Client description: Government entity

Practice area: Market Research

Geographic scope: US, China

Industries involved: Education, Healthcare

Services applied: Industry Analysis

Business challenge: Chinese government entity wanted to know the overall characteristics of the Quality Service Industry in the United States. Report would help anyone unfamiliar with the structure and nature of the quality service industry in the US gain a quick, high level understanding.

Methodologies: Extensive secondary research and desk analysis to determine overall trends and identify key players. Qualitative in-depth interviews (IDIs) with leading service providers, quality thought leaders, quality training and certification organization staff and members.

The result: An exhaustive report describing the overall industry and its various subsectors; profiles of the key players; trends and competitive dynamics; and an explanation of the influence of the quality service industry on the economy and society. Report covers topics on the profession of quality consulting, its importance, the possible business models of quality consulting and the types of quality consulting firms. Quality training topics included types of training/consulting companies, standards-developing organizations and associations, educational institutions, and government institutions that provide training. Report also covered, quality software applications/use and quality information system development. Testing, inspection and certification section involved challenges, testing bodies, calibration labs, inspection bodies, and test types. The standards and certifications segment described the US standardization systems, trends and challenges, subsectors and the government role in quality standards. The R&D section described how universities, research centers, associations, government agencies, and standards institutes work with private industries. Final section described how quality standards bring economic and societal development and benefits.