Is it a conflict of interest for members of the Board of Examiners to work as consultants? No. Members of the Board of Examiners are experts in evaluating performance management systems. They are in demand as speakers, as information resources, and as consultants. These activities serve as a way to make more people aware of performance improvement techniques and the Baldrige Award.

However, since the examiners and judges on the board review applications for the award and are involved in recommending award recipients, precautions are taken to prevent a conflict of interest or even the appearance of conflict. Rigorous rules are followed at every stage of the review.

Primarily, this means all members of the board must abide by a code of ethics requiring, among other things, that they disclose all business affiliations that might create a conflict. In such cases, they cannot review an application, comment on it, or make any judgments that could affect it. It is a violation of the code for board members even to ask for information on applications other than those to which they are assigned.

Other safeguards and checks also are built into the four-step review process. For example, during the first step, each application is evaluated independently by at least eight different examiners. By the time the review is over, some applicants will have gone through over 1,000 hours of evaluation.

Is the number of applications for the award an indicator of interest about quality and the Baldrige Award? The number of applicants for the national Baldrige Award is not an indicator of overall interest in quality or the award program. Interest continues to grow both nationwide and internationally.

For example, participation in state and local award programs has increased steadily. In 1991, fewer than 10 states had award programs. Now, 44 states have or are establishing award programs. Most are modeled after the Baldrige Award, and many organizations opt to compete for them first before considering a Baldrige Award application. Many of the Baldrige Award recipients also have won state quality awards.

Internationally, nearly 60 quality programs are in place. Most have been established within the past several years, and many are based on the Baldrige Award. In Japan, home of the Deming Prize, an award that closely resembles the Baldrige Award has been established.

Also, it is important to remember the award program is much more than a contest. While recognizing organizations that have successful performance management systems is the most visible part of the program, its intent is much broader. Equally important is the award’s role in raising awareness about quality by encouraging all U.S. businesses and organizations to set up performance improvement programs whether or not they intend, or are even eligible, to apply for the award.

How does the Baldrige Award differ from ISO 9000? The purpose, content, and focus of the Baldrige Award and ISO 9000 are very different. The Baldrige Award was created by Congress in 1987 to enhance U.S. competitiveness. The award program promotes quality awareness, recognizes quality achievements of U.S. organizations, and provides a vehicle for sharing successful strategies. The Baldrige Award criteria focus on results and continuous improvement. They provide a framework for designing, implementing, and assessing a process for managing all business operations.

ISO 9000 is a series of five international standards published in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland. Companies can use the standards to help determine what is needed to maintain an efficient quality conformance system. For example, the standards describe the need for an effective quality system, for ensuring that measuring and testing equipment is calibrated regularly and for maintaining an adequate record-keeping system. ISO 9000 registration determines whether a company complies with its own quality system.

Overall, ISO 9000 registration covers less than 10 percent of the Baldrige Award criteria.

Is the Baldrige Award a U.S. version of Japan’s Deming award? The basic purposes of both awards are the same: to promote recognition of quality achievements and to raise awareness of the importance and techniques of quality improvement. However, the Baldrige Award:

• focuses more on results and service,

• relies upon the involvement of many different professional and trade groups,

• provides special credits for innovative approaches to quality,

• includes a strong customer and human resource focus, and

• stresses the importance of sharing information.

Why was NIST selected by Congress to manage the award and what is the role of ASQ? NIST is a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration. NIST develops and promotes measurements, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. NIST was selected by Congress to design and manage the award program because of its role in helping U.S. organizations compete, its world-renowned expertise in quality control and assurance, and its reputation as an impartial third party.

ASQ—the American Society for Quality—assists NIST with the application review process, preparation of award documents, publicity, and information transfer. ASQ is a professional, non-profit association serving more than 80,000 individual and 700 corporate members in the United States and 62 other nations.

1. Руководство (10 %). Оцениваются успехи высшего руководства (top management) в создании культуры качества внутри компании.

2. Информация и анализ (7,0 %). Оцениваются успехи компании в сборе и анализе информации и как эта информация используется для улучшения качества и в планировании качества работы.

3. Стратегия планирования качества (6 %). Оцениваются успехи компании в интеграции требовании потребителя для улучшения качества работы компании.

4. Человеческие ресурсы (15 %). Ревизорами изучается вопрос о том, насколько успешно компания вовлекает своих служащих в работу по улучшению качества и как их знания и опыт используются компанией.

5. Уверенность в качестве товаров и услуг (14 %), обеспечиваемая соответствующим управлением качеством процесса, которое и должно создавать уверенность в качестве товаров и услуг. Оцениваются деятельность компании в достижении хорошего качества всех операций технологического процесса и цель компании в постоянных улучшениях.

6. Результаты качества (18 %). Изучаются успехи компании в работе по качеству и его улучшению, оцениваемые соответствующими количественными показателями качества и подтвержденные результатами измерений.