Recently I had the honor of being invited to speak at a local ASQ conference. While there, I was informed that over forty percent of the attendees were not ASQ members so it was not surprising that I shared a lunch table with several attendees who were interested in knowing what ASQ’s purpose is. I was able to explain that ASQ’s purpose is to empower individuals and communities of the world to achieve excellence through quality. While ASQ’s purpose can be summed up in one sentence, how it goes about fulfilling it requires a novel to explain. ASQ is a highly intricate organization with numerous boards, councils, committees and over 250 member units, each of which is autonomous. It would take far more room than this column allows to expound upon all the offerings provided.
ASQ’s Strategic Planning Committee in conjunction with the ASQ Board of Directors develops an annual plan that outlines, at a high level, how it will go about fulfilling its mission. This annual plan filters down to each member unit which then develops a tactical plan for their local community or industry that aligns and supports ASQ’s overall strategic plan. To execute on a global scale, ASQ has geographic member units (sections) located throughout the world. No two ASQ section or ASQ division (technical member units) are the same; each delivers the services that are unique to their community.