​24251/​hicss.​2017.​509
go back to reference Motohashi, K., & Rammer, C. (2020). Digitalization and New Product Development in Manufacturing SMEs: A Comparative Study of Germany and Japan. Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). Motohashi, K., & Rammer, C. (2020). Digitalization and New Product Development in Manufacturing SMEs: A Comparative Study of Germany and Japan. Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
go back to reference Obal, M., Morgan, T., & Joseph, G. (2020). Integrating sustainability into new product development: The role of organizational leadership and culture. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 30(1), 43–57. Obal, M., Morgan, T., & Joseph, G. (2020). Integrating sustainability into new product development: The role of organizational leadership and culture. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 30(1), 43–57.
go back to reference Parviainen, P., Tihinen, M., Kääriäinen, J., & Teppola, S. (2017). Tackling the digitalization challenge: How to benefit from digitalization in practice. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 5(1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.12821/ijispm050104 Parviainen, P., Tihinen, M., Kääriäinen, J., & Teppola, S. (2017). Tackling the digitalization challenge: How to benefit from digitalization in practice. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 5(1), 63–77. https://​doi.​org/​10.​12821/​ijispm050104
go back to reference Singh, L. P., Bhardwaj, A., & Sachdeva, A. (2006). Quality management practices vs. performance of SMEs: An empirical study of Indian industries. In 2006 Technology Management for the Global Future-PICMET 2006 Conference (Vol. 5, pp. 2393–2399). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/PICMET.2006.296826 Singh, L. P., Bhardwaj, A., & Sachdeva, A. (2006). Quality management practices vs. performance of SMEs: An empirical study of Indian industries. In 2006 Technology Management for the Global Future-PICMET 2006 Conference (Vol. 5, pp. 2393–2399). IEEE. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1109/​PICMET.​2006.​296826
go back to reference Sjödin, D. R., Parida, V., Leksell, M., & Petrovic, A. (2018). Smart factory implementation and process innovation: A preliminary maturity model for leveraging digitalization in manufacturing moving to smart factories presents specific challenges that can be addressed through a structured approach focused on people, processes, and technologies. Research-Technology Management, 61(5), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2018.1471277CrossRef Sjödin, D. R., Parida, V., Leksell, M., & Petrovic, A. (2018). Smart factory implementation and process innovation: A preliminary maturity model for leveraging digitalization in manufacturing moving to smart factories presents specific challenges that can be addressed through a structured approach focused on people, processes, and technologies. Research-Technology Management, 61(5), 22–31. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1080/​08956308.​2018.​1471277CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Digitalization priorities of quality control processes for SMEs: a conceptual study in perspective of Industry 4.0 adoption
Authors
Gautam Dutta
Ravinder Kumar
Rahul Sindhwani
Rajesh Kr. Singh
Publication date
20-05-2021
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing / Issue 6/2021
Print ISSN: 0956-5515
Electronic ISSN: 1572-8145
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-021-01783-2

Other articles of this Issue 6/2021

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing 6/2021 Go to the issue

Premium Partners