CONDITIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF QUALITY DEVELOPMENT – FROM QUALITY 4.0 TO 5.0

Purpose: To present the essence, advantages and threats of Quality 4.0 and Quality 5.0 and to indicate further development directions of quality management concepts.Design/methodology/approach: The research methods used are a thematic review of literature on research on Quality 4.0 and 5.0 and surveys conducted among companies with certified quality management systems in the region of southeastern Poland.Findings: The challenges and drivers of Quality 4.0 development are closely related to Industry 4.0 and are based on IT revolutionizing the business world.The implementation of Quality 4.0 solutions leads to the integrated and intelligent automation of quality standards.The research results show a growing interest in the implementation of Quality 4.0 and TQM 4.0 solutions.The increased focus on social satisfaction through an environmentally sustainable approach has been reflected in Quality 5.0 related to Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. Research limitations/implications:The main limitations of the conclusions presented in this article and the reflections described by the authors and other researchers include: the study does not offer long-term data on the outcomes of Quality 4.0 and 5.0 implementations, making it difficult to assess their sustained impact; the concepts of Quality 4.0 and 5.0 are still evolving, and the article does not provide universally accepted interpretation.The authors acknowledge a need to develop research on Quality 5.0 in the following directions: investigate the role of organizational culture, leadership styles, and employee training in successfully adopting Quality 4.0 and 5.0; explore how Quality 4.0 and 5.0 can be tailored to specific sectors (e.g., healthcare, education, manufacturing) to address unique challenges and opportunities; examine the balance between automation and human involvement in Quality 5.0, particularly in industries where human judgment and creativity are critical.Originality/value: The article identifies the challenges related to contemporary approaches to pro-quality management of organizations and systematizes the concept of quality in the conditions of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, indicating its key aspects.It is addressed to researchers of quality management issues.