Do Consumers Still Care About Quality?

Business Wire, April 4, 2005

SEATTLE -- ASQ's World Conference on Quality and Improvement answers the question and addresses other industry topics at international event

A 10-year study, conducted by the American Society for Quality (ASQ), revealed that American consumers believe the quality of the products they consume is OK, but the quality of the service before, during and after the transaction is lacking. This is not good news for many industries that must now figure out how to bring service quality up to acceptable levels for consumers. Fortunately, help is available - and it will be showcased at the upcoming ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement. Held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Wash. from May 16 - 18, the World Conference will provide inspiration, examples, and practical training on all things related to quality.

Conference attendees will learn about the latest quality techniques, tools, and technologies, as well as attend workshops and panel discussions where they will hear from a wide range of quality experts. The conference, which drew more than 2,000 attendees last year in Toronto, will show business leaders across all sectors of the economy how to enhance quality, plus give them an opportunity to rub elbows with leading quality experts.

International Team Competitions Slated

The 2005 World Conference will showcase the 20th International Team Excellence Awards, the only competition where finalists compete live before conference attendees. The Team Excellence endeavor serves as a benchmark of performance excellence for companies around the world.

Since 1985, more than 700 teams from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and China have gone head-to-head and championed long-term, bottom-line results. Finalists in this year's competition include Boeing, Honda of America, and Baxter Healthcare. The winner will be recognized at the conference on Wednesday, May 18.

Plant Tours Scheduled

In addition to the training and education component of the conference, ASQ has scheduled events that allow attendees to see applied quality in the workplace and the city. Plant and city tours include Boeing and the Museum of Flight, and will feature achievements in excellence and quality applications from world-leading companies.

For more information about the conference, please visit http://wcqi.asq.org. To request media passes or to register for media room access, please contact Michael De Boer at (414) 271-1314 or email michaeld@kohnkehanneken.com.

The American Society for Quality (www.asq.org) is the world's leading authority on quality. With more than 100,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange to improve business results, and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools, and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners, and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great(TM). ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., the 59-year-old organization is a founding partner of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator.