We hear these words all the time, but what do they really mean?
Imagine this scenario for two potential hires. Looking to build his résumé and gain some credibility in the quality world, Candidate A takes a few courses on quality from an accredited university, and upon completion receives a certificate in quality systems. Candidate B, after a few years getting settled in a project management career, takes the ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) exam after studying the body of knowledge and implementing the quality concepts on the job. Candidate A has a certificate, Candidate B has a certification. Tomayto tomahto, right? Not exactly.
ASQ has offered professional certifications for almost 50 years. As of September 2016, ASQ offers a total of 19 quality certifications, including the Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), and Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE). Over the years ASQ has done its share of explaining the difference between certificate and certification. Manufacturing professionals hear and see the words certificate and certification all the time but what do they really mean? Are they interchangeable terms?