the uk excellence awards 2015 achievement awards … · is to build it and test it in a laboratory...

WWW.BQF.ORG.UK @THE BQF #BQFBQF MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE AWARDS 2015

THE UK EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2015

How did the big winners and finalists make their mark?

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Which organisation scooped a double victory?

WIN RS ...AND ARETHE NE

4245 - BQF - Winners Conference Ad_A4_AW.indd 1 04/09/2015 15:27

AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk 1

REGULARS4 AGENDA Awards report plus

all the latest news23 RECOGNISED FOR EXCELLENCE A round-up of organisations

achieving R4E 5 stars over the past 12 months

29 NORTH OF ENGLAND EXCELLENCE Partner news updates30 BQF DIRECTORY Training dates and contacts

8 GOLD MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE Healthcare company

GSK is recognised for embedding best practice across the organisation

10 UK EXCELLENCE AWARD Celebrating this year’s

winners and finalists18 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Highlighting excellent

performance across five categories

24 LEAN SIX SIGMA AWARD Two winners have been

named for this year’s award, along with three finalists

27 AWARD ASSESSORS Andy Scott from GSK

talks about his role as an Assessor for the UK Excellence Award

28 GET INVOLVED Outgoing Awards Director

Sally Green reflects on 22 years in the role

AWARDS

Find out which organisations galloped away with top prizesPAGE 10

Take an excellent journey on page 16

INSIDEAWARDS 2015 AWARDS SPECIAL WWW.BQF.ORG.UK

The BQF’s Premier Members access anexclusive range of high-value benefits,including the opportunity to benchmarkand share best practice with many of theUK’s high-performing organisations.

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Editorial Liaison CommitteeAmanda Allbright, Pat Myles, Emily Short, Ian Stokes

Membership enquiries020 7654 [email protected]

Editor Robert [email protected] Editor Fiona [email protected] EditorNicola SinclairDesign Matthew Ball, Alistair McGownSub-editors Andrew Littlefield, Sam BartlettAdvertising Sales Alison [email protected] 946 8708Publisher John [email protected]

ThinkCapital House25 Chapel StreetLondon NW1 5DH020 3771 7200

The BQF is the community for every business seeking excellent insights, tools and experiences to improve itself. A company limited by guarantee and registered in England, no. 2770257.The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the BQF. All information is correct at the time of going to press.© 2015 the British Quality Foundation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole by any means without written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. The publisher accepts no responsibility for errors, omissions or the consequences thereof. ISSN 1460-1095UK Excellence is published four times a year and is printed on an environmentally friendly FSC/recycled paper produced from sustainable forests and PEFC approved pulps.

Achieving excellence is neither a quick nor an easy undertaking. It requires a long term commitment by an organisation to constantly improve everything that it does. The fruits of this commitment will be better leadership, more engaged staff, improved processes, happier and more loyal customers and,

ultimately, better results across the board.Organisations that enter the UK Excellence Award and the

British Quality Foundation’s other awards are already on that journey. They are committed to continuous improvement and provide outstanding examples for others to follow. They are the organisations that are most agile and best equipped to deal with the increasing pace of change in modern business life.

I send my congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists and wish you every success on your continuing excellence journey. I hope that you all have a most enjoyable and rewarding evening.

They are the organisations that are most agile and best equipped to deal with the increasing pace of change in modern business life

A worthy celebrationHRH The Princess Royal congratulates this year’s winners and finalists

WELCOMEAWARDS 2015 AWARDS SPECIAL WWW.BQF.ORG.UK

HRH THE PRINCESS ROYALPatron of the British Quality Foundation

HRH The Princess Royal at the 2014 UK Excellence Awards ceremony last October

AGENDADIRECTOR GENERAL FOR BQF // THE ROAD AHEAD WITH VOLKERWESSELS AND GALLIFORD TRY // SUN CHEMICAL AND BARCLAYS ON THE RISE // THALES ON THE RAILS // SKANSKA APPOINTMENT// ROYAL MAIL & CAREER READY TIE-IN

4 AWARDS 2015

www.bqf.org.uk

BQF appoints first Director General

ABOVE: An excellent attitude led Team Sky to victory

Russell Longmuir steps in to take on new role

In July, the British Quality Foundation announced its first Director General. Russell

Longmuir joins from KPMG, where he was a lead partner in the Operational Transformation consultancy team.

He has extensive experience leading transformation and change projects for companies across the globe, having also lived and worked in Australia, Japan and the USA.

A MESSAGE FROM RUSSELL

Excellence is not a destination, it is a journey and a continuous one at

that. After Team Sky, one of the world’s most successful cycling teams, suffered disappointment during the 2014 Tour de France, Performance

Director and coach Sir David Brailsford was not satisfied. He told his senior team on the journey home from Paris: “This isn’t good enough, this isn’t excellent. And excellence is what we are supposed to be all about.”

Sir David’s team went on to make an incredible comeback and won this year’s Tour de France. To me, this attitude is the epitome of what we celebrate at the UK Excellence Awards. His story testifies that even a win is not the end of the excellence journey, but a celebration of continuous improvement.

To achieve excellence you have to listen to and collaborate closely with your people, suppliers, stakeholders and

customers, so it is important that we celebrate success with everyone involved. Participation in the Awards demonstrates commitment to performance improvement and the UK Excellence Awards are an ideal opportunity to celebrate and offer encouragement and recognition.

After only a few months as BQF Director General, I have been delighted to meet many CEOs of our members and prospective members, and to identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration. I am excited to bring my experience from my past roles in consultancy and banking from across multiple countries and meld it with everything that is good about the BQF as we continue on our own improvement journey. It is important, too, to recognise our contribution to performance improvement across the UK. As an organisation that does not distribute profits, we are constantly looking at new ways to reinvest any surplus revenue into the organisation to make further improvements and provide even better services and value for our members.

I offer huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners and finalists named at the UK Excellence Awards Ceremony. In this issue we hear from our Gold Medal Winner, GlaxoSmithKline, about its excellence journey with the BQF. This year’s UK Excellence Award Winners, Bishop Burton College and Ricoh UK, talk about how the EFQM Excellence Model has helped them to realise their potential for success.

We also look at the winners of the Achievement Awards and Lean Six Sigma Award who share insights from their improvement journeys.

All the entrants have done fantastic work and we hope their inspiring stories will give you ideas for how to take your own organisation to the

next level.‘‘

‘‘

Four London Underground lines to get systems upgrade

Transport for London has awarded electronic systems company

Thales a £760m contract to modernise four London Underground lines – including the oldest part of the network, constructed in 1863.

Signalling and train control systems will be upgraded on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines, which carry 1.3 million passengers a day.

Patrice Caine, the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “Future travellers on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines will

experience faster journeys, reduced overcrowding and increased service reliability. Once completed, 60% of the London Underground will have been modernised using Thales signalling technology.”

Thales said the contract would create up to 1,100 jobs. Work is due to begin at the end of the year.


2015 UK Excellence Award Ceremony honours the great

Organisations in the fields of banking, manufacturing, fire services, forensic science,

transport and charity were among the winners at the 2015 UK Excellence Award Ceremony, which took place at the InterContinental London Park Lane on 15 October.

In its 22nd year, the ceremony was hosted by businesswoman, author and columnist Karren Brady CBE. Live entertainment was provided by The Chance Band.

The number and variety of organisations entering the Awards hugely impressed the judging panels, and the winners and finalists reflect the diversity of businesses nationwide that have engaged with the issue of excellence.

The Awards are an important date in the UK’s business recognition diary and are open for all organisations to enter, regardless of size.

THE BQF AWARDS■ UK Excellence Award – national recognition of organisations that have excelled in a rigorous EFQM Excellence Model assessment. ■ Achievement Awards – celebrating those organisations that have brought innovation to a part of their business. ■ Lean Six Sigma Award – recognising the projects that Lean and Six Sigma teams have delivered to customers and stakeholders.■ Gold Medal for Excellence – awarded by the BQF Board to an organisation that has demonstrated sustained excellence over a number of years.

