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(sub-crit.3b and Fig.1a4) and have participated in Best Practice forums with NfPO on the subject of improvement and improvement tools. Afterattending the learning activity organised by the 400 Club on the Consolidation of Continuous Improvement (presentation on the ContinuousImprovement process given by Copreci, Gold Q Award, 2000), the ASLE continuous improvement process incorporated the idea of proposing an esti-mated time for the improvement to be completed. This gave rise to the identification and applications of solutions in a shorter period of time.Various improvement actions are taken (Fig.5d2) on the basis of customer-related information sources. The effectiveness of these actions is mea-sured through the results presented in sub-crit. 6a. Other improvement actions taken in other management areas are shown in Fig.3b3 and crit.4.

Criterion 6. Customer Satisfaction

6a. Customers' perceptions of the organisation's products, services and relationshipsThe ASLE Vision and BSL state customer satisfaction to be a key aspect of the strategy of the organisation. Comparisons given in this criterion areagainst Organisations of Excellence. Comparative data on customer satisfaction reveal ASLE results to be largely on a par with those of otherOrganisations of Excellence, but with greater sustained growth (Fig.6a1). • Survey on member customers: As has already been explained in sub-crit.5a, the ASLE Mission statement(Fig.0.1) and the macro-process (Fig.0.4) reflect the fundamental importance of member customers. TheWorker-Owner Company is a legal business entity of a singular nature, regulated exclusively in Spain, andrepresented throughout the country by 17 different Associations of Worker-Owner Companies. ANEL(Association of Worker-Owner Companies of Navarre) and ASLE are the only Associations in Spain whichconduct satisfaction surveys on their members, but since none of the survey questions of the twoAssociations coincide, comparative data is not available. Average sector values do, therefore, not exist,except in the case of ASLE itself, so comparison is made with company 3, the Employers' Association ofBizkaia, whose activity is similar to that of ASLE in various areas, and who are members of the group ofNfPO. In 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002, ASLE surveyed its member customers (rating scale 1-5)on their perception of the services being provided for them and their relationship with the organisation.The survey procedure stipulated that the questionnaires be validated by a range of different size compa-nies, from different sectors and geographical locations, to ensure that all relevant areas, both for membercustomers and for ASLE, be included in the survey. Additionally, survey results analysis is performed on thebasis of ensuring a representative sample of responses in terms of company size and geographical location. Though survey format and procedure have been reviewed (Fig.5a2), the item "What is your degreeof satisfaction with ASLE?", fundamental for monitoring trends in customer satisfaction, hasremained unchanged throughout. The response to this question (Fig.6a2) shows very satisfactoryresults for ASLE. The target, in line with continuous improvement, is year-on-year improvement.Comparison with company 3 shows both organisations producing very positive results, though slightlymore favourable in the case of ASLE. Though the survey procedure used in 1996 was reviewed and one new question added in the 1998 sur-vey (Fig.5a2), the same format was used in both years.The questionnaire was composed of 17 questions in1996 and 18 in 1998, distributed over 5 areas(Fig.6a3). The overall results of the first survey pro-duced a mean satisfaction value slightly above 3.1(Fig.6a4). Priority improvement actions were taken inthe following areas: Awareness of the services ofASLE, Accessibility of ASLE technicians, Clarity,Frequency and Usefulness of Communication andTelephone Customer Service (Fig.5d2).The same survey was used in 1998, the results ofwhich are shown in Fig.6a4. In this second survey, thetarget was to achieve a minimum increase of 0.2points in those areas where improvement actions hadbeen taken, and an increase of 0.1 points in all other areas. This target was met. Results showed a positivetrend, the target was exceeded in 14 of the 18 items and the result was minimally negative in only one item,question 9, "speed of response". The decision was taken to take improvement action in this area (Fig.5d2).In 2000, following review of the approach of the customer management process, the member customer sur-vey procedure was reviewed (Fig.5a2), producing a new questionnaire with three questions of differentia-tion (number of employees, geographical location of the company and sector, though results analysisrelative to these aspects revealed no differentiated information) and 20 questions grouped around 3areas (Fig.6a5). With the exception of two questions (16 and 18, Fig.6a5) the questionnaire items werenot comparable to those of the previous survey, so the pursued targets had no relation with those of the previous survey. The overall targetof the new survey was to achieve an average satisfaction value in excess of 3.0, except in the previously mentioned items 16 and 18, for which hig-her target values were set. 90% of average values produced a score greater than 3.0. Results are shown in Fig.6a6. An improvement team was set upto work on items 12 and 15, "awareness of member and non-member services" (Fig.5d2). After sample analysis based on company size to obtain dataon the problem, the team concluded that small-size companies were not sufficiently aware of the services available to them through the Association.The decision was taken to review the catalogue, to include clearer information on the website and to improve ASLE contact with member companies,making better use of the Assembly and of the technical workshops to clarify this matter.Results of the 2001 survey showed considerable improvement (Fig.6a6). The target of the survey was that all items previously scoring below 3.2 shouldraise this figure by 0.3 points, whilst all other items should increase their value by at least 0.1 point. Results in 18 of the items exceeded target values;

