This month the ASQ/APQC Global State of Quality 2 Research will be released. ASQ and APQC have partnered again to examine the Global State of Quality. As the research did in 2013, the Global State of Quality 2 Research once again aims to further advance the world’s understanding of quality’s impact. The goal of this year’s report is to examine trends that have continued to evolve from the 2013 Discoveries report, as well as identify new trends within the quality industry.

Six Sigma is still one of the most popular methodologies in use today. As proof all one has to do is read the periodicals and textbooks or attend an ASQ section meeting or conference.

The long-awaited revision to ISO 9001 has arrived. The standard will be familiar to those in the quality industry: more than 1.1 million companies are certified to the standard as of 2014, and more than 33,000 certifications in the U.S. Whether you’re in the process of implementing the revision, just planning for it, or curious to see what’s new, here’s a look at the ISO 9001 revision.

ISO 9001:2015 certification underscores quality and compliance focus for M-Files.

In order to help us better understand supply and demand, economists have placed the things we buy into different categories. One such category is a positional good, described by Dr. Sheldon Cooper as “an economic concept in which an object is only valued by the possessor because it’s not possessed by others.” 

Organizations have always been faced with making sure that they have the knowledge to carry out the work of the company. Sometimes referred to as “tribal knowledge,” organizations are frequently challenged with the obstacle that there is knowledge within the company that is not passed on or only available to one or a few people. This lack of knowledge could lead to ineffective performance of the quality management system.

For improvement to occur, problems must be solved. Errors must be fixed. Systems must be more efficient.

It is not uncommon to blame senior management for most of what ails an organization. However, it is past time to rethink this attitude!

If you recognize Praveen Gupta’s name, perhaps it’s because you read one of his more than 200 articles or 14 books. Or maybe you attended a conference in Chicago, Kuala Lumpur, or Zagreb and heard him speak. Perhaps you work at one of the more than 100 companies he’s worked with during his long career.

Recipients to be honored at May event preceding World Conference on Quality and Improvement in Milwaukee, Wis.