Invitation to Apply for the Deming Grand Prize
There is a beginning to total quality management (TQM), but there is no end. It continues to grow and develop indefinitely.
In recent years, organizations have recognized more than ever the importance of satisfying customers and employees, contributing to society, corporate social responsibilities and dealing with environmental problems. They are also feeling the impact of turbulent changes in the surrounding environment, such as political and economic developments both nationally and worldwide. To meet the challenges these developments present, organizations are realizing that they need to transform the way they do business through implementing TQM.
Even if an organization has established a sound quality assurance system and has won the Deming Prize, it cannot stand still. In a few years, it will surely need to adapt and transform its quality assurance system to meet new challenges and change the scope and practice of its business. For example, it may need to diversify its products, develop new products or initiate new business altogether. To do this, the organization must continue educating and training employees and developing new employees who have joined the organization since receiving the Deming Prize. It must also develop new managers who have been promoted since the Deming Prize challenge.
To respond to internal and external changes, and to implement TQM more effectively in managing the business, it is extremely effective for organizations that have received the Deming Prize (former Deming Application Prize) to challenge for the Deming Grand Prize. The experiences of past Deming Grand Prize winners clearly establish the merit of the challenge.
By setting the goal to apply for the Deming Grand Prize when organizations receive the Deming Prize, they can expect to prevent their TQM from becoming stale and sluggish. In this way, they can further develop their TQM practices. In fact, Deming Prize-winners are invited to apply for the Deming Grand Prize many times over. Some organizations have even received the prize twice. We are expecting many of the Deming Prize winners to use the challenge for the Deming Grand Prize as a management tool for their continued and focused implementation of TQM.
