ASQ CQIA Certification Exam Syllabus

I. Quality Basics (30 Questions)

1. Quality definitions
- Describe and distinguish between the common definitions of quality. (Apply)

2. Quality plan
- Define a quality plan, describe its purpose and objectives to achieve the quality mission or policy. Identify the various functional areas and people having responsibility for contributing to its development. (Understand)

3. Quality systems
- Understand the difference and relationship between quality assurance, quality control, and continuous quality improvement. (Understand)

4. Organizational culture
- Understand how culture influences the success of process improvement efforts such as lean, Six Sigma, ISO 9001, Baldrige, and change management. (Understand)

5. Employee involvement and empowerment
- Define and distinguish between employee involvement and employee empowerment. Describe the benefits of both concepts. (Understand)

6. Systems and processes
- Define and distinguish between a system and a process and describe the interrelationships between them. Describe the components of a system - supplier, input, process, output, customer (SIPOC) - and how these components impact the system as a whole. (Analyze)

7. Variation
- Define and distinguish between common and special cause variation in relation to quality measures. (Understand)

8. Standardization
- Describe how quality systems provide consistency and standardization (e.g. ISO 9001). (Remember)

- Describe how using quality tools, techniques, and concepts can improve processes and deliverables (including products and services), and how each benefit all parts of an organization. Describe what quality means to various stakeholders (e.g., employees, organizations, customers, suppliers, community, and interested parties) and how each can benefit from quality. (Understand)

- Understand the key concepts and teachings of the foundational quality thought leaders including 1) Walter Shewhart, 2) W. Edwards Deming, 3) Joseph Juran, 4) Kaoru Ishikawa, 5) Philip Crosby, and 6) Armand Feigenbaum. (Understand)

II. Team Basics (16 Questions)

1. Team purpose
- Describe why teams are an effective way to identify and solve problems, and describe when, where, why, and how teams can be used effectively. (Apply)

2. Types of teams
- Define and distinguish between various types of teams: process teams, continuous improvement teams, workgroups, self-managed teams, ad hoc project teams, cross-functional teams, and virtual teams. (Apply)

3. Value of teams
- Explain how a team’s efforts can support an organization’s key strategies and effect positive change throughout the organization. (Understand)

- Describe the roles and responsibilities of various team stakeholders: (Understand)
1. Sponsor
2. Champion
3. Facilitator
4. Leader
5. Member
6. Scribe
7. Timekeeper

1. Initiating teams
- Apply the elements of launching and sustaining a successful team, including establishing a clear purpose and goals, developing ground rules and schedules, gaining support from management, and obtaining commitment from team members. (Apply)

2. Selecting team members
- Describe how to select team members based on knowledge, skill sets, and team logistics, such as an adequate number of members in relation to the size or scope of the project, appropriate representation from affected departments or areas, and diversity. (Apply)

3. Team stages
- Describe the classic stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. (Understand)

4. Team conflict
- Identify the value of team conflict and recognize how to resolve it. Define and describe groupthink and how to overcome it. Determine how good logistics, an agenda, and effective training facilitate team success. (Analyze)

5. Team decision-making
- Describe and use different decision-making models, such as voting (majority rule, multi-voting) and consensus. Use follow-up techniques to clarify the issue to be decided, to confirm agreement on the decision, and to achieve closure. (Apply)

III. Improvement (40 Questions)

1. Six Sigma concepts and tools
- Compare Six Sigma concepts, tools, and techniques. Understand the DMAIC phases: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. (Understand)

2. Lean concepts and tools
- Compare lean concepts, tools, and techniques. Understand lean tools used to reduce waste, including set-up and cycle-time reduction, pull systems (kanban), continuous improvement (kaizen), just-in-time (JIT), 5S, value stream mapping, and error-proofing (poka-yoke). (Understand)

3. Benchmarking
- Define benchmarking and describe how it can be used to develop and support best practices. (Understand)

4. Incremental and breakthrough improvement
- Describe and distinguish between these two types of improvements, the steps required for each, and the type of situation in which either type would be expected. (Understand)

- Select and utilize improvement opportunity techniques and/or methodologies: (Apply)
1. Brainstorming
2. Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle
3. Affinity diagrams
4. Cost of poor quality (COPQ)
5. Internal audits

- Select, interpret, and apply the basic improvement tools: (Apply)
1. Flowcharts
2. Histograms
3. Pareto charts
4. Scatter diagrams
5. Check sheets
6. Control charts
7. Decision trees

- Utilize root cause tools such as the 5 Whys and fishbone diagram to implement correction and corrective action. (Apply)

- Understand the tools and techniques used to identify and communicate risks, including failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) and Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT). Understand prioritization of activities and projects based on risk. (Understand)

IV. Supplier Relationship (7 Questions)

- Identify the supplier selection criteria and approval process. (Remember)

- Understand supplier relationships, associated challenges, and effects of a diverse supply base. (Understand)

- Identify supplier performance measures, including quality performance, on-time delivery, and level of service. (Apply)

V. Customer Relationship (7 Questions)

- Distinguish between internal and external customers. Describe their influence on products, services, and processes. (Understand)

1. Data gathering and use
- Describe various methods for collecting customer satisfaction feedback, including formal surveys, informal feedback, warranty claims, and focus groups. Understand the importance of using customer satisfaction feedback to drive continuous improvement. (Understand)

2. Complaint process
- Define and identify a customer complaint. Understand and apply the complaint handling process including documentation, action taken, and providing resolve to the customer. (Apply)

3. Customer needs
- Understand the key elements of quality function deployment (QFD) and how it identifies and prioritizes customer expectations and needs. (Understand)