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EFQM stands for European Foundation of Quality Management.
EFQM Meaning
As we just discussed, this foundation is for quality management. It the latest version of EFQM, it’s defined that it’s based on seven criteria, which helps in analysing the behavior, thinking, and the culture of organizations.
The overall goal of EFQM is improving the operational performance of companies in different areas and different levels.
Moreover, the model also helps the companies identify areas that they can improve which were not covered previously. And for that purpose, it also provides different tools and techniques so that you can measure the progress over time.
Look, the main thing you should focus here is on building relationship between cause and effect—for instance, companies should analyse and know which of the areas they have done the right way using this method and what results did they eventually get with it, or if there are gaps that still exist that they need to take care of.
EFQM Benefits
Here are the different benefits of EFQM:
- It helps with continuous improvement of companies.
- It can make companies more sustainable and achieve excellence.
- It can enhance leadership skills of the people in management, which also indirectly helps the organizations achieve success.
- It encourages employees to innovate more.
All of it can be done by optimizing resources and focusing on strategically important projects.
EFQM Checklist
Here’s a quick checklist of EFQM:
1. Leadership:
- Is there clear and effective leadership in the organization?
- Are leaders committed to continuous improvement?
2. Strategy:
- Is there a well-defined strategy aligned with the organization’s goals?
- Are strategic objectives communicated and understood throughout the organization?
3. People:
- Is there a focus on developing and empowering employees?
- Are there mechanisms for employee engagement and satisfaction?
4. Partnerships and Resources:
- Are partnerships and collaborations effectively managed?
- Are resources allocated efficiently to support organizational goals?
5. Processes:
- Are key processes identified and documented?
- Is there a continuous improvement in culture in place?
6. Customer Focus:
- Is there a customer-centric approach in understanding and meeting customer needs?
- Are customer feedback and satisfaction regularly measured and analyzed?
7. Results:
- Are key performance indicators (KPIs) defined and monitored?
- Are results compared with industry benchmarks or best practices?
8. Innovation and Learning:
- Is there a culture that encourages innovation and creativity?
- Are learning and development opportunities provided for employees?
9. Social Responsibility:
- Does the organization contribute positively to the community and environment?
- Are ethical practices and social responsibility embedded in the organization’s values?
10. Integration and Deployment:
- Are quality management principles integrated into daily operations?
- Is the EFQM model deployed consistently across all levels of the organization?
What Are the 7 Criteria of EFQM?
The seven criteria of EFQM are the following:
- Leadership
- Strategy
- People
- Partnership
- Processes
- Customer Results
- People Results
What Is EFQM Training?
EFQM training are basically the educational programs and courses that European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) provides.
You can take this course as an individual or an organization if they’re interested in implementing the EFQM Excellence Model and principles in their company.
So, the EFQM is actually a non-profit organization that promotes excellence and quality management practices in various sectors. Let’s understand what exactly the training actually covers.
- It covers in-depth training and understanding of the EFQM excellence model. In this section, you learn about the framework of assessing and improving your organization performance.
- Another thing that it covers is that the participants have to learn about the criteria for excellence, including leadership, strategy, people, partnerships and resources, processes, customer results, people results, society results, and key performance results.
- Coming to self-assessment techniques, the training program teaches you how you can conduct self-assessments using the EFQM models and help your organization identify its strengths and weaknesses, in case there are areas of improvement—which, by the way, are inevitable to happen because no organization is perfect. So, it basically helps you improve your organization as much as possible.
- Other best practices it teaches are that participants can gain insights into best practices and case studies of organizations that have successfully implemented the EFQM Excellence Model.
- Next thing you study here is about continuous improvement—so, you can actually help your company’s culture and methodologies improve. Basically, you can use tools for it and you learn about them here.
- The last thing that we can talk about is assessment and recognition. So, organizations can also receive guidance on how to prepare for external assessments based on the EFQM model, and training may cover the process of applying for EFQM recognition and awards.