What GOAL/QPC does

GOAL/QPC is a privately held US-based publisher and training provider specializing in concise, pocket-sized quality-management reference guides sold under the trademarked "Memory Jogger" format. The company's catalog spans 26+ Memory Jogger titles covering Lean, Six Sigma, ISO standards (ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, AS9100D, ISO 13485:2016), facilitation, change management, risk management, food safety, and interpersonal skills, available in print, desktop, and digital formats across eight languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Polish, Chinese, Japanese). Cumulative circulation exceeds 12 million copies, with The Team Handbook alone having sold over 1.3 million copies across editions.

The product architecture combines the pocket guides with a small software stack — Sigma Magic, an Excel-integrated data-analysis add-in with 130+ tools developed by Rapid Sigma Solutions LLP and distributed by GOAL/QPC, and PlanBase Hoshin web-based strategic planning software — and is reinforced by a training portfolio that includes IASSC-accredited on-site Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt and Design for Six Sigma programs, Lean Improvement, Lean Leadership, Facilitation, and self-paced online certification (Yellow $795, Green $895, Black $995). A Custom Books service lets organizations brand and customize the Memory Joggers with a 25-unit minimum order and volume discounts up to 35%.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce at goalqpc.com with worldwide shipping, sales-led B2B custom-book engagements, inside sales for online certification, and quote-based enterprise on-site training. Pricing is publicly disclosed for books ($9.95–$49.95) and software ($200 annual / $400 perpetual Sigma Magic; $250 PlanBase Hoshin), while on-site training and bulk licensing are quote-based. The business operates with 11–50 employees from a US headquarters (Methuen, MA area) and reports no parent company, no outside investors, and no public listing.

Name

GOAL/QPC

Legal name

GOAL/QPC

Website

https://goalqpc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GOAL/QPC is a US-based publisher of "Memory Jogger" pocket guides and provider of IASSC-accredited Lean Six Sigma training, certification, and Excel-integrated statistical software for quality-management practitioners worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quality Management Training & Publishing

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Six Sigma (Yellow/Green/Black Belt) (EDABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Quality Tools & Problem Solving (7 QC Tools, 8D, A3, Root Cause) (EDABAKAE), Lean Six Sigma for Services & Transactional Processes (EDABAKAC)

Keywords

• Quality management training
• Lean six sigma certification
• ISO standards publications
• Pocket reference guides
• Continuous improvement tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Methuen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Book and pocket guide sales: One-time purchase of pocket-sized Memory Joggers and reference books (priced $9.95–$49.95), with volume discounts of 25% off 10+ items, 30% off 100+, and 35% off 250+; available in print and digital formats across multiple languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Polish, Chinese, Japanese).
2. Sigma Magic Software licensing: Software licensing for Sigma Magic (Microsoft Excel–integrated) sold as Annual License ($200) or Perpetual License ($400), with bulk corporate licensing available on request.
3. PlanBase Hoshin software licensing: Web-based strategic planning software sold as standalone ($250) or bundled with the Complete Lean Six Sigma Handbook.
4. Custom-branded book services: B2B custom book printing with branding, custom content insertion, combined titles, or added pages; minimum order 25 units with volume pricing tiers from 25% to 35% off list and bespoke quotes for 500+ units.
5. On-site training workshops: Enterprise on-site training programs covering Lean Leadership, Lean Six Sigma (Yellow/Green/Black Belt), Design for Six Sigma, and Lean Improvement; delivered at client sites with instructor-led classroom format, training materials, and certification.
6. Self-paced online training and certification: Self-paced e-learning certifications: Yellow Belt ($795), Green Belt ($895), Black Belt ($995) using Sigma Magic, plus standalone Green Belt Memory Jogger online certification exam ($49.95).
7. Free downloadable templates: Free complementary downloadable templates (e.g., Toyota Kata worksheets, Risk-Based Thinking worksheets) bundled with book purchases to drive tool adoption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GOAL/QPC publishes the trademarked "Memory Jogger" line of pocket-sized reference guides covering Lean Six Sigma, ISO standards (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, ISO 13485), facilitation, project management, change management, and quality tools, available in print, desktop and digital formats across 8+ languages. The company also delivers on-site and self-paced Lean Six Sigma Yellow/Green/Black Belt training and certification, distributes Sigma Magic data-analysis software (Excel add-in) and PlanBase Hoshin strategic planning software, and provides a Custom Books service for enterprise-branded pocket guides.

