Ben Anderson, managing director of Derby-based metrology specialist AddQualManufacturing 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 byproduct 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.
Ben Anderson, managing director of Derby-based metrology specialist
AddQual, said: “Historically, inspection has been treated as a checkpoint; a way of confirming whether something is right or wrong at a moment in time. 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.
Trust and traceability In highly regulated sectors such as aerospace, the ability to link measurement results to specific instruments, 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.
Mr Anderson explained: “People often talk about automation in terms of machines and robotics, but the reality is that automation without data is just motion. 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 turnround time.
Dealing with defectsCrucially, 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.
Mr Anderson added: “The challenge for many manufacturers is decision capability, rather than measurement capability. They have the data, but it is 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. Mr 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. But that is often just adding capacity to an inefficient system. You’re speeding up the same decisions, not improving them.”
Mr Anderson draws on a well-known analogy here to reframe the conversation. “There is a famous quote attributed to Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. That is exactly the situation many manufacturers find themselves in today. The challenge isn’t to make inspection faster in isolation, it is to rethink what inspection is actually there to do.”
This shift is being enabled by the growing adoption of digital measurement systems, which automatically capture inspection results in structured formats and make them available for analysis. Instead of isolated readings taken on the shopfloor, manufacturers can now build continuous datasets that reveal patterns, trends and relationships that would otherwise remain invisible.
Better data, fewer machinesThe real constraint is not measurement capability, but decision capability. More machines may increase throughput locally, but without better use of data, they do little to address rework, delayed decisions or inconsistent outcomes across the wider system.
This is the gap that MiDAS has been designed to fill. Rather than focusing on increasing inspection volume, the platform transforms how inspection data is used: structuring it, contextualising it, and feeding it back into the decision-making process in real time. By capturing part condition, monitoring process capability and enabling scenario-based analysis, MiDAS allows manufacturers to make faster, evidence-based decisions on whether to pass, repair or scrap components.
The effect is a shift away from capacity-driven thinking towards intelligence-driven performance. Instead of asking how to measure more parts, manufacturers can begin to ask how to make better decisions, earlier in the process.
Mr Anderson noted: “We challenge our customers with that example deliberately. Because the answer isn’t always more equipment. Sometimes it’s a different way of thinking, using the data you already have to remove the bottlenecks altogether.”
Faster and more consistentThe benefits are now beginning to emerge. Structured inspection data not only supports faster and more consistent decisions but also accelerates the development of less experienced inspectors, improves audit readiness and provides objective evidence for customers and regulators.
In aerospace MRO environments, where turnaround time and reliability are critical, this can translate directly into competitive advantage. More broadly, the transition from measurement to intelligence is reshaping how manufacturers think about investment.
Increasingly, decisions around metrology equipment are being driven not just by accuracy or speed, but by the ability to generate, capture and integrate data within a wider digital ecosystem. The return on investment is no longer measured solely in microns, but in insight. For AddQual, this reflects a wider shift in the role of quality within manufacturing – from a necessary control function to a strategic enabler of performance.
Mr Anderson concluded: “Measurement will always be fundamental. But in modern manufacturing, it’s only the starting point. The real value comes from what you do with that data and how you use it to make better decisions, faster. That is where the next generation of competitive advantage is being built.”