The Global State of Quality

Posted on May 17, 2013 by borawski

 

The ASQ Future of Quality study has for years pointed to globalization as a major force that is shaping the future. Twenty years ago globalization was a huge opportunity.  Thirteen years ago globalization felt like a threat.  By 2011 globalization was understood as both an opportunity and a threat. 

Globalization is simply a fact of the future–not for all, but for the vast majority.  The globe is our marketplace, and it is the field of competition. Given that reality, we naturally want information about the globe. 

However, other than networking with colleagues around the world, observing the world in our travels, and perhaps reviewing performance data available in global companies, there has been no authoritative place to understand the practices of quality around the world until now. 

Last week ASQ released the first findings of the ASQ Global State of Quality research initiative. This research spans 22 countries and contains findings from nearly 2,000 companies. The release was made at ASQ’s 2013 World Conference on Quality and Improvement in Indianapolis, Indiana.  It’s often said that good research creates more questions than it answers, and that’s true of the Global State of Quality. 

The good news is that Discoveries 2013 is the first of three reports on the findings from the research.  We spent the week in Indianapolis gathering insights from executives and practitioners.  These insights will help inform future reports of the research.  Take a look. We welcome your insights. What finding is the most useful to your work?  What finding is the most surprising? What question would you most like to have answered?

I encourage you to view the brief video at the top of this post summarizing the project and its objectives. And when you take a look at Discoveries section of the written report, we hope you will take note that while ASQ provided leadership in getting the research done, we partnered with APQC , one of the world’s leading proponents of business benchmarking, best practices, and knowledge management research, to conduct the project. We  know the project was informed by their long history of doing such research. 

And, this research was only made possible by the active involvement and financial support of a collection of the world’s quality bodies.  The ASQ Global State of Quality research initiative is a product of the global quality community and an expression of our collective commitment to increase the use and impact of quality around the world.

This is the first research of its kind in the world.  A historic moment.

Posted in Futures Study, Global, Global State of Quality, World Conference on Quality and Improvement, case for quality, culture | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Quality Trends in Uncommon Places

Posted on May 9, 2013 by jmcintosh

[This is a guest post by Julia McIntosh of ASQ's Communications department.]

Most of the keynote speakers at ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement weren’t traditional “quality” professionals. Yet all wove the theme of quality into their presentations, which ranged from what motivates us in the workplace to how to be more interesting (useful when courting potential clients and employers).

For May’s monthly theme on View From the Q, we’re breaking with tradition a bit and offering multiple topics for discussion. All are themes that came up at the conference. Yet these subjects are relevant to the quality community far beyond one event. Take a look.

Workplace Motivation and Goals: What motivates you at work? Keynote speaker and author Daniel Pink argued that rewards motivate us to accomplish very simple and rote tasks, but they’re useless in encouraging complex and creative work. Interestingly, ASQ blogger John Hunter (who wasn’t at the conference) just wrote a post for the W. Edwards Deming Institute blog featuring a podcast by Pink and this insight: “Quotes by Dan Pink are backed by decades of research , and support W. Edwards Deming’s views on managing people.”  Here’s a sampling of Daniel Pink’s case against rewards for performance:

  • Short-term motivators have outlived their use for 21st century work. Dr. Deming figured this out years ago.
  • Fact: Money is a motivator—it’s the standard of normal fairness. Pay enough to take issue of money off the table.
  • Besides money, the three key motivators are autonomy, mastery and purpose.
  • The technology for engagement isn’t management, but self-direction over time, tasks, team, and technique.

    • Do you think Pink and Deming are correct about about motivation in the workpalce?

    Charm and Fascination (or “Soft Skills): Both Sally Hogshead and James Melton spoke at the conference about making oneself likeable, fascinating, and charming. You may think of these as “soft skills.”  Do soft skills matter if you’re extraordinary at the technical aspects of your job? Sally and James said yes! Key takeaway from James Melton: “Treat strangers with the same courtesy as you do loved ones. You will go far.” You never know when that stranger turns out to be a client or an employer. Sally Hogshead said that you don’t have to be the best at your job to be successfu.  But you do need to be distinct. How do you make yourself distinct as a quality professional?

