Quality Management Programs: Designed to Increase Competitive Advantage

Total quality management (TQM) programs have been shown to lead to significantly higher levels of organizational performance excellence, increased competitive advantage, and higher profitability. In order to determine if an organization is continuously improving its performance and working toward higher levels of excellence, a program of regular performance assessments is recommended. One assessment tool that has been widely used over the past six years is the survey called "Are We Making Progress", which was developed by the US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The survey consists of 40 questions that ask probing questions in organizational areas corresponding to the seven Baldrige categories: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and business results. In Arizona, 94 of these NIST surveys have been administered to selected organizations of all sizes and from many different sectors of the economy. Taken together, they form a baseline for comparison with survey results of similar organizations.