FEATURE Smart factories & software
Ben Anderson, Managing Director of AddQual, explains why the intelligent use of data is redefining quality in UK manufacturing, enabling engineers to make better decisions, faster
FROM MEASUREMENT TO INTELLIGENCE
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anufacturing is entering a new phase in which measurement alone is no longer enough. For decades, precision metrology
has underpinned quality assurance, providing a definitive answer to a simple question: does the part meet tolerance or not? Today, that binary view is being overtaken by a more strategic reality – one in which the real value lies not in the measurement itself, but in what the data reveals about the process behind it.
As tolerances tighten, production rates increase and supply chains become more complex, manufacturers recognise that inspection data is no longer a by-product of quality control but a critical operational asset. Increasingly, businesses are shifting from pass/fail verification towards a model in which measurement becomes a continuous source of insight, capable of driving process stability, improving yield and accelerating decision-making. “Historically, inspection has been treated as a checkpoint – a way of confirming whether something is right or wrong at a moment in time,” said Ben Anderson, Managing Director of Derby- based metrology specialist AddQual. “But that doesn’t tell you why something is happening or what’s about to happen next. The real opportunity is to use that data to understand and control the process itself.” Subtle process drift, for example, can now be identified long before it results in non-conforming parts. Tool wear, environmental variation and fixture instability – factors that historically might only be detected after a failure – can be predicted and addressed in advance. In this context, measurement becomes less about catching defects and more about preventing them. The implications extend beyond process control. In highly regulated sectors such as aerospace, the ability to link measurement results to specific instruments,
24 May 2026 | Automation
operators and timestamps is becoming essential. Traceability is no longer just about compliance; it is about confidence – providing customers and regulators with clear, defensible evidence that quality decisions are robust and repeatable. At the same time, the rise of Industry 4.0
is reinforcing the importance of connected measurement. In an increasingly digital factory environment, machines, sensors and systems are expected to communicate in real time, enabling faster and more informed decision-making. However, without reliable measurement data feeding that ecosystem, even the most advanced automation lacks the feedback required to function effectively.
“People often talk about automation in terms of machines and robotics, but the reality is that automation without data is just motion,” Anderson explained. “If you don’t have structured, reliable measurement data feeding into your systems, you’re still making decisions based on assumptions.” It is within this context that AddQual has developed its MiDAS platform, designed to move inspection beyond verification and into the realm of operational intelligence. MiDAS acts as a digital decision aid, standardising how inspection and repair processes are planned, executed and continuously improved. Rather than simply recording measurement outcomes, the system captures a wide range of variables associated with part condition, process capability and inspection performance. This enables manufacturers to monitor capability in real time, identify risks, and model different scenarios – such as changes to tolerances or process parameters – to understand their impact on yield, throughput and turnaround time. Crucially, this approach allows organisations to move towards what AddQual describes as a “fail fast, pass fast” model of decision-making.
By identifying non-conformance earlier in the inspection cycle and providing clear, data- driven guidance on repair or scrap decisions, manufacturers can reduce rework, protect margins and improve overall flow through the system. To achieve the Zero Defect Journey, the aim is to create a closed-loop process in which inspection, decision-making and learning are fully integrated.
“The challenge for many manufacturers is decision capability, rather than measurement capability,” said Anderson. “They have the data, but it’s fragmented, inconsistent or not being used effectively. We are focused on turning that measurement activity into something that actually drives better outcomes.” However, as major OEMs and tier-one suppliers come under increasing pressure to accelerate throughput, a familiar pattern is beginning to emerge. When bottlenecks appear in qualification and inspection, the instinctive response is often to invest in more hardware – typically additional CMM capacity – to push more parts through the same process. Anderson believes that reaction, while understandable, risks solving the wrong problem. “When operational pressure falls on quality departments, the default is to buy more CMMs,” he says. “But that’s often just adding capacity to an inefficient system. You’re speeding up the same decisions, not improving them.” Anderson draws on a well-known analogy
here to reframe the conversation. “There’s a famous quote attributed to Henry Ford: ‘If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.’ That’s exactly the situation many manufacturers find themselves in today. The challenge isn’t to make inspection faster in isolation – it’s to rethink what inspection is actually there to do.”
This shift is being enabled by the growing
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