American Society for Quality and Manpower Professional Collaborate on New Staffing Venture.

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1999--

QualityPower(SM) Alliance Makes Manpower Professional the First in the

Staffing Industry to Offer a Specific "Quality" Niche

The largest quality organization in the United States and the preeminent staffing solutions provider have announced an alliance that will leverage the knowledge of more than 133,000 quality professionals to provide workforce solutions to corporations.

The alliance, QualityPower(SM), combines resources of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, with the resources of Manpower Professional, the professional services operating unit of worldwide staffing industry leader Manpower Inc.

"The alliance between ASQ and Manpower Professional is a natural," said Ron Asbury, president of ASQ. "This alliance offers career/workforce solutions to both our individual and corporate members in an ever-changing job market. The opportunities and resources brought forth by QualityPower are very exciting for our members."

This alliance makes Manpower Professional the first staffing provider to form a specific niche for quality professionals. "We believe there is a great opportunity to meet an unfulfilled need for our corporate customers as well as the needs of thousands of quality professionals, and to provide staffing solutions that will benefit both parties," said Jeff Joerres, president and CEO of Manpower Inc. "QualityPower blends the strengths of Manpower Professional and ASQ to benefit the quality segment."

QualityPower will be a separate organization with separate employees dedicated to bringing the talents and resources of individual ASQ members to companies who need quality professionals, ranging from quality managers to quality technicians to Six Sigma project managers, for short-term projects and transitions from project work to permanent employment.

"The role of the corporate quality department is evolving as quality becomes integrated throughout the organization," said Asbury. "The traditional quality department is becoming smaller and the need for quality professionals is becoming more project oriented, which provides a great opportunity for the short-term employment solutions offered through QualityPower."

Recent ASQ research shows that 47 percent of Fortune 500 companies have used short-term employees in the quality area in the past two years while another 28 percent sought or hired quality consultants to work on quality projects, according to Asbury. At the same time, ASQ identified a growing interest in flexible, project-based employment among its individual members.

ASQ chose Manpower Professional as its QualityPower partner because the staffing firm best fulfilled ASQ's criteria. ASQ cited Manpower's excellent brand name recognition; the registration of its North American offices to ISO-9002; the company's 3,200 offices worldwide, including 150 Manpower Professional offices in North America; outstanding professional staffing capabilities; and a long-standing continuous quality assurance program that includes national and local surveys of customer and employee satisfaction.

In addition, ASQ noted the extensive training that Manpower makes available to employees free of charge via its Global Learning Center web site (www.manpowernet.com). A web-based quality curriculum is now being developed which will be part of Manpower's Global Learning Center.

"The strengths that Manpower Professional brings to the leading companies in North America will be mirrored in QualityPower," said Bill Pfannenstiel, vice president of Manpower Professional. "Quality professionals will be placed in a variety of positions from quality managers and engineers to Six Sigma project managers to quality technicians and inspectors."

In addition, QualityPower will provide professionals with a range of certification programs through ASQ, including Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Manager, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Reliability Engineer, Certified Mechanical Inspector, Certified Quality Technician and Certified Software Quality Engineer. ASQ and Manpower Professional also see the potential for future collaborations of importance to the quality community.

For more information about QualityPower, companies and quality professionals can contact 877-840-6838. QualityPower information also can be accessed through the Internet at www.qualitypowerinc.com.

Manpower, the world's leading staffing firm, operates more than 3,200 offices in 52 countries around the world, including Manpower Professional, the company's fastest growing operating unit. The firm annually provides employment and training to nearly two million people worldwide. Additional information about Manpower is available online at www.manpower.com.

ASQ is a 133,000 member professional association headquartered in Milwaukee. The 53-year-old organization advances individual and organizational performance excellence worldwide by providing opportunities for learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange. ASQ has been the administrator of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, managed by the Department of Commerce, since its inception more than a decade ago. Additional information about ASQ is available online at www.asq.org.