Product overview

GOAL/QPC is a quality-management content publisher and training provider whose portfolio centers on the "Memory Jogger" line of pocket guides — concise reference books covering Lean, Six Sigma, ISO standards (ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, AS9100D, ISO 13485:2016), facilitation, change management, risk management, project management, facilitation, problem-solving and interpersonal skills, available in multiple formats (Pocket Guide, Desktop Guide, Digital) and multiple languages. The Memory Jogger flagship is Memory Jogger 2 — Second Edition (2018 Revision), supported by belt-specific guides (Green Belt Memory Jogger, Black Belt Memory Jogger, The Yellow Belt Memory Jogger), standards guides (Memory Jogger ISO 9001:2015, The IATF 16949:2016 Memory Jogger, The AS9100 D Memory Jogger), topical guides (The Toyota Kata Memory Jogger, Facilitation at a Glance – 4th Edition, The Active Change Memory Jogger, The Risk-Based Thinking Memory Jogger, Problem Solving Memory Jogger For Food Safety), and comprehensive resources such as The Team Handbook. The published content is reinforced by a software stack — Sigma Magic data analysis (built into Microsoft Excel) and PlanBase Hoshin Strategic Planning Software — and by The Complete Lean Six Sigma Handbook, which is sold standalone or bundled with Sigma Magic and PlanBase. GOAL/QPC also delivers On-Site and Self-Paced Lean Six Sigma training and certification programs (Yellow, Green and Black Belt), Lean Improvement Training, Lean Leadership Skills Workshop, Design for Six Sigma Team Training, Facilitation Skills Training, an online Green Belt Memory Jogger Certification exam, Lean Six Sigma Trainer Support Packages, and a Custom Books service for organizations that want to brand and customize the pocket guides for their own programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Memory Joggers: GOAL/QPC's signature pocket-guide format of business and quality-management publications, trademarked around the "Why use it? What does it do? How do I do it?" structure. Over 12 million copies are reported to be in circulation.

Products and services

• Memory Jogger 2 — Second Edition (2018 Revision) Flagship 214-page GOAL/QPC pocket guide covering basic and advanced quality tools, a problem-solving model, and improvement team guidelines, with case studies of Fortune 100 companies.
• The "Original" Memory Jogger Original GOAL/QPC pocket guide covering foundational quality tools in the pocket-guide format, priced at $9.95.
• Green Belt Memory Jogger Pocket reference guide for Six Sigma Green Belts, structured around the DMAIC model with more than 100 graphics covering project management, change management, VOC, MSA, hypothesis testing, FMEA, control charts and control plans.
• Black Belt Memory Jogger Second Edition

