Malcolm Baldrige Criteria – A Business Excellence Model

As part of the Quality Excellence journey in organizations in Malaysia, many would not argue that the award scheme introduced by the Malaysian Governemtn Body by far the best and it is at par with the National Quality Award schemes in the neigbouring countries.

The Quality Management Excellence Award ( QMEA) is an example that adopted the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria as a basis for its assessment. The assessment syle is similar to those conducted by the Malcolm Baldrige Assessors with repect to the Baldrige Criteria.

The movement of Quality Excellence Award has taken a big steps to excellent when a seminars organized involved a Malolm Baldrige Assessor, Mr. Paul Steel. The criteria for the Quality Award is benchmarked with the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria as well as the assessment approach. Examples below are evidence of Malaysia’s commitment to the Quality Excellence in the Public and Private sectors.

world class public sector seminar

1. Achieving World-Class Public Sector Excellence Seminar – 10-11 February 2009 Kuala Lumpur
2. Achieving World-Class Education Excellence Seminar – 12-13 February 2009 Kuala Lumpur
3. Paul Steel’s Recent Business, Public Sector, Health Care, and Education Malaysian Seminar and Symposium Links
4. Paul Steel speaking at AHQM International Health Care Conference on the topic of Achieving World-Class Excellence in Health Care – July 2008
5. Malaysian Prime Minister’s Quality Award Ceremony, 28 November 2006
6. Paul Steel Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Speech – Kuala Lumpur, Nov. 2006
7. Shigeo Takenaka – Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Secretary General and Paul Steel at APO Symposium in KL, November 2006
8. Telekom Malaysia Self-Assessment Training Class conducted by Paul Steel – Kuala Lumpur, November 2006
9. Paul Steel with Judges for Malaysia Prime Minister’s Quality Award after conducting MPC Judging Process training, November 2006
10. Paul Steel with the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Planning Group (MAMPU) Kuala Lumpur, June 2006
11. June 2006 MPC ‘Enhancing Competitiveness’ Conference (MPC), Paul Steel, Keynote Speaker and Singapore Quality Award and Malaysian Prime Minister’s Award Winners
12. June 2006 Malaysian Prime Minister’s Quality Award Training (NPC) of National Examiners and Paul Steel
13. June 2005 Baldrige Achieving Excellence Seminar with key Malaysian Executives and Paul Steel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

source: http://baldrige21.com/Baldrige%20INTERNATIONAL/Baldrige%20Malaysia.html

The Quality Awards Scheme has been in Malaysia for quite some years. Engaging a reputed Malolm Baldrige Assessor from the States of America repeatedly since year 2006 is the eveidence of Malaysia’s commitment to the Quality Journey. It has been proven that organization implement the Baldrige Criteria without taking part in the award scheme show tremendous improvement in their business. Those who applied the Baldrige Criteria fully and won the Malcolm Award shown sustainable results over several years.

It is hope that more private sectors join the movement in implemeting the Baldrige Criteria in order to compete with the global competitions.

NIST, the body which oversee the Malcolm Baldrige Award scheme announced in his webpage that Seventy apply for 2009 Malcolm Baldrige Award.

Seventy organizations have taken the first step toward the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest recognition for innovation and performance excellence. Applicants include two manufacturers, four service companies, five small businesses, nine educational organizations, 42 health care organizations and eight nonprofits/governmental organizations.

The 70 applicants will be evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. Examiners provide each applicant with 300 to 1,000 hours of review and a detailed report on the organization’s strengths and opportunities for improvement

Source: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0602.htm#baldrige

From the response of so many organziations, it is obvious that they did it for good deed. First of all, they must have implemented the Malcolm Baldrige Award Criteria vigorously as the criteria is the basis for a Baldrige Assessment. Furthermore, these organizations knew that besides to be awarded the best in their category, they have to exhibit continuous improvement to the Malcolm Baldrige Award Criteria to keep current. They also knew that even they are not awarded the winner, the process of the assessment would bring valuable learning and experience for them to further enhance the implementation of the criteria. The Assessment Report granted at the end of an assessment is a valuable asset to the organizations.

I briefly highlight some key points in the 2008 Malcom Baldrige Award Winner receipients which was announced in a press release on 25-Nov-09. (source: nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/2008baldrigerecipients.htm )

They include:

1. Cargill Corn Milling North America, Wayzata, Minn. (manufacturing)
2. Poudre Valley Health System, Fort Collins, Colo. (health care)
3. Iredell-Statesville Schools, Statesville, N.C. (education)

On a yearly basis, the board of examiners would assessed organizations for their performance excellence with respect to the application of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria. The assessment would be conducted with an evaluation process for each of the recipients included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by a team of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the applications pertianing to how they fulfill the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria.

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program (BNQP) and the Macolm Baldrige Award promote innovation and performance excellence across the country and around the world in a number of ways.
Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence is designed to help organizations of all sectors to improve their business and operations.

To illustrate the acceptance of the Malcolm Baldrige Award program, more than 40 U.S. states and more than 45 countries worldwide have implemented programs based on the Baldrige criteria. It can also be evidence by over 10 million copies of the Baldrige Criteria distributed since 1988, and about 2 million copies are downloaded annually.

Nearly 5,000 public and private-sector leaders, practioners and consultants have served on the independent board of examiners that reviews applications for the Baldrige Award. Each Baldrige Award applicant receives 300 to 1,000 hours of feedback from these experts.

Read more Baldrige Criteria here