OMILAB@HS Schmalkalden
"Conceptual Modelling for Process-oriented Quality Management"
The OMiLAB@HS Schmalkalden is dedicated to advancing research on quality management practices in the context of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. Our work addresses the evolving paradigms of Quality 4.0 and Quality 5.0, focusing on how conceptual modeling can be seamlessly integrated with Big Data analytics to enable intelligent, adaptive, and efficient process optimization. Beyond technological innovation, we emphasize ecological sustainability as a core principle, aligning business processes with environmental responsibility and resilience — key aspects of Industry 5.0.
About the OMILAB Node
Entrepreneurial quality management (QM) has evolved significantly over the past decades, introducing numerous methods and techniques such as Six Sigma, Lean Management, and Total Quality Management. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the concept of Quality 4.0 emerged, leveraging technologies like Augmented Reality and transactional as well as machine data to enhance quality initiatives.
Today, OMiLAB@HS Schmalkalden extends this vision into the era of Industry 5.0, addressing the paradigms of Quality 4.0 and Quality 5.0. Our research focuses on how conceptual modeling can be integrated with Big Data analytics to optimize process flows and enable adaptive, intelligent quality management. Furthermore, we emphasize the ecological sustainability of business processes, a core principle of Industry 5.0, ensuring that technological innovation aligns with environmental responsibility and resilience.
Today, OMiLAB@HS Schmalkalden extends this vision into the era of Industry 5.0, addressing the paradigms of Quality 4.0 and Quality 5.0. Our research focuses on how conceptual modeling can be integrated with Big Data analytics to optimize process flows and enable adaptive, intelligent quality management. Furthermore, we emphasize the ecological sustainability of business processes, a core principle of Industry 5.0, ensuring that technological innovation aligns with environmental responsibility and resilience.
Competences
- Quality 4.0 / Quality 5.0
- Green Quality Management & Green Lean Six Sigma
- Method Engineering in Industry 4.0 / Industry 5.0
- Enterprise Application Systems
About the Hosting Organisation
The Schmalkalden University is a university of applied sciences in Thuringia, and it is situated at the edge of the Thuringian forest. The walking distances between the lecture rooms, laboratories, dining hall, library, dormitories and sport’s facilities are all very short.
The Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences offers various study programs on a national as well as international level at its five faculties Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business and Economics and Business Law.
The OMiLAB node is located at the Faculty of Computer Science and will be used for teaching and research purposes alike.
The Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences offers various study programs on a national as well as international level at its five faculties Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business and Economics and Business Law.
The OMiLAB node is located at the Faculty of Computer Science and will be used for teaching and research purposes alike.
Impressions
Have a virtual look at the OMiLAB!
Results
Get an overview what this OMiLAB has accomplised! Selected results are presented below as a contribution to the global community:
RUPERT
All further results of the OMiLAB Node are via the organizer.
Activities
The following, selected activities are organized by the OMiLAB.
Study Days 2025 – Exploring Quality 4.0
On November 12–13, 2025, Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences opened its doors to prospective students during the “Study Days” event. At the OMiLAB laboratory, visitors were introduced to the fascinating world of Quality 4.0 and learned how digital technologies are transforming quality management.
Participants gained hands-on insights into conceptual modeling and Industry 4.0 approaches, discovering how these methods contribute to process optimization and prepare businesses for the future of quality assurance.
Participants gained hands-on insights into conceptual modeling and Industry 4.0 approaches, discovering how these methods contribute to process optimization and prepare businesses for the future of quality assurance.
Visit of TEK-UP Delegation at HS Schmalkalden
In July 2025, HS Schmalkalden hosted a delegation of 12 highly motivated students from TEK-UP University (Tunisia) as part of a DAAD-funded exchange program. During their three-day stay at our university, the group gained insights into SAP applications and Industry 4.0 concepts within the OMiLAB environment.
The visit provided an opportunity to explore digital transformation in manufacturing and business processes, discuss innovative approaches to automation and data-driven decision-making, and strengthen international collaboration in the fields of computer science and engineering.
The visit provided an opportunity to explore digital transformation in manufacturing and business processes, discuss innovative approaches to automation and data-driven decision-making, and strengthen international collaboration in the fields of computer science and engineering.
Collaborative Exchange with TU Ilmenau
On March 18, 2025, the Faculty of Computer Science at HS Schmalkalden welcomed colleagues from the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Media at TU Ilmenau for a constructive exchange. The meeting focused on the potential of laboratory environments to enhance student education in conceptual modeling and explored the role of OMiLAB Nodes as collaborative platforms.
Towards Tool-Supported Situational Roadmap Development for Business Process Improvement in the era of Quality 4.0 @NEMO Summer School Series
The quality management discipline is continuously evolving over time and the term quality 4.0 coins the stage of development, in which industry 4.0’s digital technologies (e.g., cyber-physical systems, internet of things, cloud manufacturing, augmented reality, etc.) are applied to quality management. The quality 4.0 concept is lively discussed in literature and it will play a decisive role in the factory of the future. However, there are still uncertainties regarding the operationalization of the concept in practice and the topic is too fresh to have experienced a thorough theoretical foundation yet. So, it is rather unclear whether existing quality management methods and techniques can be transferred to industry 4.0 settings or not. As a result, guidelines for the effective implementation of quality 4.0 principles are missing yet. Furthermore, companies often lack the resources to investigate the design of new quality management methods for industry 4.0. This lecture proposes tool-supported situational roadmap development for BPI as an instrument to arrive at enterprise-adapted and easy-to-use approaches for quality 4.0 that can be applied straight away. In this way, employees are enabled to design BPI approaches to match their particular needs. This lecture presents a first conceptual solution and a prototype implemented via the ADOxx platform.
Resources
The following cyber-physical resources are available at the OMILAB node:
Scene2Model
Business Layer using SAP-Scenes
Dobot Magician
Proof of Concept Layer CPS-Device
mBot
Proof of Concept Layer CPS-Device
Fischertechnik Lernfabrik 4.0
9V – Simulation
Further Fischertechnik Components
Fischertechnik – Quality Control with AI (Artificial Intelligence) 9V
Fischertechnik 3-axis robot with gripper Simulation model 24V
Push-pull line with 2 processing stations 24V
Punching machine with conveyor belt 24V
Fischertechnik Robot Construction Kit Robotics Hightech 559895
Programmable logic controller, 24V PLC S7-200 CPU224XP DC/DC/DC PLC Programmable Controller Module
Publications
Relevant publications of the OMILAB node: