Quality 4.0 : literature review analysis, definition and impacts of the digital transformation process on quality

Purpose: The changes brought forth by the Digital Transformation have an impact on the way we think, assess and manage Quality. While the concept of Quality 4.0 has resulted from these changes, there is still limited understanding and unclear definitions in this new era of Quality Management. Design/methodology/approach: There is a clear opportunity to review and analyze the state-of-the-art of Quality 4.0, its main research efforts, topics and directions. To do so, a bibliometric analysis and descriptive/mapping literature review were performed. Findings: There is a clear focus on the implications of technology for Quality, but other relevant topics include business management and strategy models and systems, as well as human or soft factors. Results reveal an increasing interest in Quality 4.0 as well as a link between topics. Originality/value: Together with the review, analysis and digest of the literature, we offer our own contribution to a commonly accepted definition Quality 4.0.