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 don’t 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 organization’s 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 For the areas of Health Care and Education, there are distinct awards and criteria. The Baldrige Award

5 Recent Recipients of the Baldrige Award in Business NOTE: Where recipient’s name and/or reputation does not make the product or service obvious, it is indicated in (…).

6 Benchmarking “Outside the Box”  Benchmark “outside the box”.  Mobil’s Speed Team visited Team Penske.  Mobil’s Smile Team visited Ritz-Carlton.  Mobil’s 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.  Before benchmarking, ask your customers what they want. You might be surprised.  When it’s time to implement improvements, upper management cannot dictate. Upper management must work with middle- management and front-line employees.