The Excellence Model is based upon EIGHT fundamental concepts of Excellence. The EIGHT concepts do not map directly to any one of the nine criteria of The Model, although some might appear to at first sight. For example the Results Orientation concept can certainly be seen in the four results criteria, but it also applies for example to the Processes criterion in that business process includes ensuring that measurement mechanisms are put in place as a means of showing results. Leadership and constancy of purpose, certainly relates to the Leadership criterion, but also to those of Policy & Strategy as well as People, as it is the leadership that defines policy and then ensures that it is carried out by the organisation's people.

1. Results Orientation
   Any improvement must be measurable, and its is important that measures reflect the various stakeholders with an interest in the organisation. In the Private sector, financial results would be important of course, but so would many others, as for example financial success relies upon how the organisation's people perform. Other results might relate to measuring the actual or perceived quality of a component. For example, in the Public Sector, stakeholders with an interest in results may well be government, and of course the public themselves.
2. Customer Focus
   This is crucial in any organisation, even nowadays in the Public Sector. It is customers who will ultimately measure the performance of an organisation, even though this might be purely through perception rather than something more tangible. In the Private Sector it is crucial to success to gain customer loyalty, as well as attract new customers, and with ever tougher competition and reducing profit margins the winners will be those businesses that really do appear to have customers needs at the forefront and can provide added value.
3. Partnership development
   It is now not acceptable to simply be a supplier say to another, possibly larger organisation, such as is common in the automotive sector. Larger firms want their suppliers to be wholly responsive to their needs, and to work with them in improving their products, so partnerships are important to most businesses. A good partnership should add value and be of benefit to both parties, and should be used as a means of sharing knowledge and best practice.
4. Leadership and constancy of purpose
   Much of how an organisation performs, and often its culture, will stem from what the organisation's leaders do, and how they are perceived by their staff. Leaders define the policy and objectives of an organisation and these need to be clearly communicated and then led by example. Excellence simply cannot be achieved "in spite of" the leadership.
5. People Development and involvement
   It has often been said that an organisation's people are its greatest asset, but many don't meet the challenge of utilising this potential in their workforce. People need to be not just used but involved, as they can often if properly developed, help provide many avenues to business excellence. The culture of an organisation is very much down to its people, and the way they perceive the organisation and its management. Mutual trust and trust of management have a very big role to play in the achievement of excellence in any business.
6. Management by processes and facts
   In order to ensure that outputs, whether services or products, are of consistent quality or standard, it is necessary to implement a set of integrated, or systematised processes that are used by the workforce. These need to relate to targets or objectives, and have measurable outputs so that they can be amended or improved upon as necessary. It is important that business processes are not seen as unrelated entities, but are integrated such that a failure or weakness in one area of the business will often have a detrimental impact on another. Processes are improved by utilising measures or "facts", as well as perceptions.
7. Continuous learning, innovation and improvement
   A key fundamental of excellence is to innovate and improve through continual learning and the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge can be about understanding customer needs, quality of products, internal processes, people perceptions and many others. This implies the need for a culture of excellence in any business that wishes to reach the top in its particular marketplace.
8. Public responsibility
   This is possibly the most recent concept but is growing in importance. It can of course include environmental issues, but also how the business is perceived in both the local and the wider community.