Describe each of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1.0 Leadership The criteria in Section 1.0 are used to examine senior-level management's commitment to and involvement in process improvement. Company leaders are expected to develop and sustain a customer focus supported by visible actions and values on their part. This section also examines how the organization addresses its responsibilities to the public and exhibits good citizenship. Subcategories include senior leadership direction, organizational performance review, responsibilities to the public, and support of key communities.

2.0 Strategic Planning To score well in this category, a company needs to have sound strategic objectives and action plans. The examiners also investigate how the company's strategic objectives and action plans are deployed and progress measured. They study the organization's strategy development process, strategic objectives, and action plan development and deployment efforts.

3.0 Customer and Market Focus The third category of the Baldrige Award criteria deals with the company's relationship with their customers. This category focuses on a company's knowledge of customer requirements, expectations, and preferences, as well as marketplace competitiveness. Reviewers also determine if the company has put this knowledge to work in the improvement of their products, processes, systems, and services. Successful efforts in this category lead to improved customer acquisition, satisfaction, and retention. This category clarifies a company's commitment to their customers, an organization's customer and market knowledge, customer relationships, and customer satisfaction determination.

4.0 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management The award recognizes that information is only useful when it is put to work to identify areas for improvement. This category investigates a company's use of information and performance measurement systems to encourage excellence. Performance information must be used to improve operational competitiveness. Performance measurement, performance analysis, data availability, hardware and software quality, competitive comparisons, and benchmarking are encouraged.

5.0 Workforce Focus Within the workforce focus section, reviewers for the Baldrige Award are interested in a company's plans and actions that enable their workforce to perform to its fullest potential in alignment with the company's overall strategic objectives. Employee involvement, education, training, and recognition are considered in this category. A company's work environment receives careful scrutiny in an effort to determine how the company has built and maintains a work environment conducive to performance excellence as well as personal and organizational growth. Also investigated are work systems, employee education, training and development, work environment, and employee support and satisfaction.

6.0 Process Management Within this category, the company is judged on its process management abilities. Companies must provide details on their key business process related to customers, products and service delivery, design, production/delivery, business management, and support processes.

7.0 Results Ultimately, the purpose of being in business is to stay in business. This category examines a company's performance and improvement in several key business areas including customer satisfaction, product and service performance, financial and marketplace performance, workforce, and operational performance. Benchmarking is encouraged to see how the company compares with its competitors. Investigators study customer results, product and service results, financial and market results, workforce results, operational results, and public responsibility and citizenship results.