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Introduction
The EFQM Excellence Model was introduced at the beginning of 1992 as the
framework for assessing applications for The UK Excellence Award. It is the most widely used organisational
framework in Europe where it has become the basis for the majority of national and regional Excellence Awards. This section includes a detailed
description of the fundamental concepts of excellence and the Excellence Model framework.
The need for a model
Whilst Excellence Awards are a focus for some users, the true measure of the Excellence Model's effectiveness is its
widespread use as a management system and the associated growth in the key management discipline of organisational self-assessment.
Regardless of sector, size, structure or maturity, to be successful, organisations need to establish an appropriate management
system. The Excellence Model is a practical tool to help organisations do this by measuring where they are on the path to Excellence; helping
them understand the gaps; and then stimulating solutions.
Self-assessment has wide applicability to organisations large and small, in the public as well as the private
sectors. Increasingly organisations are using outputs from self-assessment as part of their business planning process and use the
Model as a basis for operational and project review. It is not easy to determine exactly how many organisations are currently using the
model, but we believe the number is growing rapidly and exceeds 20,000 across Europe.
A framework for leading-edge thinking
The BQF and the EFQM are committed to researching and updating the Model with the inputs of tested good
practices from thousands of organisations both within and outside of Europe. In this way we ensure the model remains dynamic and in
line with current management thinking. The latest revision was launched in January 2003.
Evidence of the Model's effectiveness
Over the years a number of research studies have investigated the correlation between the adoption of holistic
Models, such as the EFQM Excellence Model, and improved organisational results. The majority of such studies show a positive linkage. One of
the most comprehensive of these was carried out by Dr. Vinod Singhal of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Dr. Kevin Hendricks of the
College of William and Mary. You can access a BQF White Paper ( File Size: 162KB) which summarises and discusses the findings of this study.
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