There are three international e-Xcellence
recognition schemes: The European
Foundation for Quality Management
(EFQM) in Belgium, Baldrige
in the USA and Deming in
Japan. As part of the European Union, we
have opted to use the EFQM Excellence Model
(featured below) as the primary framework
for assessing and improving our organisation.
Not only do we apply this in-house but we
also promote this awareness to our partners,
service providers and customers.
We always endeavour to sponsor our partners
and clients to join the world of Excellence
by enrolling them with the EFQM or by
providing them with professional Business
Excellence Services, such as Excellence
Awareness Seminars or formal organisational
EFQM Self-Assessments. We are proud of the
fact that all of our customers and service
providers who became EFQM members share our
beliefs and commitment to e-Xcellence.
Excellence Model
The
EFQM Excellence Model is a non-prescriptive
framework based on nine criteria
that can be used to assess an organisation's
progress towards excellence. The Model
recognises there are many approaches to
achieving sustainable excellence in all
aspects of performance.
It is based on the premise that:
'Excellent results with respect to
Performance, Customers, People and Society
are achieved through Leadership driving
Policy and Strategy, that is delivered
through People, Partnerships and Resources
and Processes.'
The EFQM Model is used as a framework for
Self-Assessment against the
best in class, which can then be used as a
blueprint for a process of continuous
improvement through innovation in pursuit of
Excellence. The Model can be applied to all
types and sizes of organisations: large
multi-national corporations, government
agencies, charities and small & medium sized
enterprises (SME's).
SELF-ASSESSMENT
is a methodology promoted by EFQM for an
organisation to assess itself in terms of
strengths and areas for improvement using
the European Excellence Model as a
framework. Our very first Self-Assessment in
the Gulf Region was for the Ministry of
Interior and BKME in Kuwait some two years
after the first Gulf war. This paved the way
to a series of Self-Assessments for a number
of government agencies and large private
organisations in Egypt and the UK.
Inevitably our partner for Self-Assessment
is the one organisation responsible for
Excellence in Europe, EFQM.
EFQM
The
European Foundation for Quality Management
(EFQM) is a not-for-profit, membership-based
organisation that was founded in 1988 by the
Presidents of 14 major European companies,
with the endorsement of the European
Commission. The mission of the EFQM is to
assist European organisations to improve
their Competitiveness through active pursuit
of Business Excellence. This is accomplished
by providing member organisations with a
wide array of services, including knowledge
development, (such as practical tools &
resources, good practice databases,
benchmarking study reports, etc.) networking
opportunities and recognition schemes.
The EFQM is also responsible for the development
and publication of the EFQM Excellence Model,
which is a key framework for helping European
organisations in their drive towards being more
competitive. This EFQM Model sets out in nine
strategic criteria that organisations can be
judged on how they operate their business
against the Best In Class Companies. The
principle purpose of the Model is to provide a
vehicle for continuous, sustainable improvement
by highlighting where areas of improvement can
be made to greatest strategic effect.
Most importantly, the EFQM sponsors the Annual
European Quality Award & Prizes, which are
presented to organisations that demonstrate
excellence in the management of quality as their
fundamental process for continuous improvement.
The process of Self-Assessment against the EFQM
Excellence Model - identifying key areas for
improvement, implementing them and assessing
their impact - is part of the journey towards
application for the Awards process.
For more info, please visit
www.efqm.org