Celebration of excellenceABOVE: The ceremony took place at the InterContinental London Park Lane

Hammersmith station

Thales scoops £760m Tube modernisation contract

FOLLOW THE BQF ON TWITTER

@TheBQFis our official Twitter feed, and is a good way to keep up to date with our latest news.

VolkerWessels paves the wayPlans revealed for greener alternative to asphalt

Construction firm VolkerWessels has unveiled plans for PlasticRoad: a

recycled plastic road surface that requires less maintenance than asphalt and could potentially withstand greater extremes of temperature and weather.

It can be constructed in a matter of weeks, offers quieter driving and has three times the lifespan of its asphalt counterparts.

Rolf Mars, the Director of VolkerWessels’ roads subdivision, KWS Infra, said: “It’s still an idea on paper at the moment. The next stage is to build it and test it in a laboratory to make sure it’s safe in wet and slippery conditions, and so on.”

The Netherlands could be the first country to adopt PlasticRoad, as Rotterdam city council has shown considerable interest in piloting the new surface.

Galliford Try wins technology-infused motorway contract

A £1.55bn contract to deliver Highways England’s Smart Motorways programme

has been secured by Galliford Try in a joint venture with Costain.

The programme is a huge undertaking, with an aim of adding 292 miles of extra lanes to motorways. The scheme will involve hard shoulders being converted to traffic lanes, which will utilise ‘smart’ elements including signage and technology to inform drivers of optimum driving speeds, lane closures and incident information.

Work will begin this autumn between junction 19 and junction 16 of the M1, Northamptonshire, and is expected to cost £65m.

The partners will work on another two developments beginning in 2016: the M1 between junction 24 and 25 in the East Midlands and the M1

junction 13 to junction 16 in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, at a combined value of up to £302m.

The Executive Chairman of Galliford Try, Greg Fitzgerald,

Moving traffic into the smart lane

ABOVE:Hard shoulders will become traffic lanes with ‘smart’ elements

6 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk

tonnes of material excavated during the construction of Crossrail, and 98% of it will be reused7m

AGENDA

Look hues talking

commented: “Our highways business continues to go from strength to strength and the highways sector will be key for us over the next few years.”

Barclays reports healthy growthBank reports six-month pre-tax profits of £3.1bn

Barclays announced a substantial increase in profits in the first half of 2015 to June, with statutory

pre-tax profits of £3.1bn – up 25% on the same period last year. Profits increased by 4% in the retail and corporate bank to £1.5bn, and by 4% in Barclaycard to £795m.

Executive Chairman John McFarlane said: “I am personally pleased with recent progress in the investment bank. It has generated a double-digit return in the first half, and the challenge for the team is to convert this performance into sustainable economic returns through subsequent periods.”

Sun Chemical spreads its wings with acquisition

The world’s largest producer of printing inks and

pigments, Sun Chemical, has purchased Reading-based manufacturer Kingfisher Colours, which produces decorative

make-up colours for the cosmetics and personal care industry.

Myron Petruch, Sun Chemical Performance Pigments President, said: “The addition of Kingfisher’s diverse, high-quality product lines and specialised tailor-made products will further expand Sun Chemical’s cosmetics and personal care product offerings globally. Sun Chemical has experienced tremendous growth in the global cosmetics market, and this acquisition will help us grow quickly into this strategic market and enable us to better serve our customers.”


1 3

➊ CALIFORNIA Internet and technology giant Google announced that it will be restructured under a new umbrella organisation, Alphabet.

➋ HWANGE The death of Cecil the lion brought global attention to the legal and illegal business of lion hunting in some African countries.

➌ BEIJING China devalued the yuan by 1.9% against the dollar, in a move that is likely to help the country’s exports and support its economic growth.

2

WORLD NEWS BRIEF

CITY AMUK exports hit by strong poundThe UK’s trade deficit widened in June as the strong pound hit exporters – although the £1.6bn figure was still much lower than March’s six-month high of £3.2bn.

Exports fell £300m to £24.9bn, while imports rose £500m to £34.1bn, according to the Office for National Statistics.

As the eurozone continued to feel the heat from the Greek crisis, exports to the region rose 0.2% on the previous month, rising 1.9% quarter-on-quarter.

REUTERSUK July food sales soggyBritish retail spending grew at a slower annual rate in July after recording some of the fastest growth in two years the month before, as wet weather caused Britons to put their barbecue plans on hold. The British Retail Consortium, an industry body, said retail spending increased by 2.2% year-on-year last month – near its long-run average – after rising 2.9% in June.

Food sales suffered a rare fall, as wetter weather than in 2014 knocked back spending on barbecue items.

TELEGRAPHHouse prices continue to riseLloyds Bank estimates that 155,000 Britons moved house in the first half of the year, down from 171,700 in the same period of 2014 and fewer than half the 327,600 who moved when the market peaked in the first six months of 2007.

There is still strong demand in the market – house prices rose 6% over the past year to a UK average of £261,524 for those moving house.

HEADLINES

Royal Mail and Career Ready deliver career support to students

Royal Mail will help students prepare for the world of work in a new partnership with

Career Ready. Experienced staff are being given

the opportunity to become mentors through Career Ready’s structured programme for 16 to 19-year-olds, which integrates with the students’ school or further education

coursework. Mentors will be assigned to a student who they will meet up with over a 12-month period.

They will offer insight and advice on adjusting to the workplace, making informed decisions about their future careers and building on their employability talents.

Royal Mail aims to involve 50 employees across the country in the first year of this new partnership, with mentoring sessions beginning in January 2016.

Opportunities knockABOVE:Royal Mail staff, like this postwoman, will advise students on employability

Skanska UK fills key roleAdam Crossley appointed to new director position

Environment and community investment activities at Skanska UK are now under

the leadership of Adam Crossley, who took up the position of Director of Environment in August.

Crossley joined the business in 2007, and for the past two years has been operating as Business Transformation Director in Skanska’s utilities business.

The appointment further demonstrates Skanska’s commitment

to nurturing talent and promoting from within. Crossley takes over from Jennifer Clark following her promotion in April this year to Senior Vice-President, Sustainability, for Skanska’s worldwide operations.

Roger Bayliss, Executive Vice-President, Skanska UK, said: “Adam brings broad industry experience and a unique perspective, having set up his own charity, the Sophie Hayes Foundation, in his personal life. I very much look forward to working with Adam over the coming years as we continue to drive our sustainability journey.”

ABOVE: Adam Crossley, Director of Environment at Skanska UK

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8 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk UK EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2015

GOLD MEDAL WINNER GSK

GOLD MEDAL

WINNER

When it comes to evaluating business performance, we have a vast array of

information at our fingertips: quality metrics, rich data, statistical analysis tools and productivity charts. Yet essential as these tools are in maintaining a rigorous approach to excellence, they’re only one part of the story. The excellent organisations featured in these pages are diverse, but they share at least one important feature: that a business is only as good as its people.

This year’s BQF Gold Medal Award Winner, GlaxoSmithKline, not only recognises the importance of ‘human excellence’ but positions it at the centre of its quality journey. “Human factors is the scientific discipline that seeks to understand how humans interact with systems,” explains Julie Avery, Quality Executive at GSK.

“Historically, GSK has a depth of expertise in human factors in safety investigations, yet our quality investigations used to place more emphasis on human error. Now, with a change in mindset, the focus of these investigations is understanding dynamics or factors in the workplace, job or task that have led to mistakes. Human error might be the direct cause of an incident, but what was the root cause? Our human factors approach looks at the what, when, where and how of an incident, instead of the ‘who’. This gives a greater opportunity to prevent mistakes reoccurring.”

