The Challenges of the Quality Profession in the World Today. What ASQ’s Stakeholder Dialogs and Futures Studies tell us. By Daniel E. Sniezek

This presentation is the opinion of the author only and not his employeer, ASQ, PEGGY or anyone else.

Agenda Traditional Quality Profession Today’s Quality Profession ASQ’s Vision ASQ Strategic Methodology –Stakeholder Dialogs –What Stakeholders are telling us. ASQ’s Strategy Futures Study 2002 Futures Study 2005 Final Hints for Quality Professional

Traditional Quality Profession (Quality Professionals) Focused in Manufacturing Quality inspection was at the end of the manufacturing line. Quality did the lab work. Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Statistical Knowledge is key. Quality Department independent of Manufacturing Department. Disclaimer: This is not totally true but used for illustration.

Todays Quality Profession (Quality Professionals and Parishioners) Focused in Manufacturing,and Services Quality is integrated into the total organization. Quality does people work and lab work. Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Transferring statistical knowledge is key. Quality Department are no more they are part of the Quality Management System. Disclaimer: This is not totally true but used for illustration.

ASQ’s Vision By making quality a global priority, a business imperative and personal ethic, ASQ becomes the community for everyone who seeks quality technology, concepts, or tools to improve themselves and their world.

A Dual Role & Long-Term Objectives To be stewards of the quality profession By providing member/customer value To be stewards of the quality movement By providing increased society value from ASQ activities

Adopting a Living Strategy Long-range plans become irrelevant in a rapidly changing world. Living strategy evolves as knowledge evolves. Community grows through stakeholder involvement in ongoing strategic dialogue.

Engaging Stakeholders in Living Strategy Contribute to the living story of what ASQ is becoming – where we’re going and where we’re already creating new possibilities NOW. Engage in strategic dialogue about the most important questions to the future of quality, the quality profession, and ASQ Cascade these stories and dialogues to others. Everyone can: American Society for Quality

Café’s

Future of Quality Café Encourages powerful questions, candid dialogue, and creative thinking among large groups of people. Involves moving to several different tables, with small group dialogues followed by full group synthesis. Everyone records collective wisdom of table right on table-top, which is stewarded and shared by table hosts. Café hosts provide directions at each stage of café and facilitate full group share-out at the end. American Society for Quality Modeled after "European café society" — friends, colleagues and strangers engaged in lively, cross-pollinating, small group conversations about the most compelling issues of the time.

Gathering The Knowledge That Emerges From This Café American Society for Quality

The Voice of Stakeholders Patterns and Themes From Over 350 Voices

The Voice of Stakeholders Gathered from thoughts of over 450 ASQ members and quality non- member professionals at 18 Future of Quality Cafés 1. Quality profession feels undervalued & unappreciated -- Six sigma undermines value of traditional certifications. 2.Bring Quality to the executive table -- easily understood, business language. 3.Members want faster change -- too slow to adapt, member units are significant resources. 4.Provide & prove value to company stakeholders, especially leaders -- CoQ, economic case, value beyond dollars. American Society for Quality

The Voice of Stakeholders 5. Accessible Quality info & education for everyone -- useful in their context, free or low cost. 6.Infuse Quality into the educational system -- K-12 and higher education. 7. Reach outside ASQ to create more awareness -- consumers, non-traditional, brand, beyond compliance. 8.Members connect with Quality at a deep personal level - beyond just their work, make world a better place. 9.Members’ interests reach beyond “what’s in it for me” -- support outreach efforts, keep Quality on national and business “agendas.” American Society for Quality

We’ve prioritized strategic themes that will guide us…

Priority Strategic Themes 1.Support quality professionals and practitioners in their efforts to grow in value in the workplace and community. 2.Prove and communicate the economic case for quality. 3.Assure that a vital, growing Body of Knowledge is accessible to everyone.

Priority Strategic Themes (continued) 4.Become the community of choice for quality. 5.Grow the use and impact of quality in every segment of the economy. 6.Make sure the world knows the importance and value of quality.

