A Comparative Analysis of National and Regional Quality Awards

Article Abstract

Organizations are using quality award programs in their pursuit of total quality management. Industries realize that quality awards offer models and tools for implementing quality strategy, benchmarking best practices, performing self-assessment, and obtaining performance improvements. The Baldrige Award model criteria may be used both by firms applying for the award and as a guide for companies interested in implementing proven performance excellence initiatives. National and regional award criteria include updated strategic content that reflects changes in the quality industry. There is a trend toward a uniform, international model of organization-wide quality performance. The various quality award programs have several common objectives, including an emphasis on continuous analysis and improvement and a focus on organizational quality management. The quality award programs generally exemplify customer-driven quality via streamlined processes, product design, leadership, human resource development, and customer-focused strategic plans. All the programs evaluate applicants aggressively. The common assessment procedures of quality award programs include individual assessors to evaluate submissions, a consensus score determined by an impartial examiner group, a site visit to high-scoring finalists, and awards given to the firms that best exemplify the criteria of award models in both intent and weighting of the criteria. Approaches and definitions of the criteria vary from program to program. Award programs should be utilized as a basis for assessing and encouraging TQM in the global marketplace and not as a panacea for all organizational problems.

Keywords

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA),Quality Control Department,Total Quality Management (TQM),Quality awards,Quality competition,Quality analysis

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