Yet how can a company with a proclaimed mission of ‘zero defects’ embrace a problem-solving culture

The 2015

BQFAwardsWe celebrate the

winners and finalists of the 2015 Award schemes

Now in its 22nd year, the BQF’s Awards programme continues to attract an incredibly high standard of organisation from a diverse range of sectors. Their stories are inspiring and offer up many unique and innovative ideas to drive excellence in your own organisation.

Over the next 19 pages we profile the winners and finalists, honouring their achievements and looking at the journey they have embarked upon to get there.

The Gold Medal for Excellence this year recognises an organisation for which accuracy is crucial. We find out how it works towards a goal of ‘zero defects’ by putting its people first.

This year’s UK Excellence Award once again has two winners and two finalists with their own great approaches.

We look at the winners and finalists of five Achievement Awards recognising excellence in the categories of customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, leadership and sustainable future. We also profile the two winners of the Lean Six Sigma Award, along with the three other finalists.

Andy Scott of GSK explains the benefits of being an Award Assessor, and outgoing Awards Director Sally Green outlines the importance and value of the Excellence journey and Awards process. →

Global healthcare giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is enhancing its approach to quality by looking at the world through the lens of human experience. UK Excellence finds out more

Excellence: the human factor

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“Our mission as a company is to enable people to do more, feel better and live longer”JULIE AVERYQuality Executive, GSK

UP TO SPEEDGSKGSK is a science-led global healthcare company. It researches and develops innovative products in three primary areas: pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer healthcare. GSK has commercial operations in more than 150 countries, a network of 84 manufacturing sites in 36 countries, and large R&D centres in the UK, USA, Spain, Belgium and China.

human factors are crucial: “You can put all the right frameworks in place but at some point you still need an artwork operator to do his or her job with skill and attention,” says Sebastian. “The quality mindset is really important in helping us to create an environment that’s conducive to concentration. The Excellence Model gives us a structured, disciplined method to make sure that everything we do links back to the operators themselves. At the end of the day, their attention to detail will have a direct impact on whether an elderly patient is able to read the directions on their respiratory kit, or a mother can understand the correct dosage of Panadol for her child at two o’clock in the morning.”

To that end, employee training at GSK is strongly rooted in the company’s values of patient focus, respect for people, integrity and transparency. This is particularly evident in its highly regarded apprenticeship programme, which currently has 250 apprentices working across the world. “We realised that many of our talented engineering managers came through the apprenticeship route, and their fundamental understanding of their industry and their focus on the patient earned them great respect,” says Laurianne Griffiths, Early Talent Programme Manager.

With this in mind, GSK has extended the apprenticeship programme to cover 13 disciplines, all of which offer a high standard of technical training combined with an open and reflective working culture.

Laurianne says: “The company values are built in throughout the apprenticeship programme. For example, our final project this year was to design medical innovations for injured ex-servicemen and women in conjunction with Help for Heroes – highlighting the person at the end of the supply chain.”

Julie adds: “Our mission as a company is to enable people to do more, feel better and live longer, and we use all the tools available to us to ensure patients have the high-quality medicines they need, when they need them, wherever they are in the world.”

for, and the best way to work towards this goal is to view every defect that does occur as an opportunity to learn,” says Julie.

HOLDING UP A MIRRORGSK’s human factors approach is rigorous, starting with analysis work to understand how organisational/environmental factors, job or task design, or individual factors have combined to create the opportunity for error. It then applies CAPA methodology: taking corrective action (CA) to sort out the mistake and preventative action (PA) to ensure it won’t be replicated elsewhere. Julie says: “It’s all too easy to make judgements with the benefit of hindsight, but the right thing to do is to hold up a mirror to your working environment and recognise why people make the decisions they make.”

In that sense, the EFQM Excellence Model has an important role to play in human factors. “The Model provides the framework for driving and enabling business excellence,” says Sebastian Muir, Operational Excellence Regional Service Centre India Director in the Pack Artwork Shared Service (PASS) Division.

A trained BQF Assessor himself, Sebastian has used the Excellence Model for five years to shape strategy, leadership and processes within this important business unit. “We’re responsible for the packaging, leaflets and artwork of every GSK product you see on the shelves. Our products are heavily regulated so there’s a rigorous quality procedure in place, and information such as the list of side-effects has to be 100% accurate. These leaflets can be long and provided in multiple languages, so a simple typo or missed page can have major consequences.”

PATIENT FOCUSThe Excellence Model is applied in GSK’s three PASS studios in the UK, Italy and India. It has helped the company to develop standardised software, a sound workflow-management system and a focused leadership programme.

Yet here as much as anywhere,

Excellence: the human factorRigorous quality

procedures are in place for every GSK product

that is, by its own definition, ‘humanistic, systemic and non-judgemental’? The answer is surprisingly pragmatic: by accepting that mistakes can happen, and understanding why they do. “Zero defects is an important goal to strive

“Our human factors approach looks at the what, when, where and how of an incident”

10 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk UK EXCELLENCE AWARD

WINNER BISHOP BURTON COLLEGE

Four years ago, specialist land-based college Bishop Burton triumphed at the BQF Awards, taking home

the prestigious UK Excellence Award in recognition of its inspirational working culture. For its Principal, Jeanette Dawson, the EFQM Excellence Model is like an old friend – a tool that has shaped her professional practice for years. With such a track record, you might think that Bishop Burton would be

“I’ve been using the Model for decades and I firmly believe that it’s not something you should dip in and out of”JEANETTE DAWSONPrincipal, Bishop Burton College

tempted to take its foot off the gas – but you’d be wrong.

“Winning the 2011 UK Excellence Award was a fantastic affirmation of our strengths, but we always intended to build on these, not rest on our laurels,” says Jeanette. “I’ve been using the Model for decades and I firmly believe that it’s not something you should dip in and out of. You have to be consistent in measuring improvement. The feedback from the assessment

process itself is enormously valuable, and we were determined to use it to make sure we continued to be fleet of foot and ready for the next challenges we faced.”

Indeed, this aspiration was put to the ultimate test in 2012, when Bishop Burton instigated the acquisition of Riseholme College in Lincolnshire – a process described by Ofsted inspectors as having been ‘expertly managed’. “To do the acquisition we had to be confident in

How does your agricultural college grow?

The EFQM Excellence Model is a robust framework and a prestigious symbol of business quality. Yet it’s also a highly pragmatic tool to shape organisational behaviours, as Bishop Burton College shows

WINNER

UP TO SPEEDBISHOP BURTON COLLEGELocated just outside the town of Beverley in East Yorkshire, Bishop Burton College is the only college in the UK to hold Centre of Vocational Excellence status in both agriculture and equine. The college has more than 4,000 students and its main campus is home to a 360 hectare mixed farm, which includes a Freedom Food-assured high-welfare pig unit, dairy parlour, beef unit and sheep facilities.

The equine unit is approved by

the British Horse Society


The concept of a values-driven organisation is an appealing one, but there’s a sound commercial principle underpinning it. At the time of the acquisition, the recession was in full force and colleges (good-humouredly described as “the Cinderella of education” by Jeanette) perhaps felt the pain more than universities and schools. “Every now and then you get what we call the perfect storm, where everything seems to come at once, but that’s when our values prove their worth,” says Jeanette. “You might ask, ‘you value respect – so what?’ but genuine respect for your staff leads to strong communication, professionalism and ethics, which in turn wins the trust and confidence of your people and customers. You have to be willing to show that when the going gets tough, you’ll roll up your sleeves.”

managing change,” says Jeanette. “There was no temptation to be blasé about taking such a big step –we used the Business Excellence frameworks for our change management planning.”

Far from offering a step-by-step handbook to managing change, it was actually the broader strokes of the Model that provided just the right level of support.

“What’s fantastic about the Model is that the principles are consistent across all excellent organisations, but it’s never prescriptive,” says Jeanette. “We have a sense that it’s our culture, our model, our ethos. It provides a tool to help fine-tune all aspects of your organisation and create an identity.”

