The European Quality Award

Companies in the process of implementing a quality system usually need a standard against which progress can be measured. Prestigious prizes and awards have been established in a number of countries accepted as quality world leaders. These awards enable quality organisations to be recognised and more importantly provide firms with a standard to measure how they are developing towards world class. These awards include the Deming prize initiated in Japan in 1951, the Malcolm Baldridge award established in America in 1987 and the European Quality Award (EQA) introduced in 1992 for companies within the European Community. This article is concerned with total quality management (TQM) in industry in South Wales. The authors indicate the requirements of companies aiming for the EQA and report on the findings of a case study. The progress that can be achieved by the consistent and systematic approach of a leadership committed to the fundamental principles of quality is illustrated. The progress of a medium-size South Wales company through the consistent and systematic approach of a leadership committed to the fundamental principles of quality to achieve business excellence is described.