Total quality management has become one of the most discussed management concepts in the past decade, as companies focus on perfecting the development, deployment and maintenance of their organisational systems.
While quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement are vital to an organisation, the methods they adopt to ensure their goals are reached are key to raising standards.
This year, four companies achieved outstanding performance during the assessment process of the Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) Quality Award. These are the Gold Award winner, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl); Silver Award winner, BOC Group Life Assurance; Bronze Award winner, Cathay Pacific Catering Services; and the Special Award for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) winner, Uchiya Hong Kong.
'The winners showed us how they position themselves correctly, remain competitive and maintain quality control despite financial difficulties, and under intense competition in their respective industries,' says Professor Matthew Yuen, chairman of the 2010 HKMA Quality Award board of examiners.
The HKMA Quality Award is based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the United States, with seven judging criteria: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. 'Some companies excel in one or two criterion, but this award looks for overall performance excellence,' Yuen says.
Hong Kong faces challenges from the mainland economy, while companies need to maintain a sharp sense of environmental change and stay updated with customer needs.
'Companies that have received the award may be one of the best in their industries, or in Hong Kong,' says Eric Chow, an examiner of the 2010 HKMA Quality Award.