1

2

3

4

5

1996 1998 2000 2001 2002

COMPANY 2ASLECOMPANY 1

Fig. 6a1. Comparative data on generalsatisfaction of all ASLE customers.

1

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4

5

1996 1998 2000 2001 2002

ASLE TARGETCOMPANY 3

Fig. 6a2. Overall Satisfaction of mem-ber customers with ASLE.

0

1

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3

4

5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

96 98 TARGET

Fig. 6a3. Member CustomerSurvey Questions 1996 and 1998

COMMUNICATION1. Clarity2. Frequency3. Usefulness and interest4. Awareness of ASLE services5. Up-to-date quality of informationRELIABILITY6. Consistency service requested / serviceprovided7. Ability to meet commitments8. Correct diagnosesRESPONSIVENESS9. Speed of response10. Usefulness of proposed solutions11. Ability to meet deadlinesSECURITY / TRUSTWORTHINESS12. Commitment of technicians13. Confidentiality in ASLE14. Trust in ASLEIDENTIFICATION15. Customised care16. Understanding of customer concerns17. Accessibility of technicians18. Telephone customer service

Fig. 6a4. Member Customer SatisfactionSurvey 1996 and 1998

only questions 3 and 4 failed to meet the target set. In the area of Organisation, improvement was attributable,amongst other reasons, to the fact that ASLE negotiated an agreement for all worker-owner companies throug-hout Spain (not just those of the Basque Country) with the public entity Fogasa, through which debts totallingaround 18 million Euros, derived from loans made byFogasa to companies, were cancelled, and to 18 worker-owner companies being pioneers in the Basque Countryin signing a "Commitment to advance in Total Quality"agreement with Euskalit. In the area of Services, thebilling and collection subprocess was reviewed, produ-cing a change in invoice format with the introduction ofthe Euro and an improved breakdown of relevant infor-mation (sub-crit.4a), ASLE lawyers were provided with amobile phone to make the legal advice service more rea-dily available, agreements with financial entities were re-negotiated and improved to facilitate loan conditions forcompanies (sub-crit.4a), the Economy Club and theWorker-Owner Company Contract were promotedamong companies to help resolve their problems and tostimulate their benchmarking activity, 10 companies obtained ISO Certification, ASLE participation in COANETprovided the knowledge to improve environmental services, etc. In the area of Attitude, technological improve-ment is constantly on-going in ASLE (Fig.4d5) to favour better communication between companies and toimprove services. ASLE was the first business organisation in the Basque Country to be awarded the Silver QAward in 2000.In 2002, though the same questionnaire was used, improvements were made to the survey procedure (Fig.5a2),and the target of improving at least 0.1 points was set for all items. Results have continued to improve (Fig.6a6).In the area of Organisation, ASLE has promoted and signed two programmes with the Provincial GovernmentAuthorities of the Basque Country, through which the figure of the worker-owner company is being promoted (thus strengthening and heightening awa-reness within society of this type of company, as stated in the ASLE Mission and Figs.2c3 and 2c4). Additionally, the constitution of new worker-ownercompanies has been financed, making it easier for newly founded companies to start up their business and contributing to the creation of new jobs(Fig.9b3), ASLE obtained ISO 14001 Certification, bringing together Public Sector Authorities and member companies in the award ceremony held to markthe occasion, and new circulars have been sent out, informing member companies of their entitlement to use ASLE infrastructure in the three provincesof the Basque Country. In the area of Services, the format of circulars has been reviewed to ensure a clearer message, and the remittance system hasbeen updated (50% of circulars are now sent by e-mail, ensuring a faster delivery). ASLE has signed an agreement with the Bizkaia Provincial Government(Programa Premié) to implement new models of business management in small-size companies of less than 50 employees (Figs.2c3 and 2c4), a new sec-tion entitled "The Lawyer