2010 has been a tumultuous year on many fronts and the economic recession continues to affect the economy. And yet, for some organisations, the challenges of 2009/2010 have been seen as opportunities and these organisations continue to be successful. This is never more apparent than with the organisations that entered for the 2010 EFQM Excellence Award (EEA), Europe’s most prestigious award for Sustainable Excellence, the highest form of recognition any organisation could hope to receive, discerned from among its own peers and given to the best performing companies and Not for Profit organisations.
In addition to successfully facing the challenges of the recession, the applicants for the 2010 EEA faced the additional challenge of having their performance assessed by experienced teams of EFQM Assessors against the 2010 version of the EFQM Excellence Model. The 2010 EFQM Model was launched in September 2009 at the EFQM Forum in Brussels following a significant review process to ensure that it continued to set the reference point for any organisations aspiring to achieve Sustainable Excellence. While all applicants for the EEA are organisations of high calibre, only a small group are awarded a Finalist distinction and of those organisations entering for EEA 2010 process only 13 were considered by the EEA Jury to be of a sufficient calibre to achieve the status of Finalist.
These 13 organisations, from six different countries, covering Public & Private Sectors, and ranging in size from 30 people to 2,500, represent diverse sectors ranging from Education (3), Facilities Management (1), Healthcare (4) and Hotels (1) through to the more traditional sectors such as the manufacturing, electronics, metals and automotive industries (4).
From this list of 13 outstanding organisations, summarised below, the EEA Jury then considered which ones, if any, were worthy of receiving the accolade of being a Prize winner or indeed the ultimate Award winner.
To be an Award winner in a specific category the Jury must be confident that it has identified an exceptional organisation with excellent and sustainable results across all areas, and one that demonstrates a highly effective, efficient and continually improved management system. Such an organisation is therefore a role model that can be seen as a living, real life example in all dimensions of Sustainable Excellence when assessed against the EFQM Excellence Model. It was the view of the Jury that in the 2010 EEA competition no such organisation reached this pinnacle of achievement.
However, there were five organisations identified by the Jury where one or more of the eight Fundamental Concepts of Excellence embedded in the EFQM Model appeared as a pervasive golden thread which had clearly made an impact on the organisations achieving outstanding and sustainable results. Therefore in these five instances the Jury were delighted to recognise the organisations as worthy Prize winners.
All five Prize winners and eight Finalists received their Recognition on the evening of 5th October in the Palacio Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao, Spain as part of EFQM’s annual Forum.
Click on the name of the organisation to read more on their achievements. (the list is in alphabetical order).
The Schwarz Spa Resort is a private family business, an Alpine Resort located in the Tyrolean Mountains. They are a Finalist.
Bradstow School is a residential special school in the United Kingdom for children with autistic disorders and learning disabilities. They are a Prize Winner in Leading with Vision, Inspiration & Integrity and a Prize Winner in Succeeding through People.
Domino-world provides geriatric caring services. It is a Charitable Society with the full name of “domino e.v. Gesundheits- und soziale Dienste.” They are a Finalist.
Dr. Germain Becker & Associés is a private dental medical practice specialised in orthodontics for adults and children They are a Finalist.
Eskisehir Maternity's Mission is to treat mother and child illnesses, to guide society in this field and as a result to help the growth of healthy generations in Turkey. They are a Prize Winner in Leading with Vision, Inspiration and Integrity.
From around 8,000 students in 1988, LJMU now has 24,442 students studying across its 6 faculties They are a Finalist.
Olabide Ikastola Sociedad Cooperativa, is a Basque school run as a family cooperative. It is a not-for-profit private school, part-funded (grant-aided) by the Basque Government. They are a Prize Winner in Adding Value for Customers and a Prize Winner in Succeeding through People.
Comarca operates within the health sector, forming part of the autonomous public health network of the Basque Country and of the Spanish state. They are a Finalist.
Robert Bosch Fahrzeugelektrik Eisenach GmbH produces sensors and different components for injection and safety systems as well as for engine management and transmission control in the plant They are a Finalist.
Siemens Congleton, based in Cheshire, UK, is an operational manufacturing unit within the global Siemens Industry sector Drive Technologies Division. They are a Finalist.
Stavropol State Agrarian University (SSAU) is a federal state educational institution of higher professional education situated in the town of Stavropol They are a Prize Winner in Nurturing Creativity & Innovation and a Prize Winner in Leading with Vision, Inspiration & Integrity.
VAMED-KMB is one of Europe’s biggest facility management companies providing technical, administrative, and infrastructural services. They are a Prize Winner in Succeeding through People.
Worthington Cylinders produces steel cylinders for a variety of high pressure gas packaging applications They are a Finalist.