An immediate challenge for the leadership team was merging two organisations with very different internal cultures. So was there a feeling of trepidation about taking on an institution that might not immediately complement Bishop Burton’s individual pursuit of excellence? “Of course,” says Jeanette. “That’s exactly why we needed the Model as a quality improvement tool. The incoming staff had a very different previous experience of management and strategy so it was very important to handle that sensitively.

“I have always said that the number one important thing in business is people – if you get that right, everything else will flow. We focused on doing right by staff.”

The Balanced Scorecard provided a useful tool to help staff visualise the new operating culture, and it quickly opened up a dialogue with the new teams around innovation in sustainability, research and people. Yet while the Model acted as a guide through the change management process, Jeanette was never tempted

to plaster it on the walls. “I don’t believe that policy is anything other than top down – as a leader it’s up to me to have the courage of my convictions and people have to be able to believe in that. I don’t think you need to make the Model explicit to achieve that. There’s so much common sense in it that people readily understand when they see it in action.”

Similarly, while the college prides itself on being a values-driven organisation, Jeanette is pragmatic about what that means. “Anyone can come up with a snappy list of values, but expressing them isn’t really the point – it only means something when it’s evidenced in behaviours. So we recruit to them, performance manage to them, create partnerships to them – they have to be shared across the board.”

How does your agricultural college grow?

→ Bishop Burton:

a pocket prospectus

AGRICULTUREWith its own farm, the college offers hands-on experience for students of degree programmes and shorter courses.

CONSTRUCTIONA purpose-built workshop, wet and dry plastering bays and areas for setting out brick work are available for students.

ENGINEERINGA new Technology and Skills Centre incorporates virtual technology, satellite precision technology and much more.

Sample three of its 18 areas of study

ABOVE:Olympian cyclist Sir Chris Hoy made a surprise visit to Bishop Burton College last year to give out prizes


WINNER RICOH UK

This time last year, Ricoh UK had earned the nickname ‘agile giant’ in recognition of its ability to meet change

with innovation. Part of global technology firm Ricoh Family Group, Ricoh UK had taken major expansion, brand consolidation, workplace transformation and service diversification in its stride. One year on, the company once again finds itself a finalist for the UK Excellence Award, but this time it’s upped the ante.

“Last year, the EFQM Excellence Model helped us through some major business transformations,”

recalls Mike Baddeley, Head of Business Excellence. “We were delighted and proud to achieve 600+ points from BQF Assessors, viewing it as an indication that we were doing the right things. From that point on, the Model became a tool to help us reassess what we want to do next.”

DOUBLE THE SERVICE The answer came in the form of a challenge: to drive towards a service-based business by doubling the number of service lines available to customers. Mike explains: “We’re given our strategic direction by our parent company in Japan, which sets

a medium-term plan every three years. Our target for 2014–17 is to support the increase in our service lines from four to eight. Increasingly, our customers have complex challenges relating to people, working culture, business and processes.”

EARLIER INTERVENTION “For example, in the past, a customer might identify an issue with the way in which paperwork is filed in their business. They would investigate the problem and define a solution, then Ricoh UK or a competitor would provide a suitable product, such as a scanning and archiving solution.

As Ricoh UK reinvents itself as a service-based business, UK Excellence discovers how the EFQM Excellence Model is supporting the journeyWINNER

UP TO SPEEDRICOH UKDocument solutions and IT services are the core of Ricoh UK’s work, forming an important part of the global Ricoh Family Group. It has more than 2,800 employees in the UK, including 1,200 service engineers and support staff, and a UK-based call centre.

From supplier to partner

Ricoh UK’s interactive blackboard can be a brilliant tool for any learning environment


“Employee engagement is critical in moving to a service business”MIKE BADDELEYHead of Business Excellence, Ricoh UK

a service business,” says Mike. “The Model helped us to identify a number of areas for improvement. In the past year we have enhanced our Employee Engagement Index and taken a whole new approach to leadership based on a four-tier structure. We’ve also taken part in benchmarking exercises to maintain and improve on our business agility.”

ONE CUSTOMER VOICE To support its people in delivering the new service lines, Ricoh UK launched One Customer Voice, a 12-month development programme that will deliver an important shift of perspective.

“Historically we had specialist account managers working with customers, for example experts in print services,” explains Mike. “Now we need sales people who can engage with the customer and understand the depth and richness of their business. Once they have a full picture of their business challenges they can use the eight service lines as a menu card to deliver a bespoke solution.”

This overarching vision is critical to Ricoh UK’s success as a service business, and it’s also what makes the Model a perfect companion for the road ahead. “It’s about having a holistic picture of the business and using that to move forward with confidence,” says Mike.

In today’s market our customers have more complex needs and require an earlier intervention from us to help to find the solution. Strategically, this is recognition of a growing trend at B2B level to move from the customer/supplier model to a trusted partner.”

Prior to 2014, Ricoh UK operated four service lines, namely: Production Print, Managed Document Solutions, IT Services

and Outsourcing. Under the new model, IT Services will expand to include Infrastructure Services, Application Services and Communication Services.

OFFICE INNOVATION Building on its own experiences devising highly innovative offices under its New Ways of Working project, Ricoh UK will also now offer Workplace Services, delivering everything from initial audit to design and installation of technology. Further service additions include Sustainability Managed Services and an expanded outsourcing operation, entitled Business Process Services.

At the heart of all this is the recognition that customers need a trusted partner with a breadth of knowledge and a proactive approach to solving their business needs. Yet what sets Ricoh UK apart from its competitors is its ability to ‘walk the walk’ as well as ‘talk the talk’.

“Our New Ways of Working programme started off as a pilot project to renovate our new head office, and became a highly successful ‘smart office’ concept, combining open plan, flexible workspaces with state-of-the-art Ricoh technologies,” says Mike. “The smart office was about embracing changes to working patterns, for example by having the infrastructure in place to support mobile working. We learned that technology doesn’t make change; it’s just an enabler. What creates change is the adoption of the solution. Ultimately people’s behaviour drives the biggest impact.”

PROJECT MERCURY Building on New Ways of Working, Project Mercury challenged the business to look at business travel from a sustainability point of view, and resulted in a 5-8% reduction in business travel.

Of course this shift in the business relationship does not happen overnight, and it’s only achievable if the right foundations are in place – particularly, the people. “Employee engagement is critical in moving to

→ Working for you

MULTIFUNCTION PRINTER (MFP)Scan documents and send them to yourself by email, password-protect your printouts and more

PRINTERSmaller offices often need simpler printing solutions – Ricoh UK can help you assess the merits of its varied range

INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDBring your presentation to life and annotate your slides on the fly – this will keep your audience attentive

Ricoh UK offers a range of products and services to streamline

and invigorate the modern office

ABOVE:Ricoh’s head office uses a ‘smart office’ concept, combining open plan, flexible workspaces with state-of-the-art Ricoh technologies

From supplier to partner


FINALIST SIEMENS

UP TO SPEEDSIEMENSSiemens is a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource- saving technologies, it is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis.

You may not always see it, but Siemens technology is all around us, driving manufacturing throughout

the UK. It powers airport baggage handling, automates the end-to-end manufacturing of household brands and keeps London’s buses moving.

A global organisation with more than 340,000 employees worldwide, Siemens’ reputation is built on its cutting-edge technological solutions and culture of innovation. Yet these are challenging times for manufacturing, as it strives to deliver increased productivity while

“Awards and kite marks say one thing, but the kind of holistic assessment offered by the Model is a real differentiator”SUE BAGGULEYHead of Business Excellence and Quality Management, Siemens

maintaining high standards of safety and customer service.

“We’re on the brink of the next industrial revolution, something the technology sector refers to as Industry 4.0,” explains Sue Bagguley, Head of Business Excellence and Quality Management. “Our industrial customers are under pressure to reduce time to market and to run plants that are highly flexible, scalable and automated. The face of manufacturing is changing, and digital technologies have a huge role to play going forward.”

