The 2026 edition of the WCQI, the World Conference on Quality & Improvement by the American Society for Quality (ASQ), took place between May 17 and 20 in Orlando. SoftExpert attended with an exclusive booth and, on the sidelines of the event, granted an interview to the American magazine Quality Digest. The interviewee was Kirsten Bohnert, a company representative.
In the conversation with journalist Jeff Drewer, besides discussing the company's growth in the US market, Bohnert defended the argument that quality management software is not a compliance cost, but an investment with real return. Kristen explained the challenge of convincing organizations still stuck on paper and how the market only stands to gain from integrating quality software.
And what became clearest throughout the conversation is that SoftExpert's biggest challenge isn't the competition. It's showing the market that quality management is a business strategy.
A platform for all sectors
Thirty years of existence, more than three thousand customers, and 40 modules spanning sectors: automotive, pharmaceutical, life sciences, manufacturing, and services. When asked about what SoftExpert does, Bohnert kept it brief:
"It is not specific to one particular area. We are able to serve everyone."
The premise is that quality practice follows the same logic in any sector. The context changes. The problem does not.
The quality "tax"
The word that came up in the conversation was "tax". The company's view is that the market historically sees quality software as an obligation, something you pay to be in compliance and not to grow. Bohnert cites a number that explains why the problem is bigger than it seems: over 50% of organizations still operate on paper.
Part of SoftExpert's job is to convince this market that the change is worth it. "It's a marathon, not a sprint," said Kristen. Customers who come in engaged can feel the ROI in three months, while others take six or nine. The difference lies in how much the company itself commits to the implementation, not in the product.
Culture and adoption
When Drewer asked what in SoftExpert's software actually promotes cultural change, Bohnert's answer was more about posture than functionality. The company values relationship and longevity with its clients; SoftExpert wants users who stay, not just subscribers.
For this, two elements appear as concrete facilitators: a multilingual package and, increasingly, artificial intelligence. "AI is huge right now. It is part of the culture," said Kristen.
