Using a Quality Award as a Road Map to Quality Improvement

1

• Using a Quality Award as a
  Road Map to
  Quality Improvement
• and
• Benchmarking Outside the Box

2
A SUMMARY OF EXISTING QUALITY AWARDS
3
Using a Quality Award as a Road
Map to Quality Improvement
Although applying for an award is time-consuming
and expensive, it can provide valuable feedback.
For example, every applicant for the Baldrige
Award receives a detailed report based on an
independent, external assessment conducted by a
panel of specially-trained and recognized experts.

• Even if you dont apply for an award, you can
  improve quality by
• Using the award criteria for self-assessment.
  For example, for the Baldrige Award, there is a
  60-page booklet with extensive discussion of the
  Baldrige criteria. As another example, for the
  Baldrige Award, you can obtain Are We Making
  Progress?, a questionnaire designed to assess
  what your employees think about your
  organizations progress toward quality
  improvement.
• Benchmarking recipients of the award. For
  example, each recipient of the Baldrige Award is
  required to make available to the public
  extensive information about its best practices
  and how it was able to transform its culture.

4
The Baldrige Award
2006
For the areas of Health Care and Education, there
are distinct awards and criteria.
5
Recent Recipients of the Baldrige Award in
Business
NOTE Where recipients name and/or reputation
does not make the product or service obvious, it
is indicated in ().
6
Benchmarking Outside the Box

• Before benchmarking, ask your customers what they
  want. You might be surprised.

• Benchmark outside the box.
• Mobils Speed Team visited Team Penske.
• Mobils Smile Team visited Ritz-Carlton.
• Mobils Strokes Team visited Home Depot.

• For a site visit, use a cross-functional team.

• On a site visit, speak not only with management
  but also speak with and watch front-line
  employees.

• For many service companies, the front-line
  employees are what customers think of first when
  they think of the brand. Invest in front-line
  employees.

• When its time to implement improvements, upper
  management cannot dictate. Upper management must
  work with middle-management and front-line
  employees.