In this context Siemens is tasked

with not only keeping pace with the speed of change, but maintaining its position as a market leader, all the while ensuring that customer service does not pay the price. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but Sue believes that the EFQM Excellence Model provides the right kind of structure to guide the business in the years ahead.

“It’s a good, robust framework to monitor every aspect of your business activity. The beauty of the Model is that it puts everything you do as an organisation on the left-hand side, and clearly displays the enablers so that leaders can see their chain of

Future-proofing the production line

Even the most innovative businesses need a toolkit to keep up with industry changes. For Siemens’ Digital Factory and Process Industries & Drives divisions, the EFQM Excellence Model provides just that toolkit


demands of Industry 4.0 and can deliver the innovation our customers insist on. We measure the impact of the programme by assessing the value it adds to the community, our pipeline of entry-level talent and the wider perception of Siemens as an employer of choice. These measures aren’t as measurable as profitability or productivity but they’re absolutely crucial to our long-term vision.”

A DIFFERENTIATORThe Model has proved as valuable at a practical level as it has at a strategic level. Internally, it has provided a consistent framework for activities across the two divisions and beyond. “Siemens in the UK has been using the Model for as long as I can remember, and all the business divisions are on their own business excellence journey. This gives us a common language to describe our processes and activities, and it means we can ‘pinch with pride’ from one another, replicating good practice across the board.

“Everyone in the organisation knows what the Model is, and many of our frontline, customer-facing employees have trained as Assessors as part of their professional development. Ten years ago I worked in IT, and EFQM Assessor Training gave me the credibility to move into this role.”

The Model also conveys a message of credibility to suppliers and potential clients, as Sue has discovered. “Often our industrial customers come in to do a supplier assessment, and increasingly they want to check not just our working environment, health and safety standards and quality, but also our commitment to continuous improvement, and the Model is powerful evidence of that. We have even introduced a few customers to the Model, which is a free, added-value service we can offer.

“Awards and kite marks say one thing, but the kind of holistic assessment offered by the Model is a real differentiator. It shows that as an organisation you’re willing to do more than conform to standards by connecting it all together and engaging with it in a really game-changing way.”

responsibility to set the strategy, look after people and make products and processes effective. It says ‘If we do these things right, these are the results we can expect to see’.”

TALENT PIPELINEThis clarity of purpose is key to ensuring that ‘innovation’ is not a buzzword but a measurable element of business excellence. “The Model prevents you from just diving in,” says Sue. “It puts the writing on the wall: you do something different in response to customer feedback and then you measure the change. That way you never lose sight of what you’re trying to achieve.”

Siemens’ Digital Factory and Process Industries & Drives division put this thinking into action with the relaunch of its corporate social

responsibility (CSR) programme in 2010. “We pride ourselves on having our people out working in the community under the CSR banner, but the Model prompted the question, ‘Why? Where does it add value for stakeholders and how does it drive our corporate strategy?’”

Tasked with creating a more strategic CSR approach, the team relaunched the programme and gave it a strong education focus. “We recognised that encouraging students of all ages to study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) is key to the skills demand of future manufacturing so that’s where we focus our investment; developing the engineers of the future,” says Sue.

“Our new programme aims to develop people who understand the

Future-proofing the production lineSiemens is all aroundSiemens technology can be found in all sorts of places, from the Coca-Cola production line to London buses, baggage handling at airports and beyond.

Apprentices at the Siemens Mechanical Drives

factory in Leeds


FINALIST VIRGIN TRAINS WEST COAST

UP TO SPEEDVIRGIN TRAINSRunning the West Coast mainline rail services up and down the UK, Virgin Trains has been carrying passengers around the country for 18 years. Its routes connect key cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

Never content to accept the status quo, Virgin Trains West Coast is on a mission to change the way

customers experience rail travel. It’s a considerable task, demanding a careful balance between operational efficiency, safety, technological innovation and good old-fashioned customer service. It’s made all the more challenging by the rail industry’s franchise model, which could potentially halt Virgin Trains in its tracks come 2017.

So how can you plan for the future in a short-term framework? “We assume we’ll win,” says Steve Tennant, Executive Director of Customer Service. “That’s not to say we’re complacent. We know on paper that our contract ends in 2017, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan ahead – in fact we must. If you limit your thinking to the time you have left, you also limit your ability to think strategically and end up making poor short-term decisions.

“The risk with the franchise model is that everything starts to grind to a

halt towards the end of the franchise term. You see things like companies not buying new uniforms for staff because they don’t want to make the investment on a contract they might not retain. That kind of thinking is terrible for employee morale, which in turn impacts on the customer experience. Ironically, that could play a part in losing a franchise.”

Virgin Trains West Coast’s solution is to work on the assumption it will retain its contract until 2026, and plan accordingly. “Our people see the company

Limitless ambitionsIt may operate in a franchise, but that won’t stop Virgin Trains West Coast from launching an ambitious vision to shake up the rail industry


“Customer advocacy is very important to us, and we want to stand alongside any company in any industry anywhere in the world”STEVE TENNANTExecutive Director of Customer Service, Virgin Trains

in a considerably smaller facility. Investing in technology to ease that process will reduce congestion and return passengers’ ‘sense of control’.

“We need to invest in smart technologies to stay relevant, but we also recognise the importance of striking a balance between the bells and whistles, and the basics of having a friendly human face to help you on your way,” says Steve.

As part of its entry for the UK Excellence Award, Virgin Trains West Coast made a radical change to the way in which frontline staff handle customer queries. Instead of referring them to the company’s customer service division, a process of ownership has been established so that whoever is first approached will take personal responsibility for resolving the query.

A training programme has been launched to support staff in managing the extra responsibility, and a helpline and an enterprise social network have proved a popular way to source solutions from across the business. “Our people can pop a quick question on the site, and a colleague who has experience of the issue can send an answer,” Steve explains.

“It takes the onus away from the customer sitting in a customer service queue to the employee actively finding the answer for them. It’s been great for colleague engagement as everyone is learning together, and our customer satisfaction scores are way up.

“Ultimately, what we’re aiming to do is create an amazing customer experience. We want to be an agent for change not just on the West Coast but in the industry as a whole, and to do that we must

lead by example.”

planning for the long term and they like that,” says Steve.

Those plans specifically include a target to significantly increase the number of passenger journeys while growing its Net Promoter Score (a customer loyalty metric which measures customer advocacy on a scale from -100 to +100), aiming to improve from +35 to +50. BEST OF BOTH “We’re completely committed to improving operational efficiency, but not at the expense of the customer experience,” says Steve. “Our vision is to grow both in equal measure, while maintaining safety as the number one priority. The Net Promoter Score will be tough to achieve, but customer advocacy is very important to us, and we want to stand alongside any company in any industry anywhere in the world.”

The EFQM Excellence Model will be crucial in guiding the business towards that goal. “The Model will lend focus to our strategic thinking – how can we achieve both goals, where do we have capacity, what can we do to maintain safety? Going for the Excellence Award has really upped the ante, because it’s forced us to revisit what we know, or what we think we know, and benchmark it against other industry-leading companies. It has focused our minds on being the best we can be, and highlighted a number of areas where we can do better.”

BACK TO BASICSOne area of focus will be taking care of the basics. “There are so many components of a train journey, so as well as having clever and innovative solutions we also need to focus on simple aspects of the customer experience,” says Steve. “If you consider it in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs [a pyramid with fundamental needs at the bottom and self-actualisation as the end goal at the top], at the bottom you have basics such as cleanliness and punctuality; then moving up you have things like good food, customer service and wifi; and at the top is the ‘wow’ factor. We need to be hitting every tier.”

