World Quality Month: Train and Certify in Executive Capabilities

In the latest View from the Q , the CEO of ASQ, Paul Borawski expressed his strategic "Elevator Speech" he uses to grab attention of executives when advocating Quality.

This approach reflects his CEO vantage point, where decisions are driven by costs and business priorities.

 "I often start with the classic cost of quality “rule of thumb” 
– in an average manufacturing company,
    20% of revenue is wasted on poor quality; 
    30% in service companies; 
    70% in health care (I’m told)"

The tragic fact is that the majority of practitioners who consider themselves Quality Professionals are elegantly and exquisitely trained in the tactical aspects of the job, namely inspections, calibrations, auditing, statistical process control, compliance management systems, or short-term improvement projects.

However, in executive issues and concerns, Quality Professionals have not been adequately equipped by our mentors, leaders, and professional societies to address concerns and perform at this senior level.  This perspective is demonstrated by the fact that ASQ Fellows and Academicians at the International Academy for Quality (IAQ) have advocated for the increased adoption of Financial and Governance materials into our Quality Body of Knowledge (BoK), and through various committees and think-tanks, have prepared many persuasive studies and presentations supporting this position.

As an IAQ member and ASQ Fellow, I am using this forum on Influential Voices to build awareness and interest across our membership, in order to support positive desires for enhanced professional capabilities with constructive actions in pursuit of this growth area for Quality Practitioners.

Specifically, if you are reading this, I am looking to elicit your feedback.  If you want to demonstrate your commitment to growing the Quality Profession into a group of elite practitioners who would be welcomed in any executive suite, I invite you to CLICK HERE to Respond to these Survey Questions .

 As a Quality practitioner, are you familiar with the competency areas of Finance and Governance, and their potential relationship to the Quality profession?

As a Quality practitioner, do you perceive tangible value in expanding scope to include competency in areas of Finance and/or Governance?

 Do you believe that additional training and certification in Finance and/or Governance would be beneficial to ASQ members and Quality practitioners?

If ASQ or a similar professional organization provided an extension or “add-on” to an existing certification (i.e. Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Manager of Quality/ Organizational Excellence) emphasizing Finance and/or Governance, would you consider this as being worthwhile to obtain?

 If ASQ or a similar professional organization provided a distinct certification emphasizing Finance and/or Governance, would you consider this as being worthwhile to obtain?

   

If enough support is demonstrated, ASQ could be convinced to expand our training and certification from the current tactical and operational areas, UPWARDS and ONWARDS, in order that we might accelerate the rate of adoption of quality,