Sustainable Quality 4.0
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 23868
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Digital Transformation is having an impact on all areas of business and society as we fully embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution. All too often the focus is on technological developments and applications, however from past experiences in the automation and robotics era, we have learnt that technology alone does not provide the expected benefits and improvements. A management system and relevant processes are also needed to realise the potential from the new technologies. Whilst the Industry 4.0 environment provides the potential to improve quality, to realise the full benefits of the advancements in technology, attention is also needed to develop Quality Management and Quality Engineering and robust engineering design aspects.
As Industry 4.0 applications and environments mature and grow, we are now experiencing a shift of emphasis in its implementation, impact and benefits. The focus is moving from specific discussions around the technologies and building blocks to a broader outlook of embedding the technologies in business, service or society.
Another important consideration in the current climate is the role of sustainability in the development of Industry 4.0 applications and environments. Within a sustainability agenda, focus is developing towards sustainability in Industry 4.0 with research emerging on sustainable manufacturing and sustainable management systems. Potential benefits are on improvements in productivity, reduction in waste and improvement in quality in general (product, processes and working environment).
Whilst these are seen as positive developments, the emphasis and strategic planning needs to be refocused with quality and sustainability as the key drivers and technology as the core enabler.
Aim and scope: This Special Issue will focus on papers that contribute to the understanding and development of quality and sustainability within an Industry 4.0 environment with a clear strategic focus on Quality Management and Continuous Improvement aspects (Quality 4.0) with embedded sustainability principles.
Topics on any aspects of developing a sustainable Quality 4.0 framework will be considered. Papers are invited which have quality as the central focus and links a quality structure, framework or ecosystem with sustainability principles. Are they compatible and can they work together or do we need to compromise on quality to provide sustainable design, production, and service?
Conceptual, literature review and case study papers are welcomed.
Prof. Dr. Hefin Rowlands
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Industry 4.0
- Quality 4.0
- Sustainability
