Abstract

Excellence, like quality, is a choice, a habit and a mindset. Organizations do not simply float into a state of excellence, and without the express intention to achieve the highest level of quality at every level of the organization, no endeavor for excellence gets off the ground. Within the context of quality management, an intention to strive for excellence means setting the lofty goals, a relatively simplistic exercise. Implementation of the quality measures to achieve those goals means tying them—conceptually or otherwise—to specific efforts that lead to getting it right the first time every time, satisfying the customer in every respect, elevating the organization's reputation and obsessively reducing waste.