Quality in the Era of Industry 4.0—Quality Management Principles in the Context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The dynamic development of Industry 4.0 technologies, referred to as smart manufacturing technologies (SMTs), is significantly changing both production systems and quality management practices. The aim of this article is to analyse the impact of smart manufacturing technologies on the seven principles of quality management (QMP). The research is based on a narrative, semi-systematic review of the literature from the Web of Science and Scopus databases from the last seven years, using thematic analysis. Traditional interpretations of QMP principles were compared with new conditions resulting from the implementation of technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, vision systems, virtual and augmented reality, and additive manufacturing. The results indicate that SMTs do not eliminate quality management principles, but significantly change the way they are implemented. There is a shift towards product personalisation, shorter product life cycles, decentralised decision-making, flexible and autonomous processes, digital surveillance, and intensive use of real-time data. The article argues that SMT and QMP are complementary approaches—technologies increase the effectiveness and efficiency of quality management, but do not replace it. The considerations presented here are a starting point for further empirical research on the new ‘Quality 4.0’ model in the intelligent manufacturing environment.