German Society for Quality

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität e.V. (DGQ), commonly rendered in English as the German Society for Quality, is a German membership organization dedicated to advancing quality management and related management disciplines. It was established in 1952 by the Technical Statistics Committee operating under the Committee for Economical Production. The organization later became legally independent under its present name in 1972. DGQ’s statutory purpose is to develop professional expertise and methods in quality management, communicate new findings, and encourage their practical application. Its scope extends beyond product quality in a narrow sense. Through its educational, research, networking, and certification activities, DGQ addresses integrated management systems and neighboring fields such as environmental management, occupational health and safety, quality assurance, standardization, and organizational excellence. The organization operates a nationwide professional network comprising 62 regional circles and four regional offices. These structures support meetings, seminars, and training activities for quality specialists and managers from companies and other organizations. DGQ also communicates with its members through the monthly journal Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit, whose subject matter covers quality and reliability. Education is a central part of DGQ’s activities. Following a restructuring in 2007, DGQ Weiterbildung GmbH was established as the organization’s training division. Its offering includes courses, seminars, compact training programs, examinations, study programs, and e-learning. The available reference material states that more than 12,000 professionals and managers participate in this educational program each year and that the program comprises approximately 800 offerings. DGQ also operates a personnel-certification division, which is accredited by DAkkS against DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024 requirements and issues certificates recognizing individual professional competence. Research and knowledge transfer are handled through associated structures. DQS Research, founded in 1989, works on national and international research projects, including industrial research projects conducted with more than 20 German research institutions under the AiF framework. The FQS association focuses on new approaches to quality assurance, quality management, and related subjects, initiating research and development activities and helping transfer findings into operational practice through activities such as workshops. DGQ has also played a role in Germany’s and Europe’s quality infrastructure. Together with the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), it founded DQS in 1985 as a German certification body. DQS issued Germany’s first ISO 9001 certificate in 1986 and later became a charter and full member of IQNet, an international network intended to support recognition of certificates among member organizations. DGQ is identified as Germany’s organization entitled to issue European Organization for Quality certificates and acts as a member and national partner organization of the European Foundation for Quality Management. In 2015, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Certification & Accreditation Association to promote dialogue and cooperation concerning personnel certification, quality-professional education, standardization, and international recognition of personal certificates. DGQ is therefore best understood not as a conventional consumer brand, but as a professional institution and quality-management ecosystem. Its activities combine membership networking, continuing education, research coordination, individual certification, publications, and participation in national and international quality organizations.

DGQ originated in the postwar development of organized quality expertise in Germany. In 1952, the Technical Statistics Committee of the Committee for Economical Production founded the organization that would become Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität. Its early institutional purpose was connected with the development and dissemination of methods that could improve industrial quality and the practical use of statistical and organizational approaches. A major structural milestone came in 1972, when DGQ became legally independent under its present name. The organization subsequently developed from a specialist association into a broad professional network covering quality management and adjacent management disciplines. Its activities came to include member services, regional professional circles, publications, training, research coordination, and cooperation with standardization and certification institutions. DGQ’s regional structure became an important mechanism for practical knowledge exchange. The organization established a network of 62 regional circles and four regional offices, allowing quality specialists and managers to participate in local events and educational activities while remaining connected to a national professional body. Its monthly journal Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit provided an additional channel for communicating developments in quality and reliability. Institutional expansion also occurred through research and certification. DQS Research was founded in 1989 to support national and international research projects and to connect quality-management research with industrial practice. Working with research institutions in Germany and within the AiF industrial research framework, it has supported projects intended to develop and implement new approaches to quality assurance and management. The associated FQS structure has focused on initiating research and development and transferring results to companies and other organizations. DGQ was involved in the creation of Germany’s certification infrastructure. In 1985, it and DIN founded DQS. DQS issued the first ISO 9001 certificate in Germany in 1986 and subsequently developed an international role through membership in IQNet. This relationship linked DGQ’s German activities to a wider system for the international recognition and exchange of certification expertise. The organization strengthened its education and professional-development function through the establishment of DGQ Weiterbildung GmbH in 2007. The training division provides courses, seminars, examinations, study programs, compact learning formats, and e-learning. The reference material describes an annual participation level of more than 12,000 professionals and managers and an educational portfolio of approximately 800 offerings. DGQ also maintains a personnel-certification division accredited by DAkkS under the requirements of DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024, enabling it to certify individual competence rather than only organizational management systems. DGQ’s external role expanded through European and international affiliations. It is described as Germany’s authorized organization for issuing European Organization for Quality certificates and as a member and national partner organization of the European Foundation for Quality Management. On 26 October 2015, DGQ and the China Certification & Accreditation Association signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement created a framework for dialogue and information exchange concerning personnel certification, professional training, standardization, international coordination, and the mutual recognition of personal certificates through participation in international bodies. Today, DGQ operates as an active German quality-management association with a combined role in professional education, networking, research, individual certification, publishing, and cooperation with national and international quality organizations. Its institutional identity is tied to the practical improvement of management systems and the development of people who design, operate, assess, and improve those systems.