Responds" has been included in the magazine Gatza to answer the most frequentlyasked questions, products such as the "Strategy Plan", previously drawn up on a department basis and withfundamentally economic objectives, have been adapted to include aspects of the EFQM model, aspects ofthe Worker-Owner Company Contract have been reviewed, customising it to the needs of each company,the non-member process has reviewed the model of ASLE services offered, incorporating a survey conduc-ted immediately after the service has been provided to take more immediate action on problems, etc. Thecatalogue has been circulated on a wider basis, and improvements have been made to the website. In thearea of Attitude, ASLE has incorporated more management tools to collect more information from its cus-tomers (focus groups, more visits to customers with the participation of all ASLE technicians), and was thefirst Business Association in the whole of Spain to be scored at more than 500 points through externalassessment against the EFQM Excellence Model. In short, results trends in the general areas of Organisation,Service and Attitude are very positive (Fig.6a7). • Post-service survey: the survey conducted immediately after a service has been provided for a non-member. The objective of the survey is to com-plement and build on information from the member company satisfaction survey (sub-crit.5a) by asking the customer for their immediate and per-sonalised opinion of the service given, and to directly establish areas for improvement from this information. Areas covered in this survey include pro-ject quality, the professionalism of ASLE technicians, the quality of the service provided, value-for-money and overall assessment. Data from thesecond half of 2001 (when the survey started) show a satisfaction rating of 4.2. The target for the 2002 surveys is to maintain or exceed this value.• Survey on Public Sector Institutions: In 1996, ASLE decided to survey its Public Sector Institution customers for their degree of satisfaction withASLE services, and drew up a survey questionnaire (Fig.6a8) to be answered by the different areas of Basque and Spanish Administration with whichASLE was working. Though overall results were positive (Fig.6a9), ASLE concluded that a greater effort would have to be made to deliver the companymission and for this to be perceived as such by these govern-ment institutions. In the years that followed, new agreementswere signed and existing ones renewed (sub-crit.1b and 5a),and ASLE was awarded the Silver Q Award. In 2001, the insti-tutional management process team, in collaboration with thecustomer team, drew up a survey procedure and again surve-yed ASLE Public Sector Institution customers. A challengingtarget was set, but the results were more than favourable.• Survey after technical workshop: The mission of theTechnical Workshop sub-process is that ASLE member compa-nies learn from these workshops, so the effectiveness of thesub-process is measured through surveys conducted imme-

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Fig. 6a5. Member customerSurvey Questions 2000, 2001

and 2002

ORGANIZATION1. Representativeness of ASLE before

Public Administration Bodies2. Problem solving capacity before Public

Administration Bodies3. Use of the infrastructure4. Geographical distribution of eventsSERVICE5. Usefulness of circulars6. Interest value of Technical Workshops7. Information on training courses8. Usefulness of agreements with financial

entities9. Support for Quality, environmental

matters and risk prevention at work10. Legal advice11. Information on invoices12. Awareness of non-member services13. Relation range of ASLE services /

customer needs 14. Problem solving15. Awareness of member servicesATTITUDE16. Accessibility of technician17. Accessibility of the General Manager18. Telephone customer service19. Returning customer calls20. Professionalism

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2000 2001 2002 TARGET 00 TARGET 01 TARGET 02

Fig. 6a6. Member Customer SatisfactionSurvey 2000, 2001 ad 2002

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5

ORGANISATION SERVICE ATTITUDE

2000 2001 2002

Fig. 6a7. Results trends inGeneral Areas.

