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How are the Baldrige Award process criteria beneficial to companies that won the award and
those that do not win? Discuss the criteria’s set to qualify for the award and how these
August 2, 2010
Dr. Daram
MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD 2
How are the Baldrige Award process criteria beneficial to companies that won the award and
those that do not win? Discuss the criteria’s set to qualify for the award and how these
The Malcolm Baldirge National Quality Award (MBNQA) was established in 1987.
The award is intended to improve quality of companies in the United States of America
(USA) and as a reward and recognition for the awarded companies. This award was named
after former Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige and the award was created when the
Congress pass the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act. The award is
broken into three categories covering manufacturing, service and small businesses. Education
and Health Care were added in 1999. The award is to recognize companies that establish and
demonstrate high quality standards and is given to no more than two companies for each
category.
• “helping to stimulate American companies to improve quality and productivity for the
• recognizing the achievements of those companies that improve the quality of their
efforts; and
• providing specific guidance for other American organizations that wish to learn how
to manage for high quality by making available detailed information on how winning
source: http://www.baldrige.nist.gov/Improvement_Act.htm
MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD 3
When companies apply for the Malcolm Baldrige award, they have to go through a
rigorous process with many stipulations for entry. An independent board of examiners
researches the organization and follows specific criteria for this evaluation.
When applying for an award, the organization cannot be doing so just to win, but
needs to buy into the entire philosophy of quality improvement. It is in this way that the
organization will get the most benefit. Total quality improvement will show in all aspects of
primary benefit is an ongoing return on investment (ROI). He said the ROI is possible due to
the fact that, MBQNA enabled them to clean up working processes and making
communication easier by having fewer levels of management thus helping them become
more effective and the employees more productive, which ultimately improves customer
satisfaction. He also added that working towards MBNQA helps BI drive waste out of the
company.
By working toward achieving MBNQA and wining it, it gives the companies a solid
among the companies of same sector. Another great advantage of earning the MBNQA is the
opportunity to meet and share ideas with other Award recipients. From my point of view
achieving MBNQA not only drives an organization to becoming more efficient and quality
MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD 4
focused but it also gives a third-party endorsement to increase reputation and improved
market image.
MBNQA also benefits companies that do not win by giving valuable feedback report
of 50 or more pages noting strengths and opportunities for improvement. The application
feedback helps companies to prioritize scarce resources on the highest leverage areas for
improvement. By having these feedbacks the company knows on its strength and weaknesses
and thus working effectively on the weakness rather than frivolous matters.
Branch-Smith Printing Division, 2002 Award Recipient in Small Business, whom first
“Over the years, we have found one of the greatest benefits of applying is maintaining
and works. It takes a great commitment to remain focused and to recognize that the
implemented.”
This proves that by having a third party feedback, the companies can be more focused
to resolve those identified problems and ensures that all member of the company are
marching in the same directions. As a matter of fact this creates a habitual pattern and can
become the culture of the companies to strive excellence towards quality and customer
satisfaction.
MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD 5
As the Criteria booklet states, the Criteria are designed to help provide organizations
organizational effectiveness and capabilities, and organizational and personal learning. The
Criteria are built upon a set of core values and concepts. These core values are embedded in
1. Leadership — Examines how senior executives guide the organization and how the
organization addresses its responsibilities to the public and practices good citizenship.
2. Strategic planning — Examines how the organization sets strategic directions and
effective use, analysis, and improvement of data and information to support key
5. Workforce focus — Examines how the organization enables its workforce to develop
its full potential and how the workforce is aligned with the organization’s objectives.
governance and social responsibility. The category also examines how the
Each criteria has weighted score and the maximum score attainable is 1000. The
seven criteria’s can be used to assess management system and identify major improvement
are. The model fits well in organization taking continuous improvement philosophy.
MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD 7
These weightage are used by the examiners to determine the companies performance
in each criteria. Applications for the award are evaluated by an independent Board of
improvement from all sectors of the economy. Examiners look for achievements and
improvements in all seven categories of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.
Organizations that pass an initial screening are visited by teams of examiners to verify
information in the application and to clarify questions that come up during the review. Each
MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD 8
Baldrige Award applicant receives a written summary of strengths and areas for improvement
in each area addressed by the Baldrige Criteria. The review process follows up to four stages:
2. Consensus review. If exceed the score set by the Panel of Judges, a team of examiners
discusses each Item during a teleconference to agree upon strengths, opportunities for
improvement, and a score. If consensus score does not meet the next threshold set by
the Panel of Judges, applicant will receive a feedback report based on the consensus
review.
3. Site visit. Applicants that score well receive a site visit from a team of examiners. The
teams clarify and verify the contents of your application and provide a site visit report
4. Judges’ review. The Panel of Judges convenes to discuss each organization that
received a site visit and to identify which applicants, if any, they recommend to
receive the Award. The Department of Commerce has final say on the actual
recipients, which are subject to background checks to make sure they would be fitting
role models for the Award. The examiner team that made the site visit produces a
References
Russo, C. W. (1995). ISO 9000 and Malcolm Baldrige in training and education: a
practical ... (p. 344). Charro Publishers. Retrieved from
http://books.google.com/books?id=jxBKAAAAYAAJ&pgis=1.
Mission and milestone: The Baldrige Award at age 20, July 25, 2010
<http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/5124/baldridge-award>
Malcolm Baldrige Award Presentation - Saint Luke's Hospital July 25, 2010
<www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/.../malcolm_baldrige_award_presentation.htm>