Quantifiable outcome

• 12+ million Memory Joggers in circulation worldwide
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• DTI Training InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTI Training International is GOAL/QPC's partner in bringing the Safety Management Systems Memory Jogger II to market. DTI provided the SMS subject-matter expertise and content based on its work with the US Department of Defense, NASA, Transport Canada, flight schools, and aerial applicators, while GOAL/QPC applied the Memory Jogger publishing format and 7-Step Risk Management Action Plan structure.
• Rhonda Wellik / CERT IDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOAL/QPC partnered with Rhonda Wellik, CEO of CERT ID (a global leader in food safety certification), to develop the Problem Solving Memory Jogger for Food Safety, which provides a 7-step model for root-cause analysis of GFSI non-conformances and includes FMEA, Scatter Diagram, A3 Charts, and root-cause verification tools.
• Rapid Sigma Solutions LLPcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSigma Magic software is developed and marketed by Rapid Sigma Solutions LLP and distributed (resold) by GOAL/QPC. Rapid Sigma Solutions provides the 130+ tool data analysis software built into Microsoft Excel; GOAL/QPC bundles it with The Complete Lean Six Sigma Handbook and offers it standalone (Annual License $200, Perpetual License $400).
• PlanBase HoshincoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPlanBase Hoshin is web-based strategic planning software (planbase.com/Hoshin.html) offered through GOAL/QPC at $250 standalone and as part of bundle packages with The Complete Lean Six Sigma Handbook and Sigma Magic software. PlanBase provides the development/implementation/review technology; GOAL/QPC is a distribution channel.
• International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOAL/QPC is designated by IASSC as an Accredited Training Organization and Accredited Curriculum Provider for both Green Belt and Black Belt programs. The accreditation certifies that GOAL/QPC's training program and Memory Joggers meet the standards established by IASSC.
• Mike Rother (Toyota Kata author)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Toyota Kata Memory Jogger is based on Mike Rother's findings published in Toyota Kata Culture (McGraw-Hill, 2017) and The Toyota Kata Practice Guide (McGraw-Hill, 2018). Rother provided endorsement (Shingo publication award winner, AME Hall of Fame inductee); GOAL/QPC adapted his methodology into the Memory Jogger format with authors Jean-Marc Legentil, Marc-Olivier Legentil, and Tilo Schwarz.
• ASQ (American Society for Quality)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOAL/QPC's Green Belt, Black Belt, and Lean Six Sigma Tools Memory Joggers are aligned with the ASQ Six Sigma Body of Knowledge. This alignment is explicitly marketed on product pages and ties GOAL/QPC's training materials to ASQ's industry-standard certification framework.
• Kaiser PermanenteminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKaiser Permanente commissioned a customized 5"x7" version of the Lean Six Sigma Tools Memory Jogger with Kaiser Permanente pages inserted at the front of the book (SKU 1584CE, $29.95). Illustrative example of GOAL/QPC's custom-branding B2B offering rather than a formal alliance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BMGI (Breakthrough Management Group International): Global operations improvement consultancy providing Lean Six Sigma deployment, training, and certification to Fortune 500 clients. Comparable as an enterprise-focused LSS training and consulting peer targeting overlapping blue-chip industrial customers.
• Pyzdek Institute: Lean Six Sigma training and certification organization run by Thomas Pyzdek, author of foundational Six Sigma handbooks. Directly comparable as a content-led LSS training brand that competes for the same practitioner training wallet.
• Aveta Business Institute: Six Sigma Online (Aveta) is a direct online competitor in IASSC-aligned LSS belt certification, offering self-paced programs at similar price points to GOAL/QPC's Yellow/Green/Black Belt self-paced tracks. Directly comparable as a head-to-head competitor for the individual-practitioner certification dollar.
• Minitab: Statistical analysis software widely used by Lean Six Sigma practitioners, paired with Minitab training courses and trainer support packages. GOAL/QPC sells Lean Six Sigma Trainer Support Packages built around Minitab, making it a directly adjacent software-plus-training peer with shared practitioner audience.
• Lean Six Sigma Institute: Independent accreditation and training body offering IASSC-aligned LSS certification programs and curriculum. Comparable because it sits in the same accredited-training organization tier as GOAL/QPC, serving corporate training directors and individual belt candidates.
• Six Sigma Daily / iSixSigma: Long-running online Lean Six Sigma resource hub providing articles, tools, templates, and belt-certification training. Comparable as a digital-content-focused LSS practitioner brand competing for the same individual-practitioner mindshare and certification spending.
• MoreSteam: Purdue-affiliated Lean Six Sigma training and e-learning platform offering Yellow/Green/Black Belt online certification, simulation-based training, and reference materials. Directly comparable because it targets the same individual practitioner and corporate training buyer with IASSC-aligned online LSS certification.

Broad incumbents

• ASQ (American Society for Quality): Largest US professional society for quality practitioners; offers Six Sigma belt certifications, Body of Knowledge publications, and training that GOAL/QPC's content is explicitly aligned to. Highly comparable because both serve the same Lean Six Sigma / ISO quality practitioner buyer with overlapping curriculum and certification offerings.
• IASSC (International Association for Six Sigma Certification): The body that accredits GOAL/QPC's Green/Black Belt training and curriculum; it sets the standard by which GOAL/QPC's certifications are measured. Comparable as the dominant third-party LSS certification authority that competing training providers (and GOAL/QPC) align curriculum to.

Emerging players

• SigmaXL: Lower-cost Excel add-in statistical software for Lean Six Sigma practitioners — a partial functional overlap with Sigma Magic (also Excel-integrated). Comparable as a competing data-analysis tool distributed to the same practitioner audience GOAL/QPC serves through its Sigma Magic distribution arrangement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GOAL/QPC