The American Society for Quality (ASQ), formerly the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC), is a knowledge-based global community of quality professionals, with nearly 80,000 members dedicated to promoting and advancing quality tools, principles, and practices in their workplaces and communities.
History
ASQC was established in 1946 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a way for quality experts and manufacturers to sustain quality-improvement techniques used during World War II. The organisation changed its name from "American Society for Quality Control" to "American Society for Quality" in 1997.
Today, ASQ is a global organization with members in more than 150 countries. ASQ has service centers in Mexico, China and India, and has established strategic alliances with many organizations in countries like Brazil and the United Arab Emirates to promote ASQ products and training.
Quality
ASQ provides its members with certification, training, publications, conferences, and other services. Internationally, ASQ has formed relationships with nonprofit organizations that have comparable missions and principles, forming collaborative efforts to meet the quality needs of companies, individuals, and organizations. ASQ is a founding partner of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a quarterly economic indicator.
Since 1989, ASQ has administered the annual Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The ASQ also gives the Dorian Shainin Medal, which is awarded annually for the "Development and Application of Creative or Unique Statistical Approaches in the Solving of Problems Relative to the Quality of Product or Service".
Certifications
ASQ offers a variety of professional certifications relating to various aspects of the quality profession. Exams are given nationally and, to a limited degree, worldwide several times annually. The body of knowledge for each certification is maintained through peer review every few years on a rotating schedule. The first ASQ certification was offered in 1968.
All certifications listed are from this reference unless noted.
In a 2008 press release for the 40th anniversary of ASQ's certifications, the three most popular were the engineer (CQE), followed closely by the auditor (CQA) and the Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB).
See also
- European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)
- Total Quality Management (TQM)
- Technometrics
References
External links
- Official website, ASQ
- Official website, ASQ Latin America
- Official website, ASQ South Asia
- Official website, ASQ North Asia
- Official website, ASQ MEA
- Official website, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program
