The American Society for Quality (ASQ) is the leading quality-improvement organization in the United States. The ASQ has over 100,000 individual members and over 1,000 corporate sustaining members worldwide. Created in 1946, the organization is an outgrowth of efforts to improve production standards during World War II. Using the methods of Walter Shewhart, the War Production Board—later the American Society for Quality Control (changed to ASQ in 1997)—sponsored courses to train people in quality control.
The American Society for Quality now offers a variety of quality-control programs, including home study, conferences, certification, and administration of the Baldrige Award (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award). Through its Registrar Accreditation Board, the American Society for Quality assists with the International Standards Organization’s ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 accreditation and certification. American Society for Quality training focuses on statistical process control, quality cost management, total quality management, failure management, and zero defects.
As stated on the ASQ website:

• Quality is not a program; it is an approach to business.


• Quality is a collection of powerful tools and concepts that is proven to work.


• Quality is defined by the customer through his/her satisfaction.


• Quality includes continuous improvement and breakthrough events.


• Quality tools and techniques are applicable in every aspect of the business.


• Quality is aimed at performance excellence; anything less is an improvement opportunity.


• Quality increases customer satisfaction, reduces cycle time and costs, and eliminates errors and rework.
  
• Quality is not just for businesses. It works in nonprofit organizations like schools, health care and social services, and government agencies.


• Results (performance and financial) are the natural consequence of effective quality management.