Fresh cell cure for the EFQM model
The partnership between SAQ and EFQM has been in existence for 25 years. This anniversary was celebrated on 7 November 2019 during an afternoon event in Zurich. The comprehensively revised EFQM model was also presented at this event.
There were several reasons to celebrate this afternoon in the "Willy G.S. Hirzel" auditorium at the National Museum: on the one hand, the 25th anniversary of the partnership between the European Foundation for Quality Management EFQM and SAQ, and on the other, the fact that PostMail was the first Swiss company to reach (almost) the highest levels of excellence: In Helsinki, PostMail won the EFQM Global Excellence Silver Award. This company was awarded 750 points - a mark that no Swiss organization practicing the EFQM model has ever been able to achieve. Not only for Marco Schöpf, Head of Quality Management at PostMail, was this a highlight of his now 19-year "EFQM career". We will talk about this in the following.
EFQM model: "You have to want it".
SAQ Managing Director Marlyse Roulin began by welcoming the guests to the event. Zurich cantonal councillor Ernst Stocker then addressed the audience. He particularly emphasized the quality of corporate management as an advantage of the location. Afterwards, the "stand-up consultants" Stefan Stahl and Marco Zbinden introduced the topic with a lot of humour, but nevertheless with professional competence: "Excellence - History or Future? All the speakers had their own stories to tell. For example, Dr. Hanspeter Flury, Chairman of the Management Board of Klinik Schützen Rheinfelden AG, a psychiatric clinic with an open structure that was founded in 1982. For years, this organization has been working with the EFQM model and has now achieved the Recognised for Excellence 5 Star level. Hanspeter Flury appreciates this model, but also admits that it is "a model for the top of the company". The quality manager should therefore be a member of the management team. Nicola Pieper, Head of School Development Careum BildungsBildungszentrum, also reported on her company's experience with the model. In particular, she stressed the importance of involving employees in all continuous improvement processes. Another prerequisite, she said, is that leadership must be behind the model. "You have to want it," Pieper said. The Careum Education Center, which specializes in education and training in healthcare professions, also expects the combination of lean leadership with the EFQM model to be another successful stage on the path to excellence.
CIP at all levels - with success
Marco Schöpf then reported on the path he has taken with the EFQM model and ultimately "gilded" with the award mentioned at the beginning. Even if it was "only" enough for silver in Helsinki, the award is more than just satisfaction for him and the PostMail company. After all, it was a rocky road to get there.
Some of Marco Schöpf's key insights: focus on individual criteria, only work with people who are fully behind the model, quickly become concrete when it comes to implementing measures. Continuous improvement processes must also take place at all levels, ideally in combination with Kaizen, ISO 45001 or Lean Management. With regard to lean management in particular, Marco Schöpf recommends starting with this first and only applying the EFQM model later.
More agile EFQM model
Then it was the turn of Russell Longmuir, CEO of EFQM. He provided first-hand information about the EFQM Model 2020, which is probably the most significant reform of the model, the last major adaptation of which dates back to 2013. Although a good 60 percent of the 2013 version has been adopted for the 2020 model, 20 percent has been expanded and another 20 percent is completely new. The revisions were based on feedback from 2,000 people around the world. Together with 60 managers, the changes were worked out in 10 workshops over a period of 12 months. The result is an EFQM model that has been adapted to the changed economic conditions and as such is more agile and less rigid in its handling. "It is now more of a management tool and less of an assessment tool," says Longmuir. After this "fresh cell cure", the EFQM model could now become even more interesting for many organisations that are looking for a holistic implementation of improvement processes.
