Industry 4.0 - Quality 4.

0 & New Product Development

Dec 2019 - y 12 N. 103

INDUSTRY 4.0 - QUALITY 4.0

&
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
NUMBER #103
DECEMBER 2019

Sergio Salimbeni

Abstract
Industry 4.0 is the integration and interaction of
technologies regarding physical and digital domains.
Many manufacturing companies are in search of the
best adaptation of their facilities, so that they can
position themselves better in face of these new
challenges. Industry 4.0 has already got its framework,
“Reference Architectural Model for Industrie 4.0” or
RAMI 4.0. Product lifecycle management enables
companies to provide additional values to customers to
gain competitive advantage. Smart products can
gather information about production cycles, quality
requirements, waste production from their sensors and
actuators.
Industry 4.0
Digital technology is increasingly important in
achieving business goals, and its pervasive effects have
resulted in the radical restructuring of entire
industries. Given digital technology’s central role in the
restructuring of several industries managers’ interest in
handling digital product and service innovation is not
surprising (Nylén & Holmström, 2015).
The interconnection between different technologies
and devices through the Internet, the use of CPS
(cyber-physical systems) and AI (artificial intelligence),
are perhaps the most salient features of the present
industrial era. As players involved in it, we may not
have enough perspective to observe the strong
evolution that is currently happening in the industry.
I.4.0 (Industry 4.0) is the integration and interaction of
technologies regarding physical and digital domains,
which makes it stand out from the other industrial
revolutions (Demartini & Tonelli, 2018).
I.4.0 is a German Government's initiative to gain
stronghold in global manufacturing, by advanced
application of information and communication systems
in manufacturing (Sanders, Elangeswaran, &
Wulfsberg, 2016) .
Many manufacturing companies are in search of the
best adaptation of their facilities, so that they can
position themselves better in face of these new
challenges. One of the biggest dares that organizations
are facing today is finding the proper way to shape
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Industry 4.0 - Quality 4.0 & NPD
December, 2019
competitive advantages in the age of I.4.0. It is a
condition of their long-term survival in the market
(Adamik & Nowicki, 2018).
I.4.0 has already got its framework, although specialists
are still in its full completion; it is called “Reference
Architectural Model for Industrie 4.0” or RAMI 4.0 by
short.
RAMI 4.0 is a very interesting and useful guide to
normalize all the central actors of this new industrial
revolution. The integration of various technologies is
really the challenge of I.4.0.
The RAMI 4.0 is made up of three axes. It is a three-
dimensional scheme that shows the most important
aspects of I.4.0 and ensures that everyone involved in
the industry shares a common perspective and
understanding.
It should be remembered that the I.4.0 core is the
interconnection of innumerable devices from
innumerable manufacturers; and it must work.
The three dimensions that are standardised are: (1) the
Life Cycle Value Stream, (2) the Hierarchy Levels and
(3) Layers.
Source: Graphics © Plattform Industrie 4.0 and ZVEI. Dr. Karsten
Schweichhart. Leader(act.) AG1 „Standardization & Reference
Architecture“. Plattform Industrie 4.0
Focusing on the first axis, Life Cycle, it can be seen that
it is possible to monitor and control the product, and
even its constituent parts, from the concept design to
"death" or disposal of the product itself. This life cycle,
according to the framework, goes through two major
phases: (a) Type and (b) Instance.
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The type phase belongs to the development and
maintenance (of the development), while the Instance
phase contains the product’s production and usage.
Imagine, during this cycle, being able to receive usage
data and user behavior, so that you could utilised this
information to make improvements in new versions of
the product, or even, offer additional services related
to it.
As a strategic weapon, PLM (product lifecycle
management) enables companies to provide additional
values to customers to gain competitive advantage.
PLM is a business strategy used by manufacturers to
support the full PLC (product life cycle) and accelerate
business performance through a combination of
process, organization, methodology, and technology
(Xin & Ojanen, 2018).
Quality 4.0
TQM (Total Quality Management) has not changed in