    The Quality/C-Suite Connection: Author Karen Martin spoke about the disconnect between the quality department and the C-suite. It’s a common problem, and one covered on this blog. See: Can We “Sell” Quality? and Baldrige In the C-Suite.  How can you, the quality professional, help build a bridge to the C-suite? Karen suggests becoming a coach, teacher, and mentor in your organization. Do you agree?

    What’s The Future of Quality? Futurist Jamais Cascio laid out his vision of epic global changes in the next decade. How will the quality profession change in tandem? It’s a question of great interest to ASQ. Every three years we conduct a Future of Quality study, anticipating the future of the field and preparing for the changes it will bring. The latest study was done in 2011, and you can read it here (PDF). Speaking of the future, ASQ’s just-released Global State of Quality research  gives a comprehensive look at the quality function in organizations around the world. The research is certainly helping us plan for the future by uncovering current trends. Look for a more in-depth post on The Global State of Quality later in May. Paul Borawski will be back with additional insights on the research.

    Posted in Baldrige, Current Events, Deming, Futures Study, Global, Research, Uncategorized, World Conference on Quality and Improvement, case for quality, culture | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Last Day of ASQ’s World Conference: End With Energy

    Posted on May 8, 2013 by jmcintosh

    [This is a guest post by Julia McIntosh of ASQ's communications department.]

    It may be the last day of ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement, but there was no shortage of energy this morning.

    The closing session of the conference began with a parade of International Team Excellence Award finalists. Think cheers, country flags, whistles, and pride in teamwork!

    Parade of teams

    Before the award winners were announced, conference-goers took in a final keynote by Sally Hogshead, who spoke about how to make oneself fascinating.

    Key takeaway: We’re used to analyzing how we see the world. But in today’s rapid and evolving environment, what matters is how people see us. When we fascinate others, we start opening doors.

    Other takeaways:

    • To fascinate, you don’t have to change. You have to become more of who you already are.
    • The human attention span is now nine seconds. That’s your gateway to fascinate.
    • There are seven primary personality triggers and 49 personality archetypes.
    • Conference-goers had a chance to take the personality assessment, and results were shown at the keynote. The number-one personality archetype in the ASQ crowd was the Maestro (ambitious, admired, and focused). Next most common personality was the Victor (respected, competitive, results-oriented), and then the Vault (analytical, discreet, understated).
    • In order to be successful, you don’t have to be successful in the traditional way. You have to be distinct.

    And now….the 2013 International Team Excellence Award winners!

    • Quality impact storyboard awards winners: Third place: Reliance Industries Limited, Hazira team. Second place: Baxter Healthcare Corporation team. First place: Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd. team.
    • Bronze Level Winners: Continental Guadalajara team. Oshkosh Defense team. Pruksa Real Estate Public Company Limited Valuable Engineer Team.
    • Silver Level Winners: Telefonica de Argentina team. Pruksa Real Estate Public Company Limited QCI Team.

    Congratulations to all!

    And we hope you had a fantastic time at ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement 2013! What did you like? What’s your feedback? Tell us in the comments. And we hope to see you next year in Dallas, Texas, May 5-7, 2014.

    See also:

    Posted in Networking, Uncategorized, World Conference on Quality and Improvement, career, conferences | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    ASQ World Conference Day 2: A Look Into the Future

    Posted on May 7, 2013 by jmcintosh

    [This is a guest post by Julia McIntosh of ASQ’s communications department.]

    The second day of ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement started with a look into our collective global future and ended with a glimpse of the future of quality itself.

    It seemed appropriate that the Tuesday morning keynote by futurist Jamais Cascio addressed the many unprecedented ways the world is changing. Key takeaway: The next decade will change our planet, including our climate, our technology, our geopolitics, and our communication methods.

    Other key takeaways:

    • Get ready for major economic shifts and unprecedented changes in climate worldwide.  
    • Jobs are also changing–mechanical work is being replicated by machine.
    • Transparency is everywhere: In news, in surveillance equipment, and in technology.
    • New technologies bring forth ethical questions: Who’s responsible for the decisions of machines?
    • Despite enormous changes, our lives will continue. The future is what we create. We are all futurists. What will you create?