Priority Strategic Themes 1.Support Profession 2.Economic Case 3.Accessible BoK 4.Community of Choice 5.Grow Use of Quality 6.Advocacy Stakeholder Themes 1.Feel Undervalued 2.Quality to Exec Table 3.Faster Change 4.Prove Value 5.Accessible Info/Educ 6.Teach Quality Early 7.Awareness o/s ASQ 8.Make World a Better Place Through Q 9.Outreach ASQ’s Strategic Priorities Are Well Aligned With Voice of Stakeholders

ASQ’s 2002 Futures Study Seven Forces Shaping Change

Seven Key Forces 1) Quality Must Deliver Bottom Line Results  CEO preoccupation  Economic reality  Short-term view  Growing skepticism for quick fixes

Seven Key Forces 2) Management Systems Absorbing Quality Function  Management increasingly seen as a system  Quality being integrated in “good management practices”  Quality profession decreasing in numbers (not importance)  Role change from doing to enabling

Seven Key Forces 3) Quality Will Be Everyone’s Job  Less centralization of quality  More people using tools and techniques  Continuous improvement a wide-spread expectation  More sophisticated tools in use  Top talent being equipped with knowledge

Seven Key Forces 4) Economic Case for Broad Applications of Quality Required  Not just mimic manufacturing success  Economic case needed  Environment, Healthcare, Education  Community improvement  Risk – quality is more than $$$

Seven Key Forces 5) Global Market – Global Workforce  Global corporations, global expectations  Increasingly global supplier networks  Increasing use of global standards  24 x 7 requirements  Cross-cultural systems  Cross-cultural people requirements

Seven Key Forces 6) Declining Trust and Confidence Everywhere  Increasing consumer awareness  Increased consumer response  Increased media attention  Increased system requirements

Seven Key Forces 7) Rising Customer Expectations  Perfect product = minimum requirement  Service gap = growing opportunity  Yesterday’s “wow” = today’s common requirement  Growing intolerance between sectors  Everything at “internet speed”

ASQ’s 2005 Futures Study The Forces of Change

#1 Globalization Some perceive globalization as a threat. Others an emergent massive market. Shaped by the fluidity of the internet. Unencumbered by legacy infrastructures. Trading politics will shift. Demands new kinds of collaboration. Global vs. multi-national companies.. –trans-national! Previously unknown competitive intensity. Preoccupation with the bottom-line.

#2 Innovation/Creativity/Change Quality’s contribution to the Top-Line needs to be exploited. Knowledge is “king” and becomes a currency. Nanotechnology, biotechnology, mass customization, personal manufacturing will dramatically change the nature of production. Natural response to increased rate of change, shorter life- cycles, consumer sophistication (unnatural response of people and organizations). Increased demand for “sensing systems.” Implications to the traditions of quality. How will “control” and “continuous improvement” co-exist to evolve in response to these demands on organizations?

#3 Outsourcing Global in scope. Work increasingly independent of place and space. Era of virtual companies (core of business marketing and management). Quality shaped by people-induced variability. QMS in global supplier networks. Some predict a swinging pendulum.

#4 Consumer Sophistication Rising expectations of product quality, seamless delivery, and fresh features. Quality necessary but not sufficient. Enabled by instant internet knowledge. National loyalty traded for cost/benefit. Consumer-controlled markets. Ever shorter life-cycles. Challenge, but silver-lining, for quality. Anticipatory skills grow in value.

#5 Value Creation Requires clarity and definition from stakeholder’s viewpoint. Management systems must be adapted to this intent. Includes sustainability, the triple bottom line, and waste elimination. Quality to create value in everything that is done.

#6 Changes in Quality Redefined to fit the needs of 21 st organizations. A systems, not process, approach. Used to move business conceptions (strategies) into actions through people. Premiums on anticipation, first to market, initial yield, agility, supplier network management.

2005 Forces of Change 1.Globalization. 2.Innovation/Creativity/Change. 3.Outsourcing. 4.Consumer Sophistication. 5.Value Creation. 6.Changes in Quality.

What’s over the horizon for the quality profession?

Impact on Quality Professionals Dispersion of the quality function. Integrating quality among employees. Next generation of quality tools and techniques. The human side of quality. The economics of quality.

Implications Breakthrough change is coming weather we like it or not. Quality professionals must learn the language of business and look at the overall systems view. Global communities will be connected through commonly recognized standards. Must remember the basic quality tools. Must have a systems approach.

Strategy in Action Living Strategy Living Community Model Economic Case for Quality Image Enchance- ment ASQ Quality Research Community Good Works ASQ’s Washington Presence Creating Value Stakeholder Dialogues

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