essence. However, the quantity, reliability and speed in
which data is collected and analyzed offer precise
information. That information is what offers the
knowledge necessary for decision making.
That is important because the quality of products and
processes throughout the product lifecycle is a
prerequisite for achieving company goals (Demartini &
Tonelli, 2018)
Quality is changing due to digitalisation and that is
where Q.4.0 (Quality 4.0) provides a potential value
creation.
As it was already said, while there are multiple
possibilities, three central themes can be mentioned:
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Industry 4.0 - Quality 4.0 & NPD
December, 2019
(1) reaction times, (2) relationships and (3)
predictionsi.
Thanks to that, new post-sale services could be
offered, such as those related to prescriptive
maintenance.
Source: LNS Research
New Product Development
Besides I.4.0 and digital transformation, a new concept
also emerges: the digitalization of products, the so-
called “Smart Products”. As mentioned earlier, not only
products can be digitalised, but also their component
parts. This is one of the fundamental reasons, together
with the Internet and cloud storage, for which big
quantity of data can be stored.
Smart products can gather information about
production cycles, quality requirements, waste
production from their sensors and actuators
(Demartini & Tonelli, 2018).
As Anderl (2018) said, changes in customer
requirements based on field data can be incorporated
even during a product’s manufacturing process
because the company possesses the agility to adapt to
the new situation.
As an example, by closing the product's information
loop, digitalisation makes Closed Loop Lifecycle
Management possible.
Closed Loop Lifecycle Management addresses the
collection of entire product life cycle information, as it
can help to improve design, manufacturing, use and
end of life cycle handling of products continually. As a
result of this, product quality can be improved, and the
business opportunities will be enhanced.
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Source: JUNE 2018© LNS Research
On the other hand, with virtual prototyping, system
planners could respond to the changes in
manufacturing process quickly, improving flexibility
and efficiency of tooling and process design
recursively, and consider human-machine interaction
with regards to usability, comfort, and safety in
beginning-of-life phase (Xin & Ojanen, 2018).
Florén, Frishammar, Parida, & Wincent (2018) said that
foundational success factors in NPD are: (1) Senior
management involvement, (2) Early customer
involvement, (3) External cooperation beyond
customers (e.g., suppliers), (4) Alignment between NPD
and strategy, (5) Adequate degree of formalization -
several researchers propose that orderly and
predictable management that reduces uncertainty in
the front end benefits NPD, (6) Cooperation among
functions and departments, it means Cross-functional
cooperation, (7) Creative organization culture and (8)
Project Management capabilities. It can be easily seen
that the digitalization of products during the entire life
cycle covers exactly the factors Florén defined.
The sensorisation of parts and products throughout the
entire life cycle, allows information to be shared
between all departments of the company, too.
Knowledge sharing, as the dissemination of
information and knowledge within a community, is
considered to play a crucial role in knowledge
management ventures within the organisation.
Knowledge sharing is regarded by most manufacturing
companies as one of the most important issues in
knowledge management, for improving efficiency,
quality and time to market in new product
development (Gao & Bernard, 2018).
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Industry 4.0 - Quality 4.0 & NPD
December, 2019
Another important concept is the Consumer
Cocreation in New Product Development.
The area of consumer cocreation is in its infancy and
many aspects are not well understood (Hoyer, Chandy,
Dorotic, Krafft, & Singh, 2010).
Again, we can say that, the digitalisation of things
allows companies to exchange all types of information,
including with customers and suppliers and in real
time, which facilitates the co-creation initiative.
Ing. Sergio Salimbeni, MBA, PhD.
Professor and researcher @ USAL University
Director - Activus – Business Engineering
info@activusLA.com
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i
Qualität 4.0 am Beispiel Katapult – Quality Science Lab | K.
Seiffert, P. Drange Seite 4 | 17.10.2016

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