APQC Terms of Service

Welcome to the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC), a member-based nonprofit research organization dedicated to helping enterprises of all kinds improve productivity and quality. 

These Terms of Service govern your use of APQC’s Online Resources (including the APQC website, Resource Library, Benchmarking Portal, and Open Standards Benchmarking® Database) and all other APQC products, services, and events. The specific content and services available to you may vary depending on whether you are a registered user, if your organization is a current APQC Member, and what level of membership your organization subscribes to.  

In the event of any conflict between these Terms of Service and any other written agreement between APQC and you or your organization (e.g., an APQC membership or license agreement), the terms of that other agreement shall control. 

Limited License 

All rights not expressly granted to you herein are reserved to APQC and all uses of APQC’s Online Resources not expressly permitted hereunder are prohibited.   

APQC grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to access and use APQC’s Online Resources to support the understanding, assessment, measurement, and improvement of internal processes and knowledge management within your organization. Accordingly, you may not publicly display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, transfer, sell, or distribute any part of APQC’s Online Resources except as expressly permitted by an applicable APQC membership or license agreement.  

Account Access & Security 

If any of APQC’s Online Resources requires registration you must complete the registration process by providing current, complete, and accurate information as prompted during the registration process. If you leave the organization under which you first registered, you are prohibited from accessing APQC’s Online Resources until you re-register through a new organization or otherwise update your registration profile.   

You are prohibited from sharing your password or account access privileges with others and shall not use anyone else’s account at any time. You must promptly notify APQC of any unauthorized use of your account.  

APQC does not warrant and makes no guarantee that APQC’s Online Resources will always be available to all users. APQC’s Online Resources may become temporarily unavailable due to inclement weather, technical or engineering difficulties, power failures, civil disturbance, fire, flood, or other causalities, and for planned and unplanned system maintenance or security reasons. APQC disclaims all liability resulting from any service disruption or the unavailability of any of APQC’s Online Resources. APQC may update, revise, replace and/or remove portions of APQC’s Online Resources from time to time without notice. 

Use of Online Resources 

You shall not use APQC’s Online Resources for any improper purpose.  For example, you shall not:  

  • Use APQC’s Online Resources in violation of any applicable law, rule, or regulation;  
  • Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate the rights of others;  
  • Publish, post, or upload any content that is profane, defamatory, obscene, indecent, or unlawful or that violates the intellectual property rights of others;  
  • Upload any file that contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots, corrupted files, or any other similar program or code that is intended to damage, compromise, or interfere with the normal operation of any system or process;  
  • Violate APQC’s Benchmarking Code of Conduct in connection with any benchmarking activities;  
  • Restrict or inhibit any other user from the lawful use of APQC’s Online Resources;  
  • Collect information about other users, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other personally identifying information;  
  • Register with a false identity;  
  • Reverse-engineer any software, system, or process;   
  • Employ a bot, script, or other automated tool to download content or access services;  
  • Use any of APQC’s Online Resources to create, train, or test any large language models or other artificial intelligence or machine learning systems; or  
  • Publicly display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, transfer, sell, or distribute any part of APQC’s Online Resources except as expressly permitted by an applicable APQC membership or license agreement.   

Violation of any of these Terms of Service may result in the immediate suspension or termination of your access to APQC’s Online Resources. 

Purchase & Sale Terms 

All orders are subject to acceptance and availability. We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order for any reason, including errors in product description or pricing. Prices and availability of products are subject to change without notice. Payment must be completed at the time of order.  

Please review product descriptions carefully before completing your order. All purchases are final and non-refundable, except as required by applicable law. For assistance with or questions about a purchase, please contact us at [email protected].  

Events (Participant Terms & Conditions) 

The following terms apply to all APQC events. 

Rules, Regulations & Participant Conduct. Participant shall at all times abide by all fire, safety, and health regulations applicable to the event and conduct his or herself in a professional manner.  Participants in violation of such rules and/or who behave in an unsafe, careless, or unprofessional manner may be asked to leave. 

Modification. The published schedule and description of the event are for informational purposes only. APQC may, in its sole discretion, modify the event by, among other things, substituting speakers, adjusting the schedule or timing of programs, canceling certain parts, or otherwise adjusting the event as it deems fit.   

Event Cancellation.  APQC may, in its sole discretion, cancel the event, in which case you will receive a full refund of any registration fees paid to APQC. However, APQC shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential loss incurred as a result of a cancellation, including without limitation, nonrefundable charges for meals, transportation, and lodging.  Participant assumes all risk of loss resulting from a cancellation. 

