By Mike Richman

Approximately 2,000 dedicated quality professionals gathered in lovely San Diego, California, from May 12–15 for ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement (WCQI 2024). The WCQI is ASQ’s premier event and the place where the quality community gathers annually to foster relationships, share best practices, and celebrate the importance of our profession.

WCQI 2024 offered outstanding opportunities for learning and career development, including:

• Tools- and process-based sessions such as “Crafting a Culture for Quality 4.0 Leadership,” “Internal Audits as an Enabler for Organizational Change,” and “Risk Management–Application of Tools for Oversight, Assessment, and Control,” to name just a few
• Three fantastic keynote addresses covering creativity, innovation, and teamwork
• An exhibit hall filled with today’s best service and software providers, trainers, educational institutions, and more—including an Exemplar Global booth where our team had the chance to meet many new and old friends

Attendees represented more than 40 nations, and many conversations revolved around the common issues between quality professionals around the world. As one small example, consider the advent of artificial intelligence, which has already completely reshaped our working worlds. In coming years, AI will be integrated into every function within companies operating in the manufacturing, service, and transactional sectors. The questions are boundless: How will AI change our workforce? What standards will quality-centric organizations need to follow to comply with AI best practices? Who will audit conformance to those standards? What training will they need?

ASQ’s WCQI provides an excellent platform for networking and building meaningful connections. Exemplar Global’s presence at WCQI was marked by an interactive booth that attracted a diverse crowd of attendees. Our team had the opportunity to meet with fellow quality professionals, exchange ideas, explore potential collaborations, and discuss the certification programs we offer to help them grow their careers. This event represents a rare opportunity to think big , strengthen professional relationships and foster a sense of community within the quality industry.

For those of you who are into planning (and what self-respecting quality professional or auditor isn’t?) you may wish to mark your calendars now for next year’s WCQI, which is scheduled for May 4–7 in Denver, Colorado. The opportunities for continued personal and professional development are manifold, so if you’ve never been to the WCQI (or it’s been awhile) consider checking it out. You’ll find a number of welcoming fellow quality professionals ready to listen, share, and learn with you.

About the author

Mike Richman is the principal of Richman Business Media Consulting, a marketing and public relations company working with clients in the worlds of manufacturing, consumer products, politics, and education. Richman also hosts the web television program NorCal News Now, which focuses on social, economic, and political issues in California. He is a contributor to (and former publisher of) Quality Digest.