Quality 4.0 on the small scale
Quality 4.0 on the small scale
Purpose – According to the working definition of CQI on Quality 4.0, eight supporting principles underpin the definition. The examples aligned with those principles are global companies like Uber, Amazon, Airbnb, and the BMW Group. The paper analyzes the applicability of those principles in a much smaller case – how a Hungarian SME can benefit from Quality 4.0? What are the applicable elements in a small and medium-sized enterprise in Central Europe? The presentation is an interim report of our ongoing research at the Department of Management and Business Economics at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
Approach – A Hungarian enterprise was selected that applied for the Hungarian Government’s funding project announced in 2017, which granted non-refundable financial aid to support the implementation of industry 4.0 in SMEs.
Findings – The conclusion is that the Széchenyi 2020 Project made a significant impact on PNH Ltd., the company chosen for the case study. The program allowed the organization to buy automated machinery, invest in industry 4.0, and expand its site. They successfully increased net sales and expanded the customer base. As an export-oriented company, they are able to not only satisfy the needs of national customers but meet the requirements of foreign customers and partners as well.
Research implications- Based on the benefits and requirements of the program with PNH Ltd.’s achievements, there is a high probability that the lack of disposable capital is the main reason SMEs similar to PNH cannot implement quality 4.0. However, with the help of EU funding, SMEs are able to acquire and successfully use Quality 4.0 tools.
Paper type: Case study
quality management, quality methods, implementation, digital quality.