As far as adding the ‘wow’ factor goes, Virgin Trains West Coast is investigating technology which would make it possible to give passengers advance notification of the platform for their train wherever they are, rather than crowding under a departure board. Steve points out that stations such as Euston accommodate more passenger journeys than Heathrow Airport, but

A friendly employee points a customer in

the right direction

Virgin Trains West Coast prides itself on great

customer service

WINNER

18 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

WINNERS & FINALISTS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION/EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONFor exceptional levels of customer satisfaction and evidence that the levels of customer satisfaction achieved have increased customer loyalty.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENTFor substantial increase in levels of employee engagement throughout an organisation, or in a part of it, and novel approaches to increasing employee engagement.

INNOVATIONFor innovative change to a product, service, process or way of working and for demonstrating customer and business benefit.

LEADERSHIPFor leadership by example that inspires people to the highest standard of performance (anybody responsible for a team of people is a leader) and for exceptional leadership that achieves exceptional results.

SUSTAINABLE FUTUREFor outstanding environmental or social contribution to achieving a more sustainable world, for example by energy savings, waste reduction, lower carbon emissions, community involvement or supply chain involvement.

Entrants provided a written submission of 1,500 words describing why they deserve to win.

A judging panel for each Award comprised a subject expert, an executive from the organisation sponsoring the award and a BQF executive. The panel produced a shortlist based on the submission, and each shortlisted entrant was invited to present to the judges, to demonstrate and verify that claims made in the submission were supported by evidence.

The judges were particularly looking for activities and approaches that are unusual and innovative, an impact that was long rather that short term, and noticeable employee involvement.

The Five Awards

The Achievement Awards recognise exceptional achievement in five key areas of organisational performance. We are very grateful to our sponsors for their generous support.

SPONSORED BY

Phoenix Futures→

In 2014, Phoenix Futures helped 26,941 people on their journey to recovery from drug and alcohol issues. This was achieved through a number of

unusual and innovative approaches that demonstrate the organisation’s dedication to its service users and their wellbeing.

Going well beyond Phoenix Futures’ core remit, additional activities and services for clients include animals therapy, allotments, reading groups and circuit training. Support and guidance are also given to families and loved ones, which increases the chance of treatment being successful in the longer term.

Projects such as the Creative Education on Drugs and Alcohol and B-Chilled involve Phoenix Futures working in the community, in schools and in nightlife settings to try to prevent people ever needing its treatment support. Its engagement approach also helps break down the stigma of substance

misuse, helping recovering service users to feel more accepted.

The organisation has participated in the European Companionship in Education, which gave 50 members of staff the opportunity as part of an exchange programme to spend two weeks at a drugs and alcohol service in another country. This is just one of many initiatives in which staff have participated, and is brilliantly reflected in a motivated and enthusiastic workforce.

The numbers speak loudly and clearly of Phoenix Futures’ increased effectiveness over the past few years. Its average user satisfaction has climbed in six years from 7.4 to 8.4 out of 10. Figures for completed treatment and positive transfers have experienced a steady rise in recent years too. Engaging volunteers has been a key focus, with 187 people volunteering in 2014 compared with just 15 in 2010.

CATALYST CONSULTINGCatalyst revamped its Open Training Lean Six Sigma Foundation Green Belt course to better suit participants, by exploring how its tools were being used

in practice. Its NPS results put the training provider up there with some of the best.

McFARLANE TELFER Catering and refrigeration equipment maintenance company

McFarlane Telfer has undertaken a number of approaches to improve customer satisfaction, including training engineers to manage customers and empowering them to resolve issues.

ROYAL MAIL GROUPFront-line employees at an enquiry office designed an embryonic technical prototype to speed

up their processes at peak times. The system reduced waiting times and customer complaints, and was quickly deployed in other enquiry offices around the country.

FINALISTS


Barclays has worked with experts from charities and organisations including StepChange Debt Charity,

Citizens Advice, Age UK and Alzheimer’s Society to create an interactive learning solution offering insight into the diverse needs of its customer base.

The project evolved as a result of comments from staff who felt they could be better equipped when dealing with certain groups of customers in order to give them the best possible service. This includes people with disabilities, mental illness and extreme debt.

Since the launch of its Community Driving Licence (CDL) in May 2015, Barclays has already seen 7,000 staff register, 12,000 modules read and 24,000 activities completed, with staff reporting that they feel more confident and better equipped. In fact, it seems that the CDL has helped them not only with customers but with

personal situations relating to family members.

The modular system allows staff to tailor their experience to particular needs and dip in and out as training needs arise. It can be accessed through any device with a web browser, and on both personal and work devices, giving staff great flexibility to undertake the learning at a time and a pace convenient to them.

To make sure that the CDL achieves its aims, activities are undertaken by staff on completion of modules. These can take the form of individual challenges, team discussions and events for customers where, for example, advice could be offered on avoiding fraud and scams.

‘Gamification’ is a big part of the programme, with colleagues able to participate in friendly competition to top leader boards and work through three levels of learning. On completion, staff will receive accreditation and be presented with a certificate. Success stories will be shared at a national level.

Having already made a considerable mark on employee engagement, there is every indication that this project will be sustainable and effective in the long term, and can be updated to meet evolving needs.

SPONSORED BY

Barclays: Community Driving Licence (CDL)

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Since its launch in May 2015, 7,000 staff have registered, with 24,000 activities completed

FINALISTS

BTBT’s customer service professionalisation journey develops and empowers its staff by improving their working environment, enabling effective conversations, simplifying systems and much more. The multilayered approach and diverse areas covered have been designed with employee input, significantly improving engagement.

SUN CHEMICALSun Chemical has undertaken a plan to train all of its staff across the UK in 5S, as part of its long-standing business improvement programme based on Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Forty-two trainers, amounting to some 5% of the workforce, have volunteered to deliver training to colleagues.

BARCLAYS: STEWARDSHIPBarclays identifies stewardship, the idea that every employee should leave things in a better place for the future, as one of its core values. A working group was formed from across learning and development, HR, colleague optimisation and front-line teams to find ways of better serving this goal, including an innovative coaching programme.

→

WINNER

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSWINNERS & FINALISTS INNOVATION/LEADERSHIP


A team from Siemens Transmission and Distribution were presented with a challenge

in February 2014 – to design an alternative to the conventional offshore alternating current (AC) platform, which brings electrical power from offshore wind turbines into the national grid.

There were many requirements for the new system – it had to be smaller and lighter, as well as reduce costs by 40% and cut overall programme delivery time by 20%. There were government targets to meet too. The team came up with the offshore transformer module (OTM), and it ticks all the boxes.

Although unusual for an engineering project such as this, the team decided to utilise the Agile methodology. They also cast aside the traditional practice of designing in 2D, using 3D throughout. A 3D printed model and a virtual reality model helped them to look at

health and safety issues, and ultimately influenced sales.

Five key pillars were identified, to keep the diverse, cross-functional team focused on the project’s requirements and to make progress measurable: simple, essential, light, safe and flexible. Lean principles were used too: making sure the customer focus was paramount;

developing a cross-functional team that had a combination of visionaries and subject matter experts; examining value and waste in research and development; creating a structured problem-solving process and ways of continuous improvement; and road-mapping actions and project gates.

The OTM exceeded the cost-saving target (40%) and met the delivery time target reduction (20%). Although the product is yet to be developed and delivered, customers are already lined up. Its success has also led to the development, with a customer, of an onshore equivalent.

By approaching the challenge in different ways, using methodologies that wouldn’t be expected on a project such as this, the team created an innovative and energised atmosphere that drove them to great results. The project’s influence is already being seen in the way the organisation is approaching new ventures.

SPONSORED BY

Siemens Transmission and Distribution

INNOVATION

BARCLAYS BANKA highly successful pilot project allowing customers to pay in a cheque using the camera on their mobile phone, or a desktop computer with a scanner, has been used for deposits of around £9m. It seems very likely that this approach will be adopted by other banks and become the standard way to deposit cheques.

LLOYD’S REGISTERGlobal engineering, technical and business services organisation Lloyd’s Register took a fresh look at its entire operating model and actioned serious change with the implementation of a new group management system, developed, with a considerable amount of staff consultation, to reflect their needs.

