Having conducted well over 700 audits, there are some patterns that have developed that are interesting to note.

Over the years, I have seen firsthand that there seems to be no shortage of opportunities for quality professionals to become an irreplaceable member of an organization if they are highly skilled in resolving issues.

Quality professionals quickly learn that they need to deal with a barrage of situations where their expertise is required to intervene, provide perspective, or in some cases lead teams to come up with a solution.

I have been an ASQ member since 1990 and have served continuously as an ASQ member leader (aka volunteer) for 30-plus years. One of the many benefits of volunteering is the opportunity to observe, up close, how ASQ goes about practicing what it preaches.

Quality is not a single field, but in fact the integration of knowledge from many fields of science, technology and management. This can be seen by looking at some of the quality gurus and their more well-known contributions.

After a presentation, it’s important for me to read the reviews from participants in order to know what worked well and what I should change with future audiences.

Recently I attended two separate meetings where the topic of Job 1 and Job 2 was discussed.  This topic was new to several of my coworkers and it was something I had not heard discussed in probably 20 years.  For those of you not familiar with Job 1 and Job 2, allow me to explain:

Smart manufacturing, like many other industry “smart” initiatives, harnesses a plethora of integrated people, process, and technological elements to drive successful value creating outcomes.

In 2020, seeking to engage and contribute as a new member of the ASQ Board of Directors, I volunteered to participate in a diversity, equity, and inclusion task force.