Fig. 6a8. Questions for PublicSector Institutions.

1. Degree of association of the term"Worker-Owner Company" with ASLE

2. Influence of ASLE in the Social Economy3. Influence of ASLE in the business world4. Usefulness of meetings with ASLE5. Fulfilment of acquired responsibilities6. Involvement of ASLE in new ideas/projects7. Capacity to adapt to change8. Overall rating of your relation with ASLE9. Overall Degree of Satisfaction with ASLE

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1996 2001 TARGET

Fig.6a9. Results of survey on Public Sector Institutions.

diately after attending each Technical Workshop. Survey questions cover the applicability of the sub-ject matter in the organisation, the documentation received, and the attitude and experience of the spe-akers. Improvements to documentation (Fig.5d2), the greater experience of the speakers and their trai-ning in public speaking (Fig.3a2), improved technical resources, a new multi-media projector and pro-gramme of presentations (Fig.4d5) are all reasons behind the constant improvement in assessmentratings and the clearly positive trend in the overall degree of satisfaction with the workshops (Fig.6a10).Comparison is made with the group of NfPO since the subject matter of the workshops in question issimilar, though the number of workshops organised by ASLE is significantly inferior (>33%) to the num-ber provided by the other organisations. • Post Assembly Survey: This survey has been conducted since 1999. Results show a highly positivetrend (Fig.6a11). Improvements in each item are attributable to the following actions:1.- "General conditions of the Assembly Hall": the Assembly is held in a different province of the Basque

Country each year. In 2000, there was a problem with the air-conditioning system in the room.2.- "Enrolment for attendance": more people and man hours allocated to this to avoid hold-ups.3.- “General documentation”: area for improvement (Fig.5d2).4.- "General running of the Assembly": new technical resources (company report on video, multi-media

projector) (Fig.4d4).5.- "Overall rating": this question was added as part of the procedure review of 2000. Results show a

very positive trend.Survey target is year-on-year improvement, and that those items scoring 4.0 or above maintain or improve this value.

6b. Additional measurements relating to the satisfaction of the organisation's customers

Attendance at the ASLE General Assembly: ASLE monitors attendance at its General Assembly (Fig.6b1).Over a period of years, the attendance level at the Assembly fluctuated between 27 and 33%. Influencedby the fact that 78% of ASLE member companies are companies with less than 15 employees, and thatpercentage attendance figures at the Assemblies of other peer organisations are around 7%, the target forthis indicator was set at maintaining a minimum percentage attendance figure of 30%. However, in 1999,the attendance figure fell further, and an investigation was launched. The companies not attending theAssembly were identified, segmented by size and geographical location, and asked why they were notattending the annual Assembly. In 90% of cases, the answer given was a lack of time. For the 2000 and2001 Assemblies, all ASLE employees were involved in a follow-up exercise on Assembly attendance (cir-culars, phone calls, etc.), the results of which, as the Board of Directors themselves recognised, were extre-mely positive.Loyalty rate: This indicator measures the percentage of compa-nies leaving the Association against the total number of membercompanies. Experts claim that long-term preservation of a custo-mer-supplier relation is a sign of customer satisfaction; this isclearly the case in ASLE, since dissatisfied member companieswould logically not continue their relation with the Association(Fig.6b2). The target is never to drop below 90%.Length of time as members: This indicator measures how longeach customer has been a member of ASLE. The proportion oflong-serving customers is a measure of customer loyalty. In ASLE,the average length of time as a member is 6 years (Fig.6b3).Customer Management System: direct interface with companies.This indicator measures the percentage level of direct and personalcontact with member companies, apart from the general informa-tion supplied to all of them. The target figure is an annual increa-se of 5% to ensure that ASLE has a direct interface with all itsmember organisations, thus having a better understanding of theirrequirements and needs (Fig.6b4).Occupational Training Process: As has been explained in sub-crit.5a, the customers of this activity are Public Sector Institutions.One of the targets of this process is, through the renewal of agre-ements and/or programmes in which ASLE is involved, to increaseby 15% the number of courses managed each year. Results trends are very positive, with the target beingmet every year (Fig.6b5).New products derived from management of the new product design process (sub-crit.5c)• Economy Club: The Economy Club was created in 1999 with 73 member companies. The target for thefirst two years of its existence was to attract a membership of 35% of all ASLE member companies. Variousimprovements were made in 2000; in terms of individual company data, a standard form of summary wasincluded in the report to enable the Executive Board of the company in question to interpret the data morereadily, whilst the aggregate data (mean figures of all participating companies) were complemented byincluding data from other companies in the Basque Country. Further review and improvements were made

