ONLINE-ONLY CONTENT

Expert Perspectives on the Future of the

Quality Profession and Its Practitioners
Elizabeth A. Cudney and Elizabeth M. Keim

The focus groups and survey that were con- • Research area one: What are the key changes you
ducted by ASQ and IAQ invited participants to see in business in the next 10 years?
share their perspectives regarding quality practices • Research area two: What are the skill gaps in the
and the professionals who lead their application. current quality professional? What skills do they
Two areas were investigated, as shown below, that need to meet business requirements in the next
were based on the assumption the quality field and 10-15 years?
its practitioners would need to respond to changes
Pareto charts summarizing the comments by
in the business environment to have a differentiat-
assigned category and their corresponding affinity
ing impact on organizational success. Furthermore,
diagrams that include all of the comments associ-
changes in the environment are almost certain to
ated with each category are included in this article.
require different knowledge and skills for quality
professionals in the future.

Figure 1: Pareto Chart of Focus Group Comments

70
100
Number of comments

60
50 80
40 60

Percent
30
40
20
10 20
0 0
Quality Quality at Definition Quality Global Education/ Impact of Other
profession the corporate/ of quality concepts considerations Training technology
board level and tools related on quality
to quality
Focus group comments

Number of comments 16 12 9 9 5 4 4 3
Percent 25.8 19.4 14.5 14.5 8.1 6.5 6.5 4.8
Cumulative percent 25.8 45.2 59.7 74.2 82.3 88.7 95.2 100.0

www.asq.org/pub/jqp 1
 Figure 2: Affinity Diagram of Focus Group Comments (continued on next page)
Quality concepts and tools Quality at the corporate/ Definition of quality Quality profession
board level
Focus on lean methods as the Quality needs to be an The definition of quality Quality practitioners should
foundation of quality in other organization-­wide strategy needs to be expanded to be recognized as a specific
functions managed at the board level, describe an over-arching profession
not a department culture
Incorporate reliability into the Quality professionals need to
practice of quality Quality needs to be Quality needs to be defined in have a more comprehensive skill
practiced in all areas of terms of customer loyalty set and higher rank in the orga-
Although the effective tools the organization, including nization
still will be used, new tools headquarters Quality needs to focus on
need to be developed, too leadership, education, and The quality profession needs to
Top management should values contribute to society at large, and
Shape quality tools to fit the oversee quality, maintaining a ASQ needs to demonstrate how it
industries/departments to board-level focus Quality needs to be redefined aids young professionals
which they are applied in terms of value
Quality needs to be a Quality leadership should be
Develop tools to handle large management philosophy Quality is about sharing directed by a chief quality officer
data sets that focuses on values and out values and cultures to
leadership improve the world Quality professionals need
Quality information needs to specific career paths
be reported differently in the Corporate brand and quality Quality involves improve-
future should be linked more directly ment, customer satisfaction, We needs to better engage qual-
and high performance ity professionals and increase
The focus on low-cost Quality leadership should be their knowledge and adaptability
manufacturing and products directed by a chief quality The word quality may need
needs to be reduced officer to be replaced with the word Many quality professionals don’t
excellence have management skills and
We need to determine Organizations need to consider can’t speak the language of
how to deal with future the ramifications of increasing Mature organizations no lon- management
considerations, such as market customer expectations/poor ger refer to quality
demands, changing customer quality/negative reviews Quality professionals generally
requirements, the need for We need to focus on the have many roles
increased flexibility, pace of We need to not only consider quality of life, including
change, etc. how quality should be managed healthcare The contributions of the quality
but also the performance profession/professionals need to
Small to midsized quality of management be recognized and valued more
organizations need a different
approach to quality Leaders/Decision makers need The core skill sets of quality
to understand and be able to professionals need to be redefined
apply the concepts/tools of
Quality professionals are poorly
quality
prepared to address people-
To optimize quality, it must management related issues
connect control and innovation
Quality professionals need better
at the strategic level
skills in people-related topics
German executives have quality and teamwork
roles in addition to their other
Quality professionals need
areas of accountability
development and experience in
Responsibility for quality other functions and the ability
needs to be included in other to interact at the senior level of
leadership roles and addressed the organization
at the strategic/board level
Quality professionals need to be
prepared to address and adapt to
the changing role

Quality professionals need to

be able to provide appropriate
support for organizations using
different business models, such as
rapid start-up companies