    Nowhere was that theme clearer than at the unveiling of ASQ’s Global State of Quality research in the afternoon. This was a first-ever view of this groundbreaking data on quality and its impact on organizations worldwide. Data was gathered from 2,000 organizations in 22 countries. The first section of the research, Discoveries 2013, was presented as part of a moderated forum.

    Key takeaways:

    • 30 percent of participants reported that quality is governed and managed by a centralized quality group in their organization.
    • 34 percent of participating organizations strongly agreed that there are measurable quality goals in their strategy.
    • Interestingly, only 14 percent of organizations strongly agreed that they use quality metrics in performance-based compensation.
    • The definition of quality may need to change and evolve with every new generation.

    You can download the entire Discoveries 2013 report at The Global State of Quality website. Additional findings, data, and analysis will be released later this summer and in the fall.

    Other highlights on Tuesday:  

    Poster presentations by International Team Excellence Award finalists in the ASQ Center.

    • Featured presentation by author and leadership expert James Melton on communicating effectively. Key takeaway: Treat strangers with the same courtesy as you do loved ones. You will go far.
    • More quality impact sessions/live team case studies by International Team Excellence Award finalists. The award recipients will be announced tomorrow!
    • An afternoon extravaganza in the very busy exhibit hall. 
    • And a networking reception for all conference goers in the evening: Food, drink, merrymaking and connecting!

    It’s hard to believe that tomorrow, Wednesday, is the last day of the conference! Be sure to stay for the closing section. It features the International Team Excellence Award ceremony and keynote speaker Sally Hogshead. Sally takes a unique approach to personal branding—instead of analyzing how you see the world, she analyzes how other people see you.

    We hope to see you tomorrow! As always, you can view details on the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement site. And remember, the conference Twitter hashtag is #WCQI13.

    See also: Day 1 ASQ World Conference recap: The science of motivation and more. Day 3 of the conference: End with energy.

    Posted in Current Events, Global, Networking, Research, World Conference on Quality and Improvement, career | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

    ASQ World Conference Day 1: The Science of Motivation and Much More

    Posted on May 6, 2013 by jmcintosh

    [This is a guest post by Julia McIntosh of ASQ's communications department.]

    Welcome to Day 1 of ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement! First thing conference-goers thought of this morning was: What motivates you?

    That was the theme of the opening keynote by Daniel Pink, who spoke about the science behind motivation. Key takeaway: Self-direction, autonomy, mastery and purpose are the real motivators in the 21st century.

    Other key points.

    • Rewards are great for simple, short-term tasks. Not so great for complex, creative and long-term tasks.
    • Short-term motivators have outlived their use for 21st century work. Dr. Deming figured this out years ago.
    • Fact: Money is a motivator—it’s the standard of normal fairness. Pay enough to take issue of money off the table.
    • Besides money, the three key motivators are autonomy, mastery and purpose.
    • The technology for engagement isn’t management, but self-direction over time, tasks, team, and technique.
    • Hire good people and get out of their way. Autonomy is the pathway to accountability.
    • Every person in an organization is sitting on a process improvement–and no one’s ever asked them.

    In the afternoon, Karen Martin, president of The Karen Martin Group and Shingo Prize-winning author of The Outstanding Organization, tackled the disconnect between quality professionals and the C-suite. Key takeaway: Quality professionals must take  steps to bridge the gap by becoming teachers and coaches in their organizations.

    Other key takeaways:

    • Quality professionals don’t think of themselves as sales people. But the executive is the quality professional’s customer. It’s a matter of being able to speak the same language.
    • Find wasted efforts in your company. Get rid of clutter. Talk to your executive about the quality department’s goals.
    • Become a teacher in your organization. Become part of an army of problem-solvers. Become a coach.
    • Empower people to see and resolve problems. Quality professionals are natural problem solvers.

