In 2014, EnableComp began a journey with Baldrige Excellence Framework. If you’re not familiar with Baldrige, it’s a National Quality Award for the US started by President Reagan. In the 1980’s, Japan, which had made quality a national priority following World War II, was producing superior products and the US was struggling to complete with them. Malcom Baldrige, who was Secretary of Commerce at the time and for whom the award is named, recognized the US needed to focus on making and providing quality goods and services if it was to compete globally.
Since the Baldrige Award was created, many states, including Tennessee, have adopted the Baldrige Framework and created State Quality Awards. Tennessee’s program called the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE), is recognized as being one of the best in the nation with four levels of recognition. The Baldrige Framework provides all types of organizations the ability to improve performance and obtain sustainable results. The Framework helps organizations do the following:
- Understand what it takes to be competitive and achieve long-term success
- Getting your leaders, managers, and workforce all on the same page
- Ensuring that your employees understand and can contribute to the drivers of organizational success
- Understanding and meeting or exceeding customers’ requirements and expectations
- Ensuring your operations are efficient and lead to short and long-term success
The Framework as shown in the diagram below focuses on seven keys areas that all organizations must do well to be successful.
EnableComp is committed to organizational excellence and is currently a TNCPE level two award recipient. This year, we will apply for TNCPE’s highest level award. Winning the award would be great, but the real benefit is knowing our organization is committed to excellence and continuous improvement.
To learn more about TNCPE and the Baldrige Excellence Framework to begin your own Baldrige journey: https://www.tncpe.org/