• 2015

  Cooperation memorandum with CCAA

  [1]Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualitäten.wikipedia.org

  On 26 October 2015, DGQ signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Certification & Accreditation Association concerning professional certification, training, standardization, and international cooperation.

• 2007

  Training division established

  [1]Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualitäten.wikipedia.org

  DGQ Weiterbildung GmbH was established as a dedicated education and professional-development division during a restructuring.

• 1989

  DQS Research established

  [1]Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualitäten.wikipedia.org

  DQS Research was founded to conduct and coordinate research projects in quality management and related fields.

• 1986

  First ISO 9001 certificate issued in Germany

  [1]Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualitäten.wikipedia.org

  DQS issued Germany’s first ISO 9001 certificate, extending DGQ’s institutional influence into management-system certification.

• 1985

  DQS founded with DIN

  [1]Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualitäten.wikipedia.org

  DGQ and the German Institute for Standardization founded DQS as a German certification body.

• 1972

  Legal independence under the present name

  [3]Organization foundeden.wikipedia.org

  DGQ became legally independent and adopted its present institutional identity.

• 1952

  Organization founded

  [3]Organization foundeden.wikipedia.org

  The Technical Statistics Committee under the Committee for Economical Production founded the organization that later became Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität.

A German professional and membership institution for quality management, positioned at the intersection of practitioner education, research, networking, personnel certification, standards, and international quality infrastructure.

• Professional education and training · 2007

  DGQ Weiterbildung

  DGQ Weiterbildung is the organization’s training division, established in 2007. It provides courses, seminars, compact training, examinations, study programs, and e-learning for professionals and managers working in quality management and related fields. The reference material describes a broad portfolio of approximately 800 educational offerings and participation by more than 12,000 professionals and managers each year.

• Personnel certification

  DGQ Personenzertifizierungsstelle

  DGQ’s personnel-certification division evaluates and certifies individual professional competence. It is described as accredited by DAkkS under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024 requirements. The division supports internationally aligned recognition of the knowledge and skills of people working in quality and related management disciplines.

• Professional network

  DGQ regional circles

  DGQ’s network of 62 regional circles and four regional offices provides a practical forum for quality specialists and managers. Activities include professional meetings, seminars, training sessions, and exchange on quality, environmental, health and safety, and integrated management systems.

• Research and knowledge transfer · 1989

  DQS Research and FQS research activities

  DGQ-associated research structures support projects in quality assurance, quality management, and neighboring disciplines. DQS Research works with German and international research partners, while FQS promotes research and development and helps transfer results into operational practice through activities such as workshops.

• Professional publication

  Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit

  Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit is DGQ’s monthly journal and an important communication channel for members. Its subject area centers on quality and reliability and supports the circulation of professional knowledge within the organization’s network.

1. 1Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualitäten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität official websitedgq.de
3. 3Organization foundeden.wikipedia.org