About the award

The Award

The search for QUALITY has become the single most important force leading to organizational success and growth in both national and international markets in the new millennium. The organizations which will succeed are those that can maintain a dedication to Quality in each and every organizational function.

The Quality Award was first launched in 1991 by The Hong Kong Management Association. With this annual Award, the Association seeks not just to reward, but also bring public recognition to those organizations that have achieved outstanding standards of quality and made a lasting commitment to the process of quality management.

MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, named after the late Secretary of Commerce of the United States, was created by the US Congress in 1987. It is the highest level of national recognition for quality performance and practices that a US organization can receive.
It is intended to spark interest and involvement in quality programmes, drive American products and services to higher levels of quality, and better equip organizations to meet the challenges of global competition.

DEMING PRIZE

The Deming Prize was instituted in Japan in 1951 by a formal resolution of the JUSE (Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers) Board of Directors in grateful recognition of Dr W Edward Deming's friendship and his achievements in promoting industrial quality control.

It has become customary in Japan for corporations intending to improve their performance in products or services to vie for the Deming Prize, not only for the prestige that goes with this honour but also to benefit from internal improvements that result from the implementation of total or company-wide quality control (TQC or CWQC) that is needed in order to qualify for the award.

EUROPEAN QUALITY AWARD

The European Quality Award was first presented in Europe in 1992 to honour the most successful exponent of Total Quality Management (TQM). To receive the Award, an applicant must demonstrate that its approach to TQM has contributed significantly over the past few years to satisfying the expectations of customers, employees and others with an interest in the company.

The purpose of the award is not just to reward commitment in an age of change, but also to bring public recognition to those organizations that have achieved outstanding standards of quality management.

RECOGNITION & PUBLICITY

The Award Presentation Ceremony provides public recognition that the winners of the Award embody a strong commitment in their implementation of quality, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. Winners serve as role models for others in their quest for excellence and may make appropriate reference to their attainment of the award in their marketing effort. Winning the award further increases the morale of the organization and brings prestige to the organization in the community at large.

FEEDBACK REPORT

This Award provides applicants with a golden opportunity to obtain consultation and advice from the most experienced and respected quality experts in Hong Kong. Shortlisted applicants will receive a detailed feedback report which provides a non-prescriptive description of strengths and areas for improvement based on the criteria. Valuable information is provided to help identify and implement improvements and lead to substantial performance improvements.

INTERNAL ANALYSIS

The process of developing an application for the Award yields a number of positive benefits to the applicant. The data gathering and analysis needed to write the Final Written Submission help the applicant identify for itself where its strengths and areas for improvement are. The internal analysis and external feedback can be used together for strategic planning with a focus on process improvement for delivering customer value, improvement of asset utilization and greater productivity.

COMPLIMENTARY TQM WORKSHOP

Applicants are entitled to a 60/90-minute complimentary private workshop on the implementation of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Framework. The session enables applicants to better understand the requirements and respective actions required for each assessment criterion.

·	All information and documents supplied by Award entrants including entrant identities and commentaries developed during the review of entries are kept confidential and will be used only for the judging of the Award.
·	All Judges and Examiners are required to declare in advance to the Award Secretariat any cases or situations which may create any apparent or potential conflict of interest. The Judge or Examiner in question would be barred from reviewing the entries concerned or handling in any manner the materials submitted by the award entrant involved.