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98 99 2000 2001

TARGET ASLEASLECOMPANY 4 COMPANY 3 COMPANY 5

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Fig. 6a10. Comparative data with NfPO ondegree of satisfaction with Technical

Workshops.

Fig. 6a11. Post Assembly Survey.

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

ASLE COMPANY 6 TARGET

< 2 3 to 6 7 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 19

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

% DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPANY TARGET

Fig. 6b4. % direct contact withmember companies.

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

% ATTENDANCE TARGET ATTENDANCE

Fig. 6b1. Attendance of Companiesat the General Assembly

Fig. 6b2. Loyalty rate.

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

TRAINING COURSES TARGET

Fig. 6b5. Number of coursesmanaged.

% MEMBERS IN ECONOMY CLUB TARGET

1999 (based on1998 data)

2000 (based on1999 data)

2001 (based on2000 data)

Fig. 6b6. Member Companiesinvolved in the Economy Club.

Fig. 6b3. Length of time as a member.

in 2001; on the individual company level, Club members were sent a suggestion questionnaire for them to fill in, whilst comparative data was furtherimproved by including mean value data from companies outside the Basque Country. The results of this initiative were presented in the last twoAssemblies, whilst ASLE technicians have also promoted the benefits of Economy Club membership to encourage benchmarking activities among com-panies. By the third year of its existence, the target was for 50% of ASLE companies to be members of the Economy Club (Fig.6b6). Results have exce-eded this target.• Worker-Owner Company Contract: This product was launched in April 2000. Since then, the original docu-ment has been substantially improved in terms of the terminology used in it, the compensation procedure formember workers approaching retirement, the inclusion of a protocol for the incorporation of new member wor-kers, the preparation of the document of personal membership of the member worker, and consultation withthe Basque Country Tax Offices regarding taxes to be levied on profits, amongst others. All these improvementshave been incorporated to adapt the original product to the needs of each company, with the aim of the con-tract becoming a customised tool for each individual company. The average time required to implement this ini-tiative is 5 months. The target in December 2000 was for 3% of companies to be affiliated, whilst the targetfigure for 2001 was 8%. Results trends in this area are considered highly satisfactory (Fig.6b7).• Quality and ISO: As has been explained in sub-crit.1b, these products are managed by ASLE through theBasque Government PPQIS Programme. 53 companies participated in the 1997/2000 Plan (Fig.6b8), the targetof which was that participating companies should achieve a higher level than that at which they had started(Level 1 being the lowest level, Level 6 being those companies scoring between 300 and 400 points through external assessment against the EFQMExcellence Model, and Level 10 those companies scoring in excess of 700 points through external assessment against the EFQM Excellence Model).Requirements for the new 2001/2004 PPQIS have changed, whereby participants are required to formalise their commitment by signing a "Commitmentto advance in Total Quality" agreement with Euskalit. This agreement takes the form of a commitment to achieving the Silver Q Award within a maxi-mum 4 years. The role of ASLE within this agreement is to drive companies towards this objective. To date, ASLE has brought 18 companies togetherunder this agreement (48% of signatories to date).• The Environment: ASLE has created and developed new environmental products to offer to its member companies to improve their performancein this area, and thereby further improve their level of management. The target in this area is to develop at least one new product per year, up to andincluding 2005 (Fig.6b9). For example, the diagnosis table of legal requirements is a product incorporated in the year 2000, enabling new companiesto progressively improve their performance in this area (Fig.6b10). Level 1 denotes that a diagnosis has been made, Level 2 that an action plan is beingprepared, Level 7 ISO 14001 Certification, and Level 10 EMAS Certification. The target is for those companies driven by ASLE to reach progressivelyhigher levels in this area.