Participant Cancellation. If you need to cancel your registration for any reason, you may be eligible for a partial refund depending on when you cancel. Please refer to the event website for terms and details on how to cancel. As an alternative to cancellation, all registrants have the following additional options: 

  • Someone may be substituted to attend in your place at any time prior to the event at no charge. 
  • If available, you may rollover your registration for the following year's event at any time less a 10% administrative fee. You will be responsible for any price difference from the rollover from the prior year. The rollover is valid for the next event year only and incorporates the future year’s pricing, cancellation, and refund policies. 

Photography/Filming/Use of Likeness. All or portions of the event may be photographed, filmed and/or recorded by or for APQC. By attending the event, Participant agrees to permit APQC and/or its designee to film, photograph, record or otherwise capture your likeness in any media now available or hereafter developed and to distribute, broadcast, publish, use, or otherwise globally to disseminate, in perpetuity, such media and any derivative works without any further approval from you or any payment to you.   

Smoking. All APQC events are non-smoking. Smoking is permitted only in designated areas outside of the event. 

Pricing. Prices are subject to change without notice. 

Force Majeure. Attendance at the event is subject to acts of God, governmental authority, disaster, or other emergencies, any of which make it illegal, impossible, or impractical for APQC and/or its suppliers to host the event. In the event of force majeure, APQC shall have no obligation or liability to Participant. A registration may be cancelled for any one or more of such reasons by written notice to the Participant.  

INDEMNITY. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PARTICIPANT AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, AND HOLD HARMLESS APQC, ITS SUPPLIERS, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AND AGENTS, FROM AND AGAINST ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES, OR DAMAGES TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY, GOVERNMENTAL CHARGES OR FINES, AND COSTS (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEY'S FEES) ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO PARTICIPANT’S NEGLIGENT OR WILLFUL ACTS OR OMISSIONS. 

Links to Other Sites 

APQC’s Online Resources may contain links to independent, third-party websites, which are provided solely as a convenience to our users. These third-party sites are not under APQC’s control and APQC is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of such sites.  

Privacy Policy 

APQC is committed to respecting your privacy. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information about the types of personal data we collect and how and why we use your personal data in connection with APQC’s products and services. By providing your personal data, you agree that we may process it in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable law. 

Accessibility Statement 

As a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing best practices, APQC strives to make its products and services accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. We recognize that this is an ongoing obligation, and that technologies and standards are ever evolving. As a result, we are continuously looking for ways to make our products and services more accessible, including by making changes to our website and downloadable content to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.  

If you have any trouble accessing any of our products and services or have constructive suggestions on how we may improve the accessibility of any of our products or services, please email us at [email protected] or call +1-713-681-4020 and ask to speak with a member of our Digital Experience team. We welcome your constructive feedback and suggestions.  

Disclaimer of Warranty 

APQC’S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS," WITH NO WARRANTIES OR GUARANTEES WHATSOEVER. APQC EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ALL EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, AND OTHER WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, OR REPRESENTATIONS OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. YOUR USE OF APQC’S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.  

Limitation of Liability  

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL APQC BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY OR CAUSE OF ACTION FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND IN ANY WAY RELATED TO OR ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OF SERVICE OR YOUR USE OF APQC’S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING ANY LOSS OF PROFIT, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, DAMAGE TO REPUTATION, LOSS OF OPPORTUNITY, OR LOSS OF DATA, EVEN IF APQC HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. 

Dispute Resolution & Arbitration 

THESE TERMS OF SERVICE AND YOUR USE OF ANY OF APQC’S PRODUCTS OR SERVICES ARE GOVERNED SOLELY AND EXCLUSIVELY BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, USA, WITHOUT REGARD TO ANY CONFLICT OF LAWS. ANY CLAIM, DEMAND, OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THESE TERMS OF SERVICE OR YOUR USE OF APQC’S ONLINE RESOURCES SHALL BE BROUGHT SOLELY AND EXCLUSIVELY IN THE STATE OR FEDERAL COURTS LOCATED IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA. 

Copyright & Trademark Notices  

All text, graphics, user interfaces, visual interfaces, photographs, trademarks, logos, sounds, music, artwork, content, and computer code, including but not limited to the design, structure, selection, coordination, expression, and “look and feel” of APQC’s Online Resources and other products and services, are owned and/or licensed to APQC and are protected by U.S. and international intellectual property laws.  

Copyright © 1994 – 2025 by APQC and/or its partners and suppliers, 123 North Post Oak Lane, Houston, Texas 77024, USA. All rights reserved.  

Last modified August 2025