Quality Awards – a Means to an End or an End in Themselves?

Many companies are spending large sums of money and considerable management effort in pursuit of one or more of the recognized quality awards. There are, however, critics who question whether it is all worthwhile. Reviews the experiences of speakers at the BPICS Conference, relating their approaches to and rewards from, BS 5750, the Baldrige Award, the European Quality Award and the UK Best Factory Awards to determine whether the payback justifies the effort. While winning awards is a measure of success, it is recognized as no substitute for achieving both profit and delighted customers. However, it appears that the process of taking part does deliver worthwhile benefits to the companies.