    Monday was a hopping day at the conference! A few additional highlights:

    • Quality impact sessions/live team case studies by International Team Excellence Award finalists.
    • A buzzing exhibit hall and ASQ Center. Did you know that you can have a complimentary professional photo taken for your LinkedIn profile and resumes? Look for a mini photo studio in the back of the exhibit hall.
    • Book signings by the keynote and featured speakers.
    • “After 5″ sessions on “lighter” topics, such as Yoga at Your Desk and using 5S de-clutter your life .

    And coming on Tuesday, May 7:

    • Keynote speaker Jamais Cascio and featured speaker James Melton.
    • Career fair in the exhibit hall.
    • Unveiling of the Global State of Quality research.
    • Exhibit hall extravaganza.
    • Be sure to catch a quality impact session by the Team Excellence finalists if you haven’t already.

    As always, you can see all details on the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement site. And remember, the conference Twitter hashtag is #WCQI13.

    Posted in Networking, Uncategorized, career, conferences | Tagged , | Leave a comment

    Conference Survival Guide: Part 2

    Posted on May 4, 2013 by jmcintosh

    [This is a guest blog post by Julia McIntosh of ASQ's communication department.]

    A few weeks ago, ASQ CEO Paul Borawski asked for your best advice for “surviving” a conference or networking event. As we gear up for ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement May 6-8 in Indianapolis, Indiana, we’re sharing advice we’ve received from ASQ Influential Voices bloggers and ASQ volunteers (also known as member leaders).

    And now to the advice!

    Update: Influential Voices blogger Bob Mitchell shared his advice: Bring a smart phone and business cards.

    Blogger Scott Rutherford has a wealth of tips, including to bring an extra bag for all the things you will acquire during the event!

    Aimee Siegler, also an ASQ blogger, strongly encourages conference-goers to sit with someone they don’t know. Aimee advises attendees to attend sessions that cover different industries and unfamiliar topics to learn something new.

    In addition to the above advice, ASQ blogger Jennifer Stepniowski says, “Plan your day!” Figure out what you’ll be doing, when, and where. Also, leave some time to summarize your day and reflect on what you’ve learned.

    Advice from ASQ member leader Elías Monréal for getting the most out of ASQ’s World Conference specifically:

    “Here are a few of my tips: 1) Find the hospitality suites from the various ASQ Divisions: FD&C, ASD, Inspection, Audit, etc. Not only good source of food/drink but GREAT networking opportunity. 2) Budget for time to schmooze around the Exhibition Hall. Who knows, just might make new friend, find that new product, add a division/interest group, buy that ASQ book at conference reduced rate, or catch your breath from long day. 3) Bring a cardboard box to ship home those trinkets/giveaways/shirts/books/magazines to avoid the excess baggage fee or second bag fee. 4) Pack aspirin…trust me on this one. 4) You may take 10,000 photos to remember event but try to tell yourself, you will return to WCQI next year.”

    And, finally, advice from too many people to list: Wear comfortable shoes!

    If you have more tips, please share them in the comments! And be sure to watch View From the Q for live updates from ASQ’s World Conference  next week. You can also follow conference keynotes and other events on Twitter. The hashtag is #WCQI13.

    Posted in Networking, World Conference on Quality and Improvement, career | Tagged , | Leave a comment

    National Quality Programs: A Roundup

    Posted on May 1, 2013 by borawski

    Is there a national quality program in your country? Is it visible and accepted? Or do organizations pursue a different framework for excellence? This was the question posed to ASQ’s Influential Voices bloggers last month. National quality programs can be a bit of a controversial issue, and, as expected, the responses ranged from enthusiastic support to suggestions for other standards of excellence. Take a look!

    Tim McMahon writes in favor of a national quality programs, reminding us that organizations should pursue them for reasons far beyond the award aspect.

    A number of bloggers wrote quality programs in their regions.

    Jimena Calfa tells us about Argentina’s quality program. Dr. Lotto Lai writes about the many different quality awards in Hong Kong.

    Rajan Thiyagarajan writes about national quality programs in India, including the well-known Tata Business Excellence Model, based on Baldrige principles. Manu Vora writes about quality programs in Illinois and in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Bob Mitchell writes about what makes the Minnesota State Quality Program, his home state program, excellent. Jennifer Stepniowski writes about what makes her city of Tampa, Florida, excellent (even without a formal excellence program): mission, sustainability, transparency and accessibility.

