Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

QUALITY AWARDS AND STANDARDS

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA)

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established in 1987 when Congress passed the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act. The award is named after the former Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige, and is intended to reward and stimulate quality initiatives. It is designed to recognize companies that establish and demonstrate high-quality standards and is given to no more than two companies in each of three categories: manufacturing, service, and small business. Past winners include Motorola Corporation, Xerox, FedEx, 3M, IBM, and the Ritz-Carlton.

To compete for the Baldrige Award, companies must submit a lengthy application, which is followed by an initial screening. Companies that pass this screening move to the next step, in which they undergo a rigorous evaluation process conducted by certified Baldrige examiners. The examiners conduct site visits and examine numerous company documents. They base their evaluation on seven categories, which are shown in Figure 5-11. Let's look at each category in more detail.

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

An award given annually to companies that demonstrate quality excellence and establish best practice standards in industry.

The first category is leadership. Examiners consider commitment by top management, their effort to create ...