Current people-management
processes are not addressing
issues sufficiently

2 The Journal for Quality & Participation January 2017

Figure 2: Affinity Diagram of Focus Group Comments (continued)
Global considerations Education/Training related Impact of technology Other
to quality on quality
ASQ certification must be Education/Training regarding The quality field needs to focus IAQ needs to work with other
recognized globally quality should be provided by more on technology professional organizations
colleges/universities outside the field of quality
Nations need to establish Software and technology are
brand identities Quality principles need to be replacing traditional markets/ Governments need to establish
incorporated into the content industries standards to improve the
ASQ/Other quality and provision of education quality of human life
organizations’ policies and The quality profession is not
practices need to be fine-tuned Information on quality/ keeping abreast of changes in Identify opportunities for pro-
to fit global needs value needs to be instantly the digitalization of produc- moting research and discussion
accessible to increase learning tion, service, and products about quality
We need to establish a global
think tank that fosters collabo- Determine when quality Technical systems are increas-
ration and is connected to the education should start ing complexity of processes
world conference system and products/services

The increase in globalization is

affecting the cultural aspects
of quality

www.asq.org/pub/jqp 3
 Figure 3: Pareto Chart of Survey Comments Regarding Business Changes
80
70 100
Number of comments

60 80
50
60

Percent
40
30 40
20
10 20
0 0
Approaches Impact of Changing Factors Impacts on Market and Increasing Acquistion, Increasing
for IT/internet demographics affecting quality customer focus on analysis, pace of
sustainable technology and people global- management consider- social and use change
business management ization systems ations responsibility of data
Business changes

Number of comments 12 11 9 9 9 9 6 4 3
Percent 16.7 15.3 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 8.3 5.6 4.2
Cumulative percent 16.7 31.9 44.4 56.9 69.4 81.9 90.3 95.8 100.0

4 The Journal for Quality & Participation January 2017

Figure 4: Affinity Diagram of Survey Comments Regarding Business Changes (continued on next page)
What are the key changes you see in business in the next 10 years?
Acquisition, analysis, Approaches for Changing demographics and Factors affecting
and use of date sustainable business people management globalization
Data analytics increases in A deregulation and consolida- Baby boomers are dinosaurs now— Continued globalization,
importance tion of healthcare insurance business needs to rethink how they expanded focus on security
agencies similar to the airlines develop people, the talent they’ll (e.g., from computer hacking)
Managing change, analyzing
need, etc. Leaders will emerge
data (as technology allows Achieving sustainable business Cyber DFARS (defense)—
faster with less experience and
us to collect so much, many models and sustainable develop- increased gov requirements
more critical thinking and skills to
are swimming in a sea of ment
enable collaboration. Global business change
data and don’t know how to
Central designs with flexible
make sense of it to help their Changing role of the quality Global financial issues
customization and decentralized
organizations) professional
manufacturing Globalization (defense)—
The ways that data are Education and training are lagging offset contracts requiring a
Cost pressure
acquired, integrated, analyzed behind the needs for knowledge larger portion of work content
and used will impact business Cost will continue to be a driver and skills in the future to remain in country
decisions and processes. and good out-of-the-box quality
Major turnover in senior leadership I also expect more insourcing
and effective support a condi-
Virtualization, big data as baby boomers retire. We are both on a company and
tion of entry into any market
storage and management going to lose all of the people who nation basis. Local products
Disrupters will continue to learned the lessons directly from will gradually be valued more
restate businesses as we know Deming, Juran, and Crosby. (because of the much lower
them and introduce new ways overall environmental impact)
Managing diversity
of delivering value (e.g., Uber,
Internationalization
Airbnb) Multiple and flexible types of
employment in place of the current Manufacturing will again be a
Focus on profitability by reduc-
rigid ones major factor in the economy as
ing waste and focus on customer
politics dictate
Online training
Increased access to funds
Shift in manufacturing from
transfer mechanism outside the People—how to retain and reward
China to areas with less
traditional banking industry will our people
expensive labor like Vietnam
accelerate internet trade and
Retirement of the old guard that and Africa
reduce supply chain costs
actually cares about “old school”
More intellectual content spe- things like data and statistics,
cialization and service orienta- replaced by a bunch of snot-nosed
tion kids that only care about how fast
they can leave the office to do
Security/Safety problems in an
something “wicked” with Pokeman,
increasingly uncertain world
whatever the hell that is
Quality services
Service quality

