Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Expert Perspectives On The Future of The Quality Profession and Its Practitioners
Expert Perspectives On The Future of The Quality Profession and Its Practitioners
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.
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
Current people-management
processes are not addressing
issues sufficiently
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
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
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)
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)
www.asq.org/pub/jqp 9