ONE VISION HOUSINGOne Vision Housing responded to the reduction in government subsidies for social housing construction by implementing an unusual group structure which allows the profits from commercial operations to be used by OVH and PCHA housing associations. It’s a new approach for a housing association and customer satisfaction has risen since the arrangement began.

The OTM exceeded the cost-saving target (40%) and met the delivery time target reduction (20%)

FINALISTS→

WINNER

WINNER

Responding to changes in the external environment, Phoenix Futures decided in 2013 to review its guiding

principles (vision, mission and values) that had been set in 2007.

Staff and service users at the drug and alcohol charity were involved in the process from the outset. Discussion sessions were


→

RICOH UKRicoh UK has invested heavily in a five-year leadership development programme following significant restructure.The aim of the four- tier programme is

to nurture strong inspirational leadership. Each programme is sponsored by a board director with a hands-on approach. An extensive communication strategy has been instrumental.

UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTERLeadership and values are very important to the University of Winchester, which is proud to be the only UK university to

achieve five stars in Recognised for Excellence across the entire organisation. A number of programmes support this, including Values Days where staff discuss core values.

FINALISTS

If a tender cannot be won reflecting its values and principles, it will not bid

Phoenix Futures

LEADERSHIP

SPONSORED BY

held in prison, community and residential services, and staff were able to share their views through an online survey and at regional discussion groups.

Senior management used the feedback to draft a new set of principles, which were then reviewed by staff and service users through focus groups and a cascade

communication process. Engaging all of its key people in the conversation helped Phoenix Futures to take a serious look at what the organisation’s aims and values really are. This has led to a clarity of vision that has, in turn, led Phoenix Futures to take the stance that if a tender cannot be won reflecting its values and principles, it will not bid. This means it will not lower the price or reduce the quality of its service in order to win or retain a tender.

The redefined purpose and values were launched at the 2014 annual corporate roadshows, which are attended by every member of staff. Materials to remind and inspire staff were produced too, including mouse mats and mugs.

Leadership has been key, not only in making the review of guiding principles happen, but in ensuring that the organisation does not lose sight of these values. Phoenix Futures identifies nine key qualities for a leader, and uses this model in the recruitment process and during appraisals. Leaders in the organisation strive to be visible through attendance of events and regular service visits. CEO Karen Biggs also runs a leadership course which, in the past year, has been delivered to 43 managers and 31 non-managers.

The organisation’s ‘people strategy’ helps develop and sustain the link between staff engagement and the achievement of corporate objectives. Investors in People recognised Phoenix Futures’ commitment to valuing and supporting staff with a Gold Award in 2014. The organisation has also formed a health and wellbeing group of champions, led by the chief executive.

One of the results of all Phoenix Futures’ hard work in establishing these values and making sure they influence every action has been great success in its recent EFQM assessment, where it was awarded five stars in Recognised for Excellence.

Allotments are among the extras Phoenix Futures offers service users

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDSWINNERS & FINALISTS SUSTAINABLE FUTURE


For Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), addressing sustainability is an intrinsic

part of the organisation’s mission to protect, and improve the lives of, the people it serves.

Climate change directly contributes to the challenges a rescue service faces. Warmer, wetter winters and more frequent storms mean more flooding and road traffic accidents, while hotter, drier summers increase the risk of fire.

The GMFRS board believes that simply reducing the service’s negative impact on the environment is not good enough. GMFRS aims to be “Net Positive

by 2050”; it is the first UK public sector organisation to make this commitment.

The sustainability strategy has five key elements: ■ Averting more greenhouse gas emissions than the organisation produces, by preventing fires. ■ Achieving ‘zero waste’. ■ Mitigating all pollution to air, water or soil, together with the positive environmental impact of putting out fires, will outweigh any negative environmental impact. ■ Achieving zero wasted water, through reducing the amount required to put out fires. ■ Becoming leaders on sustainability, leading by example and ensuring that sustainability

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

SPONSORED BY

89% of the organisation’s waste is recycled or processed into refuse-derived fuel

→

BARCLAYS BANKAn interactive learning tool, accessible online or as an app, the Digital Driving Licence is available to any Barclays employee who wants to further their digital skills

and become more digitally confident, which in turn reduces waste. Globally, 29,000 Barclays Digital Eagles support digital upskilling for employees and customers.

SOUTH WEST HIGHWAYSSouth West Highways has designed and constructed an integrated biological wetland treatment so that it can recycle waste

materials extracted from the emptying and recharging of roadside gullies. This will have significant long-term environmental benefits and provides a great role model to others.

FINALISTS

is a day-to-day part of the culture of the service.

The whole organisation has signed up to a detailed engagement plan, under a sustainability steering group, with 120 firefighters taking the role of ‘environmental champions’. It has already had an impact: as well as a 30% reduction in carbon emissions, there has been a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from fires thanks to fire prevention activities, and 89% of the organisation’s waste is recycled or processed into refuse-derived fuel.

The judges’ report said: “The panel could clearly see this brigade as a role model for others to follow.”

WINNER

RECOGNISED FOR EXCELLENCE

5 STAR PERFORMERSA ROUND-UP OF OUR 5 STAR ACHIEVERS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS


BELOW:Phoenix Futures helps those with drug and alcohol problems along the road to recovery

The BQF would like to congratulate the following organisations that have all been awarded the highest level of Recognised for Excellence (R4E) with 5 stars in the last 12 months. By achieving a score in excess of 500 points against the EFQM Excellence Model, these organisations have demonstrated that they are consistently performing at a very high level. The BQF would like to wish them all well as their excellence journey continues.

ARRIVA TRAINS WALESA leading provider of passenger transport in Europe, Arriva Trains Wales has a fleet of 125 trains in the UK, covering a route of more than 1,009 miles, supported by 2,050 employees.

CHILTERN RAILWAYSChiltern Railways operates commuter/regional services from London Marylebone along the M40 corridor, as well as long distance services to the West Midlands along two routes.

CROSSCOUNTRYCrossCountry covers more of Britain than any other train operator, providing more than 33 million passenger journeys to cities across the UK, as far afield as Scotland, Cornwall and Wales.

DB REGIO TYNE AND WEAR LTD (DBTW) DBTW operates the Tyne and Wear Metro, known locally as the Metro, which is a light rail system located in the North East of England.

EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS Derby-based train operator East Midlands Trains delivers more than 470 train services every day. The long-distance UK train operator forms part of the Stagecoach Group.

GREATER MANCHESTER FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE (GMFRS)The second largest fire and rescue service outside of London, GMFRS has around 2,100 members of staff and 41 fire stations. It covers approximately 500 square miles and a population of 2.5 million.

LONDON MIDLAND London Midland operates train services through the heart of England, and completes over 1,300 different services a day, with 65 million passenger journeys made in the course of a single year.

LONDON OVERGROUND RAIL OPERATIONS LTD (LOROL)LOROL is the train operating company responsible for running

the London Overground network under a Concession Agreement with Transport for London.

NORTHERN RAIL Northern Rail currently has 4,900 employees and provides nearly 2,500 local and regional train services every weekday, making it the largest train operator in the UK.

PHOENIX FUTURES As a provider of almost 90 different services for people with drug and alcohol problems, Phoenix Futures operates within community, prison and residential settings throughout England and Scotland.

SIEMENS HEALTHCARE DIAGNOSTICS MANUFACTURING (SHDML)SHDML is part of the Diagnostics division within the Siemens Healthcare cluster. The company is one of the world’s largest suppliers of technology to the healthcare industry.

SIEMENS MAGNET TECHNOLOGY (SMT)SMT is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of superconducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for medical applications.

SIEMENS RAIL SYSTEMSThe Siemens Rail Systems division provides expertise and technology in a full range of rail vehicles. In the UK, the division employs around 650 people and maintains more than 350 Siemens passenger trains.

