Comparative Assessment of Industry 4.0 and Quality 4.0 Implementation in Poland and Slovakia: Determinants, Maturity and Challenges

The aim of the study was to assess the level of implementation of the Industry 4.0 and Quality 4.0 concepts in manufacturing enterprises in Poland and Slovakia, as well as to identify the main barriers, supporting factors, and organizational effects related to digital and quality transformation. The study was conducted using a qualitative–quantitative approach based on a multiple case study strategy and the matched-pair method. The analysis covered 10 manufacturing enterprises (5 from Poland and 5 from Slovakia) representing various industrial sectors. Research triangulation was applied, including a diagnostic questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, analysis of organizational documents, and direct observation. Two synthetic indicators were developed: the Industry 4.0 Readiness Index (I4RI) and the Quality 4.0 Maturity Index (Q4MI). The results indicate a moderate level of implementation of both Industry 4.0 and Quality 4.0 in the analyzed enterprises, with Polish companies achieving slightly higher scores than Slovak enterprises. The highest level of advancement was observed in the area of technologies and automation, while the lowest concerned data integration and the use of analytics. The analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between the level of Industry 4.0 implementation and Quality 4.0 maturity, as well as the positive impact of both concepts on selected operational performance indicators, such as OEE, delivery timeliness, and defect rates. The obtained results confirm the complementary nature of Industry 4.0 and Quality 4.0 and highlight the need for a more integrated and human-centric approach to the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises in Central and Eastern Europe.