www.asq.org/pub/jqp 5
 Figure 4: Affinity Diagram of Survey Comments Regarding Business Changes (continued)
What are the key changes you see in business in the next 10 years?
Impact of IT/internet/ Impacts on quality Increasing focus on Increasing pace Market and customer
technology management systems social responsibility of change considerations
A growth in micromanufac- Arrival of Industry 4.0: Companies may A lot of changes, A shift from owning to
turing facilities once the How can quality cope be expected more because the world using (partly related to
economics of 3-D printing with IoT universally to is changing super more people living in
improves be responsible fast. I think in cities). This will mean
Continued increase in
Chile we need to that products have to be
Arrival of Industry 4.0: How compliance/regulation Environmental strains
find the correct of high intrinsic quality
can quality cope with IoT (climate change will
How manufacturing strategy to keep and that services offering
likely have a big impact
Artificial intelligence will site will be changed by producing copper, the use of products
on all organizations)
play a greater role in prod- IoT, and how quality wine, and salmon, will grow.
ucts, processes, and people’s management should More businesses but also to be
Brand management
lives be evolved under such may become social more innovative
circumstances businesses, with social Cost will continue to
Customer relations through Increased rate
aims predominating be a driver and good
the web more the norm Quality 4.0 of change
over profits out-of-the-box quality
Growing role of IT in dis- Quality excellences Increasing speeds and effective support a
Much more attention for
rupting conventional busi- of change condition of entry into
Quality management will social responsibility and
ness any market
struggle for resources a shift in society that
Handling the increased digi- and will have problem will no longer accept Customer marketing
tization: internet of things, to be a topic for the top that costs created by
Customer relations
3-D printing, robotization, management businesses are external-
through the web more
social media, etc. ized to society
Quality services the norm
How manufacturing site will Planet Earth issues
Service quality Focus on profitability by
be changed by IoT, and how may take a more
reducing waste and focus
quality management should Cyber DFARS (defense)— central position
on customer
be evolved under such cir- increased government
Stronger requirements
cumstances requirements Focus on protecting
on environmental
reputation by avoiding
Technology integration into protection
failure for the full range
nearly all manufactured
of stakeholders
goods and processes
Quality services
Automation in manufactur-
ing will be the primary drive Service quality
in business
Use of apps
Cyber DFARS (defense)—
increased government
requirements

6 The Journal for Quality & Participation January 2017

Figure 5: Pareto Chart of Survey Comments Regarding Quality Professionals’ Skills
50
100
Number of comments

40
80
30 60

Percent
20 40
10 20

0 0
Business Critical Process Employee Other Value of Quality
acumen and thinking and management/ performance quality profession
leadership analysis improvement and cultural
tools change
Quality professionals skills

Number of comments 17 7 6 5 5 4 2
Percent 37.0 15.2 13.0 10.9 10.9 8.7 4.3
Cumulative percent 37.0 52.2 65.2 76.1 87.0 95.7 100.0

www.asq.org/pub/jqp 7
 Figure 6: Affinity Diagram of Survey Comments Regarding Quality Professionals’ Skills (continued on next page)

What are the skill gaps in the current quality professional?

What skills do they need to meet business needs in the next 10–15 years?
Business acumen and leadership Critical thinking and analysis Employee performance and
cultural change
The skill of aligning the entire organization to Quality professionals lack diagnostic Change management and working
visionary and strategic objectives; the skill of skills—auditing skills are not enough with a diverse set of people
engaging top management.
Big data analytics Need to learn: Building
Basic communication skills are very much needed organizations
Data analysis
General management skills Preparedness to take the role as
Data analysis, statistics, deep technical
a chief cultural officer, support
Impact of IT on quality outcomes knowledge (vs. process knowledge)
the organization to enhance its
In general, quality professionals need to become Quality professionals need to be more dynamic capability (handling the
more part of upper management—i.e., they need to innovative, creative, business savvy. exploitation–exploration dilemma)
develop their managerial skills in general to be seen They need exceptional skills in leading
Remove barriers to employee
as leaders people in collaborative and innovative
intrinsic motivation
business processes. They need a new
In the future, IT skills will become even
level of understanding of how to make Understanding of the final product
more important
big data and AI work for them to serve needs vs. just doing the job
Leadership the needs of customers. Critical thinking
and analytical skills will play a greater
Leadership and business skills—the tools are there
role in their success. They will need to
but not the understanding of business drivers, not the
let go of their past ability to rely on
ability to influence, and not the ability to shift left in
knowledge and application of standards
the value chain to prevent failure
as their expertise and take on a builder’s
Lessons learned. How do we improve our sharing of role—be a part of building something
success and failures across a workforce that is enter- great for the customer and society with
ing into higher level positions without actually expe- new approaches—their expertise will
rience in the event themselves become how to integrate quality into
More in-depth business knowledge is a current gap every strategy, process, and purpose.