• The time-to-market value for new products is variable, as the products themselves may be adaptations of existing products or new ASLE pro-ducts. Additionally, further training may be necessary for the technicians and a marketing campaign among customers may be required, e.g. theWorker-Owner Company Contract and the Economy Club required 17 and 2 months of preparation respectively, whilst the environmental area took15 months to prepare, etc.

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2000 2001

WORKER-OWNER COMPANY CONTRACTS TARGET

Fig. 6b7. Trend in no. of affi-liates to the Worker-Owner

Company Contract.

1997 1998 1999 2000

LEVEL 1LEVEL 6

LEVEL 5LEVEL 10

LEVEL 4LEVEL 9

LEVEL 3LEVEL 8

LEVEL 2LEVEL 7

Fig. 6b8. Trend in PPQIS 1997/2000.

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Feb. 02

NEW PRODUCTS DEVELOPED TARGET

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 March2002

LEVEL 1LEVEL 6

LEVEL 5LEVEL 10

LEVEL 4LEVEL 9

LEVEL 3LEVEL 8

LEVEL 2LEVEL 7

Fig. 6b10. Development of member companies in the environmental area.

Fig. 6b9. Trend in environmental pro-ducts for member companies

Criterion 7. People Satisfaction

Given that ASLE is the only Association of Worker-Owner Companies which conducts people satisfaction surveys, comparative data with peer organi-sations in Spain does not exist. For comparison purposes in this criterion, data is included from Organisations of Excellence in the Basque Country suchas Gasnalsa and Irizar (both EQA Prize Winners), from the leading companies of MCC (a corporate holding of around 85 Basque Country companies,the leading industrial corporation in the Basque Country and one of the top in Spain) and the NfPO Best Practice Group, in which ASLE participateswith organisations of a similar size.

7a. The people's perception of the organisationASLE conducted company-wide people satisfaction surveys in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002, with a 100% response rate in all cases. The sys-tematic collection of data to enable improvements to be made to people management began as soon as the companybegan to work with the EFQM model, the results of which can be seen in the improvement in the rating for the ove-rall degree of satisfaction (ODS, calculated on the basis of the mean of all the results obtained in the generalsurvey areas), rising from a figure of 2.97 in 1996 to 4.39 in 2002 (Fig.7a10). All ASLE employees were invol-ved in drawing up the questionnaires to ensure that all relevant areas of people satisfaction were addressed(sub-crit.3a). Additionally, all survey results have been analysed in joint meetings of all ASLE employees to decide onpriority action areas. Although the results are systematically segmented by geographical area (the 3 separate ASLE offi-ces), the findings do not reveal any variance attributable to this factor. The first survey was conducted in 1996, con-taining 60 questions spread over 7 areas (Fig.7a1). This coincided with the first steps taken in the deployment of a TotalQuality culture throughout the organisation, as well as the beginning of process management, the training of ASLE

Fig. 7a1. Survey areas1996 and 1998.

1. Social and Working Conditions2. Physical Environment3. Recognition4. Training5. Motivation6. Employee participation7. Attitude

8. Strategy and Planning9. Leadership