dqs

DQS is an acronym used in different contexts, most prominently in business certification and information technology. It refers to a global certification body that offers management system audits and conformity assessments, as well as to a data quality technology in Microsoft SQL Server.

DQS GmbH, commonly known as DQS, is a German-based international certification body providing management system certification and related services. It conducts audits and issues certifications for standards such as ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), ISO 27001 (information security), and various sector-specific schemes. DQS organizations typically offer supplier qualification programs, product testing or inspection, training, and calibration services. They operate through a network of national partners and serve a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, services, and healthcare, to verify process quality, compliance, and continual improvement.

Data Quality Services (DQS) is a feature set within Microsoft SQL Server designed to help organizations govern and improve data quality. Introduced with SQL Server 2012, DQS provides a central data quality knowledge base, profiling, cleansing, matching, and standardization capabilities. It supports rule-based data quality operations, data stewardship workflows, and integration with data integration tools such as SQL Server Integration Services. DQS is often used in conjunction with master data management and data governance programs to enhance data accuracy, consistency, and reliability across enterprise systems.

In other contexts, DQS may refer to additional domain-specific acronyms, but the two uses described here—an international certification body and Microsoft’s Data Quality Services—are the most widely recognized in contemporary business and IT literature.