In today's highly competitive business world, achieving organizational excellence is crucial for any company that wants to stay ahead of the game. The concept of organizational excellence refers to the ability of an organization to consistently deliver superior results and exceed the expectations of its stakeholders, including customers, employees, shareholders, and society as a whole.
One way that companies can achieve organizational excellence is through the use of business excellence models (BEMs). These models provide a framework for assessing an organization's performance across multiple dimensions, including leadership, strategy, people, partnerships and resources, processes, products and services, and results.
One of the most widely used BEMs is the EFQM Excellence Model. First introduced in 1992, this model has undergone several revisions over the years, with the latest version being released in 2020. A recent paper compared the 2012 version of the model to the latest 2020 version and identified some changes in the model's structure and criteria.
The 2020 version of the EFQM model simplifies the model's structure and integrates the concepts of excellence into all sections of the model. It also replaces the term "product" or "service" with "sustainable value" and concentrates stakeholder perception results into one main criterion. However, the paper also discussed some weaknesses of the 2020 version, including the introduction of a new term "ecosystem".
While the EFQM model is a comprehensive tool for organizations striving for excellence, it is not without its limitations. For example, there is a lack of emphasis on measuring and optimizing the organization's impact on public health, safety, and the environment, as well as a lack of recommended indicators. However, the latest version of the model has increased guidance on creativity and innovation and a focus on obtaining comprehensive stakeholder feedback.
Another concept that is gaining traction in the quality management field is Quality 4.0. This approach combines new technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence with proven quality management methods and tools. Quality 4.0 emphasizes the importance of agile communication and efficient feedback, as well as extensive IT support for the practical implementation of the concept.
While Quality 4.0 presents exciting opportunities for organizations to improve their quality management systems, it also requires significant financial resources and people knowledge to implement effectively. The closed-loop quality management system is proposed as a suitable basis for the sequential implementation of Quality 4.0.
In summary, achieving organizational excellence requires a continuous improvement mindset and a willingness to embrace new concepts and technologies. The EFQM model and Quality 4.0 are two approaches that can help organizations achieve their goals of sustained success. However, both require significant investments and the development of new work positions. Organizations that are willing to make this investment will be well-positioned to thrive in today's rapidly changing business landscape.
Authors
Nenadál, J. (2020). The new EFQM model: What is really new and could be considered as a suitable tool with respect to quality 4.0 concept?. Quality Innovation Prosperity, 24(1), 17-28. https://doi.org/10.12776/QIP.V24I1.1415