Need to learn: New business language, business Statistics is being watered down.
planning Individuals are not being taught to ana-
lyze and interpret data. Quality profes-
Not always tied to IT, IT not fully integrated to sionals need more training in advanced
quality concepts statistics.
Quality professionals need to be more innovative, cre-
ative, business savvy. They need exceptional skills in
leading people in collaborative and innovative busi-
ness processes. They need a new level of understand-
ing of how to make big data and AI work for them
to serve the needs of customers. Critical thinking
and analytical skills will play a greater role in their
success. They will need to let go of their past ability
to rely on knowledge and application of standards
as their expertise and take on a builder’s role—be
a part of building something great for the customer
and society with new approaches—their expertise will
become how to integrate quality into every strategy,
process, and purpose.
Quality professionals will have to increase their
business acumen in the future. An MBA with a quality
focus will be required for leaders in our industry.
Sense of management and basic knowledge of new
technology application
The most important skill gaps appear to be in
marketing, particularly the utilization of social media
Preparedness to take the role as a chief cultural
officer, support the organization to enhance its
dynamic capability (handling the exploitation–
exploration dilemma)

8 The Journal for Quality & Participation January 2017

Figure 6: Affinity Diagram of Survey Comments Regarding Quality Professionals’ Skills (continued)

What are the skill gaps in the current quality professional?

What skills do they need to meet business needs in the next 10–15 years?
Process management/ Quality profession Value of quality Other
improvement/tools
Concentration on failure analysis, I don’t see there being a There are not many left in the Knowledge of true social
root cause, and preventive action distinct quality profession profession who grasp the role responsibility. A view on large-
(not just “let’s make everyone or quality except in areas of quality from a strategic or scale societal trends and the
happy so the meeting will get where traditional quality broader perspective ability to be a driver-leader for
over sooner and I can go back control is paramount, e.g., this sustainability movement
Applying quality thinking
to Pokeman”). pharmamanufacturing, nuclear
to other business functions Lack of interfaces with other
power, airlines, etc. Mostly
Good knowledge of processes such as planning, marketing, disciplines
quality comes under general
support, product retirement.
Process knowledge development management. Need to learn skills in WHSEQR
Quality training must go
Quality-added value competences, There is also a shortage of beyond the “problem solving” Quality professionals need to
quality 4.0 competences new blood, and attracting mode to “value creation.” be more innovative, creative,
young people into quality business savvy. They need
The future will focus on a Compared with the past,
management means the exceptional skills in leading
more robust set of tools in a experts of quality management
profession needs to compete people in collaborative and
simple framework: A-I-M. Assess, can hardly be seen. As a result,
with project, engineering, innovative business processes.
Improve, and Manage. Currently most people became ignorant
purchasing, etc., to ensure it They need a new level of
quality professionals are knowl- of company-wide promotion
provides an aspirational and understanding of how to make
edgeable about improvement of quality management and
attractive career option for the big data and AI work for them
tools but are very weak on tech- quality assurance. We have
long or short term. to serve the needs of custom-
niques to assess processes (e.g., to re-establish the system to
ers. Critical thinking and ana-
Baldrige, maturity models, etc.) educate and train them.
lytical skills will play a greater
and process management methods
They need more skills in role in their success. They will
and management routines needed
relation to the concept of need to let go of their past
to establish a continual culture of
sustainability and how quality ability to rely on knowledge
improvement. We need to move
management underpins and application of standards
from project to process in our
financial sustainability as their expertise and take
thinking and learn to integrate
on a builder’s role—be a part
the tool set versus staking our
of building something great
turf on a single island of method-
for the customer and society
ology (lean, Six Sigma, etc.) This
with new approaches—their
is an old concept that still needs
expertise will become how to
to be culturally accepted within
integrate quality into every
the quality practitioner base.
strategy, process, and purpose.
When I spoke at WCQI in
We need certification in all
Nashville, I asked a large audience
sectors
of participants how many had
ever experienced or seen the bead
box experiment. Only a few hands
went up. Many of the new quality
professionals have learned tools,
but do not understand the more
important things that Deming,
Crosby, and Juran taught.

www.asq.org/pub/jqp 9