| The Excellence Model |
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The EFQM Excellence Model is a "total quality" framework used by a growing number of businesses and public sector organisations to dramatically improve their performance in the eyes of their customers or stakeholders, thereby bringing about financial gains. Often just referred to as the Excellence Model, or even the Business Excellence Model, it was originally developed by the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management), who also own the copyright. The model was introduced in 1992 as a template against which to score organisations applying for the newly proposed Excellence Awards, and was based on the Baldridge Award scheme already then running in the US. The model is sponsored and promoted in the UK by the British Quality Foundation (BQF), who work to raise its profile in the business community. The model is also finding increasing use within the public sector, and is now being used for example by NHS trusts, schools, colleges, and even police forces, often with notable success. It can also be applied equally well to the voluntary sector. The EFQM and BQF sponsor award schemes for mature users of the model, and which are open to any organisation, whether public or private, and virtually regardless of size. Award applicants undergo a rigorous and searching examination by a team of external assessors, and eventual winners have ranged from well known corporates, through to small firms with less than 20 staff. The awards are highly prestigious and not only highlight the benefits to business in using the model, but will of course bring promotional benefits to the successful applicant organisations. The model is really a collection of questioning statements based on global industry best practice, and it is up to the user how these are interpreted, which particular questioning is applied, and how deep they wish to probe. It is a simple but potentially powerful tool for quality improvement. Summary :-
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