I’m sure you’ve heard about the Malcolm Baldrige Award. Motorola is among its first recipients.
In the U.S., the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has been signed into law in August 20, 1987. Named for Malcolm Baldrige, the award aims to help American companies improve quality and productivity, and recognize their achievements among others.Last month, Dr. David Spong, Vice-Chair of the Foundation, was in the country. He shared his experience in using the Baldrige framework in leading turnaround and sustaining improvements in a complex organization.
Dr. Spong, as he is called, likened Baldrige to a physical exam for the organization. An organization must have this exam regularly to ensure that it’s a healthy one. It lets the organization see specific spots where it needs to improve or work on, whle providing an overall picture of the progress.
When asked, “Would there be any particular initiative that you would recommend in starting off Baldrige?” Dr. Spong replied:
“ISO, Lean, Six Sigma and CMMI are tools… However, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Baldrige on the other hand is a bunch of questions that tells you where you have gaps, where you have opportunities for improvements. Then you will pull out the tools…to address those gaps. So if you need to be ISO-certified, then get yourself ISO-certified. If your production is not efficient, then use Lean. Baldrige helps you decide whether it is a nail or a screw that you will need. Baldrige allows you to look at your organization holistically.
Source: Lopez Link, a monthly publication of the Lopez Group of Companies
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