    Canadians Dan Zrymiak and Dr. Michael Noble both wrote about aspects of Excellence Canada. Dan suggests that ISO 9004 is a better global standard to adapt, while Dr. Noble does find qualities to appreciate in the Canada-based program.

    Scott Rutherford writes that a national quality program establishes a standard of expectation, but doesn’t reinforce constancy of purpose.

    And Paulo Sampaio wonders if it’s worth establishing a global World Quality Award that would recognize organizations worldwide for achievements in excellence.

    And here are some other topics covered by the bloggers:

    John Priebe agrees that we need a service quality body of knowledge, writing about the competitive advantages of service quality in today’s economy.

    Deborah Mackin draws on neurology in her discussion of what makes excellent customer service, and wonders if the systematization of service quality could harm it.

    Kerrie Anne Christian and Jennifer Stepniowski wrote again about quality tools in unexpected places, our topic in March. Kerrie Anne wrote about the use of quality tools in doing genealogical research. And Jennifer Stepniowski spotted quality tools and techniques in play on a reality TV show.

    Posted in Baldrige, iso 9000 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

    Conference Survival Guide

    Posted on April 25, 2013 by borawski

    Influential Voices blogger Scott Rutherford wrote this helpful “survival guide” to ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement. Pretty timely, as our World Conference is coming up in just 12 days. 

    Scott’s advice isn’t relevant just to ASQ’s conference.  It’s applicable to all sorts of industry events.ASQ Conference

    For example: Try to eat lunch with someone you don’t know. Network, network, network.  Bring an extra travel bag for all the stuff you will inevitably acquire during the conference. Ask questions!

    What’s your advice for getting the most from  a conference or networking event? Leave a comment or email social@asq.org, and we’ll compile all the advice on this blog.  And thanks Scott for his great advice.  See you soon!

    Posted in Networking, career, conferences | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    Have You Seen ASQ TV?

    Posted on April 24, 2013 by borawski

    I normally avoid promotion on View From the Q, but I am having trouble staying mum about ASQ’s new initiative—ASQ™ TV. ASQ TV is an online TV program that features monthly episodes on all things quality—stories from the news, case studies on “what’s working,” quality tools, and even quality-themed humor in the “Lighter Side” segments. The episodes are brief and to-the-point. And they’re available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

    So far, ASQ TV has covered quality culture, the customer experience, and recalls. I encourage you to take a look. Have an idea for ASQ TV? We welcome your thoughts. Email the ASQ TV Team: asqtv@asq.org. That’s all I’ll say here.  Happy viewing!

    Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

    The Case for a Service Quality Body of Knowledge

    Posted on April 18, 2013 by borawski

    We’ve talked about quality and customer service quite a lot on View From the Q. Quality in the service industry is certainly not a new idea, but it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves—especially in customer service. Last year, for example, ASQ conducted a customer service survey which showed that companies don’t consider customer service as a top priority—as opposed to product development, IT, and marketing.

    Here’s one resource that could help: a Body of Knowledge for service quality. Do we need one?

    I want to bring your attention to an article that says, yes, we do. “An Integrated Framework for Service Quality: SQBOK Perspective” runs in ASQ’s April Quality Management journal. This article argues lays out a framework for a comprehensive Body of Knowledge for service quality, an initiative by ASQ’s Service Quality Division members. A few interesting facts from the article:

    • “The service sector now accounts for well over 70 percent of the total gross domestic product in most Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (OECD 2012).” 
    • “One of the major challenges in managing service quality is the lack of a common definition of services and a general lack of a standard measurement system originating from the intangible nature of services.”
    • Key service concepts, as defined by the authors, are: Customer and market focus, employee focus, communication, and service delivery.

     There’s a lot more in the article, which I encourage you to read. Is there room for this additional Body of Knowledge? I welcome your thoughts.

    Posted in Customer Service, Uncategorized, case for quality | Tagged , , | 2 Comments