Business Excellence and Quality

Paper Summary:

The paper reviews relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning opinions and recommendations for improving business excellence through the pursuit of corporate quality. The paper examines the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model that ensures the customer's opinion of quality remains the focus of the organization. The paper discusses how leadership must commit to a continual evaluation and improvement of the people, products and processes it uses to provide customers with a quality-based experience.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background
EFQM Excellence Model
Small Organizations
Mid-size Organizations
Large Organizations
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"A major factor in a customer's perception of value is the sense of quality they experience. Quality has an impressive lineage dating back to the Pyramids of antiquity. Egyptian builders exemplified many of today's best quality practices: results oriented, customer focused, and constancy of purpose focused on processes and facts. Providing quality products has remained constant through the ages. Medieval guilds produced lasting, reliable products. Their apprentice programs ensured proprietary trade secrets were passed down only to the competent. Strict performance standards were achieved before the title "Master Craftsman" was bestowed. Quality suffered during the Industrial Revolution when lower unit cost became the focus. Then and now, customers demand better quality. Inferior products lose market share. Yet, more than market share can be lost when product quality suffers."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Antony, J. & Preece, D. (eds.). (2002). Understanding, managing and implementing quality: Frameworks, techniques and cases. London: Routledge.
• EFQM Excellence Model 2008, (accessed 2008, February 25) http://www.efqm.org/ Default.aspx?tabid=35.
• Geoenvironmental Research Centre's Briefing Note (accessed 2008, February 29), http:// www.grc.cf.ac.uk/lrn/resources/briefings/PDFs/EFQMmodel.pdf.
• Home Page, (accessed 2008, February 22), http://www.EFQM.org
• Kanji, G. K. (2002). Measuring business excellence. London: Routledge.

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