Guest editorial: Quality 4.0 and Kaizen during disruptive times: addressing the triple helix actors’ COVID-19 pandemic challenges

The triple helix actors (academic, organizations and governments) live in a disruptive world due to worldwide technological progress and health events. The implementation of Industry 4.0 across the globe, which integrates Internet technologies and smart objects in manufacturing operations (Lasi et al., 2014), has been used by other industrial dimensions to reinvent them. An example of this update is the quality dimension with the creation of Quality 4.0. Some of the future directions included in Quality 4.0, but not limited to, are data science, modeling and simulation and integrating innovation with quality (Zonnenshain and Kenett, 2020). Therefore, academic institutions updated their curriculum and developed new degrees (at bachelor and master level), organizations invested in implementing new technologies and training their employees and governments created new regulations (law and financial stimulus) to promote Quality 4.0.

On the other hand, since the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the global COVID-19 pandemic; suddenly, academic institutions, organizations and government focused their actions on preserving life and health, living as a second priority the economic stability and day-to-day activities. The triple helix actors were unprepared for disrupted daily operation events: academic institutions were not prepared for remote-teaching systems (Daniel, 2020), only 20% of companies had a contingency plan (Euromonitor, 2020), and governments scrambled to design health policies and financial packages. As a result, the entire world has been facing a severe socio-economic crisis with the following impacts (but not limited): financial losses from manufacturing and services organizations (Kelp and Becker, 2020) and global poverty increased (Buheji et al., 2020).

After implementing new technologies, or as a reaction plan to address crisis time, members from the triple helix use to focus their actions on reducing expenses. Sometimes, impoverishment pushes you to think foolishly and implement wrong actions (Ohno, 2013). For example, take decisions using only data instead of visiting the Gemba, think in a short-term horizon, fire employees, close factories, cut the budget, eliminate less profitable products, etc. However, other organizations see disruptive times as an opportunity to improve and innovate processes and products (Afthonidis and Tsiotras, 2014; Lee and Trimi, 2021), achieving business success.

Kaizen, a Japanese concept, means slight improvements every day, everyone and everywhere (Imai, 1986). Kaizen could be developed at three levels (Ohno, 2013): improve the way of using existing equipment (manual work kaizen), improve machine tools or equipment (equipment Kaizen) and improve reversing process sequence (process kaizen). Another classification of Kaizen is focus on management, groups and individuals (Imai, 1986). Kaizen management focuses on the logistical, process and strategic points of greatest importance and provides the impetus to maintain progress and worker morale; quality circles, Kaizen teams and Jishu Kanri groups, groups that use various statistical tools and methodologies to solve problems (Kata-Kaizen) represent Group Kaizen. Individual Kaizen is one aimed at improving and developing work through skills. Mechanisms such as Kaizen Teian (mechanisms of proposals or suggestions) or Kaizen-Coaching are used (Imai, 1986). Practitioners and academics emphasized the importance of continuous improvement project initiatives (or Kaizen projects) to success in a competitive environment (Imai, 1986; Harry and Schroeder, 2000; Suarez-Barraza and Lingham, 2008). Some examples of Kaizen projects include Kaizen events, Lean-kaizen projects, Six Sigma projects, Lean Six Sigma projects, Shainin and Quality Improvement projects (traditional improvement projects). On the other hand, innovation is defined as introducing something new, such as a product, method or idea (Kahn, 2018). Product innovation has several product development approaches, including Scrum, design thinking, system thinking and others (Stewart et al., 2020).

More than a few articles and special issues journals have been published addressing topics related to COVID-19 pandemic, such as manufacturing repurposing (Operational Management Research journal), operational excellence in perishable product supply chain (International Journal of Logistic Management), sourcing strategies (Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing), technology and innovation management (International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management), digital transformation (Technovation) and performance measurement (International Journal of Quality and Reliability). Nonetheless, there is a lack of publications showing how the triple helix actors addressed the COVID-19 pandemic challenge using Kaizen projects or innovation frameworks.

Topics that might be proposed to this special issue included a practical, novel and original contributions investigating the following themes in any of the triple helix actors.

1. The improvement of operations or supporting processes affected by COVID-19 pandemic using Kaizen projects.

2. Elimination or reduction of MUDA, MURI or MURA applying process innovations during COVID-19 pandemic.

3. New product development to address current customers’ needs as result of COVID-19 pandemic.

4. The use of organizations’ Kaizen initiatives and/or contingency plans to respond to COVID-19 pandemic challenges.

5. The role of Industry 4.0 and/or Quality 4.0 to conduct Kaizen project or new product development to address COVID-19 pandemic challenges.

6. The role of performance measurement systems to identify Kaizen projects and innovation opportunities resulted from COVID-19 pandemic challenges.

7. Organizational and/or operational excellence assessment to develop a COVID-19 pandemic Kaizen projects contingency plan.

8. Critical success factors for Kaizen projects or product development projects.

Several manuscripts were received for consideration to be published in this special issue. However, to the guest editorial team and reviewers, fifteen high quality papers addressed the topics suggested in this special issue (see Table 1). These publications used different research methods and tools, such as survey, case studies, interviews and literature reviews.

Overall, this special issue collected information from different actors in the triple helix, such as higher education institutions and manufacturing and services organizations. In this publications, you will find research papers and case studies addressing the way that organizations apply Kaizen and Quality 4.0 principles to address the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic produces, the sense of urgency that Kaizen has in some organizations, a Lean Six Sigma project conducted to reduce the impact on spare part inventory, a systematic literature review that offers a new vision about the Industry 5.0, a higher education institution reinvention to address disruptive times and more highlight relevant publications that make significative contributions to quality and Kaizen body of knowledge.

However, quality and kaizen is also referenced as a journey without an end; therefore, future research should be conducted in this field to increase our understanding of new events worldwide, such as the integration of Industry 4.0 and continuous improvement initiatives (e.g. Lean Six Sigma 4.0); the direct or indirect impact of continuous improvement projects the United Nations sustainable development goals; the impact of artificial intelligence in quality education and the application different methodologies or models (e.g. Ikigai and K’aat – Kaizen) to increase a personal improvement.