Siemens Magnet Technology

24 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk LEAN SIX SIGMA AWARD

WINNER COOPERVISION

CooperVision is a global manufacturer of contact lenses, operating in more than 100 countries

from Asia to Europe, Africa to America. Its UK operation is based in Hamble, near Southampton, where it has six business units producing different types of lens. Elaine Marszall, CI Project Leader, is tasked with driving business productivity across the product lines – no small task for a production base with upwards of 2,000 employees.

“Productivity is something

that’s carefully measured in our manufacturing centres but it’s crucial to have a sound methodology in place so you’re not just working on guesswork and assumptions,” says Elaine. “We started working with Lean Six Sigma in 2010 and it has been an invaluable tool in identifying, analysing, measuring and resolving any issues.”

One such issue cropped up in 2013, following the introduction of a new Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) system into one of its business units. Six months in, the company was concerned that

while the OEE seemed to have embedded well in some areas, there was significant variation in performance from shift to shift. “There were no mechanical reasons for the difference,” says Elaine. “The shifts were working with the same systems, using the same procedures, and the same machinery. On visiting the shifts I noticed distinct differences in culture and decided to investigate this further.”

Elaine used the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC approach (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) to map performance data alongside

WINNER

The Lean Six Sigma Award recognises organisations that have used Lean and Six Sigma to deliver excellent results to customers.

This year, two organisations have been crowned joint winners: COOPERVISION and FORENSIC SCIENCE NORTHERN IRELAND, whose story you can read on page 26.

What does an organisation do when it has performance differences across shifts, despite each having an identical operating environment? For CooperVision, Lean Six Sigma provided the answer

A greater focus on productivity


“Key to our success was empowering the team to improve their own performance”ELAINE MARSZALLCI Project Leader, CooperVision

behavioural factors. A survey was issued to team leaders, operators and engineers across the shifts, and the responses were used to score the teams, in relation to Leadership, People, Partnership and Resources, Processes, Customers and Results and Flexibility, Routines and Rituals. Elaine then used a radar diagram to create a cultural web, which revealed a number of differences in approach between the shifts concerned.

Working together, Elaine and the shift team identified several practical improvements. Action plans were created to standardise responses to reported faults, creating clarity on both sides. Several members of the team adopted their own improvement strategies as White Belt or Yellow Belt projects. Motivation-related issues were addressed through a series of away days and in-house workshops.

“We got everyone involved in brainstorming new ideas and then taking them forward,” says Elaine. “Key to our success was empowering the team to improve their own performance.”

The results speak for themselves: a productivity gap of just 1.62% between shifts, and colleagues working through Yellow and White Belts to boost performance and further their own professional development. The strategic importance of the project has not gone unnoticed by senior management, says Elaine.

“I’ve now been asked to work with shift leaders across production, using Lean Six Sigma as a tool to provide sound data. There’s greater understanding of the ways in which operating culture can impact on production, and we feel we’re working in a more enlightened and methodical way.”

FINALISTS

AES UK & IRELAND Part of AES Corporation, which provides affordable, sustainable energy to 18 countries, the Ballylumford Gas Power Station in Northern Ireland used Lean Six Sigma to reduce the costs of producing process water for electricity generation. This resulted in an increase in supply, with cost savings averaging US $128,000 per year.

RICOH UKDocument and IT solutions provider Ricoh UK launched Project Blackbird to improve the efficiency of its travel booking process. The project aimed to increase the percentage of travel requests that are booked within 120 working minutes from 36% to 80%, and eliminate paper in the process. Both these aims were exceeded.

VIRGIN MEDIAVirgin Media is the UK’s first provider to make broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services available in a single package. A Key Performance Indicator for its business division is the percentage of customer calls answered within 20 seconds (PCA20). A Lean project improved PCA20 by several percentage points while boosting customer satisfaction.

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A CooperVision lab at its UK base in Hamble, near Southampton

ABOVE: A lens is examined

26 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk LEAN SIX SIGMA AWARD

WINNER FORENSIC SCIENCE NORTHERN IRELAND

Forensic Science Northern Ireland (FSNI) has a pivotal role to play in the country’s justice service. Its integrated

forensic science services deliver the evidence base for hundreds of criminal prosecutions every year.

As with any science, accuracy is crucial, but FSNI is also tasked with delivering cost savings and greater efficiency in keeping with the Department of Justice’s mission to deliver ‘faster, fairer justice’.

One of the most important and high-profile demands placed on FSNI is the fast turnaround of drugs casework, and this became the basis of a highly effective Lean Six Sigma project led by Karen Smyth, under the direction of Service Improvement Project Manager Lynette McHendry. “We started our Lean Six Sigma journey a few years ago,” says Lynette. “We’re one part of the chain of events that leads from crime scene analysis to court case, and there was demand to speed up our drug analysis service. We set

“We’re one part of the chain of events that leads from crime scene analysis to court case”LYNETTE McHENDRYService Improvement Project Manager, FSNI

ourselves the task of delivering 90% of drug cases submitted to Laboratory Services within 50 days from receipt of instructions.”

FSNI recruited Catalyst Consulting to deliver Green Belt training, and the drug team examined the process using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) methodology to identify bottlenecks, measure delays and design improvements.

Key changes included the introduction of a triage model which ensured that drug classes with different analysis times could be divided into separate workstreams

and prioritised accordingly. The 5S methodology – Sort, Straighten, Scrub, Standardise, Sustain – was also applied to streamline lab processes and ensure everything had a place.

“The great thing is that the team felt so invested in the process,” says Lynette. “We now have 14 Green Belts and 54 Yellow Belts in a staff of 220. I think the methodology of Lean Six Sigma is perfect for scientists because it’s data driven – there are no assumptions, just clear facts. It’s been a really invigorating process and has had a great impact on staff morale.”

The project also looks set to have a ripple effect across the public sector, as FSNI is the only Northern Ireland Civil Service agency to successfully implement a Lean Six Sigma project of this kind. “We’ve been asked to deliver a masterclass to share the lessons we’ve learned,” says Lynette. “These are tough economic times, particularly in Northern Ireland, and we’re pleased to be able to offer a streamlined service that benefits the public purse.”

Faster, fairer justiceHow Forensic Science Northern Ireland has not only met requirements for a quicker service, but improved staff morale to boot

WINNER

FSNI’s drug analysis service can now deliver results more quickly


AWARD ASSESSORSMEET THE VOLUNTEERS WHO PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN DETERMINING THE WINNERS

I trained as an Award Assessor in 2012, and have since assessed a large industrial company, an academic organisation and a

public sector organisation. I’m used to working in project teams to tight deadlines but the awards process is different; it provides many personal development opportunities because from the start of each assessment cycle the only thing I’ve had in common with my assessing teammates has been the EFQM Model and assessor training.

The BQF wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the following organisations and their volunteer assessors

Aviation Training International LtdIan Morton

Bradstow SchoolDavid Clegg

Catalyst ConsultingRobert Row

CIMASimon Cavadias

DDCDiane Dibley

GlaxoSmithKlineDeborah Clayton

Govia Thameslink RailwayPaul Tarrant

GSK Andy Scott

International Nuclear ServicesPeter Buchan

Interserve Construction LtdRichard Jones

Keypath LtdNick Warn

Landis + GyrJonathan Davies

Ley Hill SolutionsGraham HullAndrew PennTom McCormick

Merseyside CRCPeter Murray

Mitie PlcRebecca Cope-Lewis

Mitie Technical Facilities ManagementMichelle Stroud

Newham Training & Education CentreSaher Nijabat

NXET Trains Ltd t/a c2cElena Bachvarova

Rivendell ExcellenceMike Curry

SiemensHeather HitchenChristian Gransden

Siemens Healthcare DiagnosticsLaura Branch-Evans

Siemens HeathcareCiara O’Callaghan

St Monica TrustRachel Baker

Sun Chemical LtdGareth Phillips

TOQUEX LtdBarrie Howard

University of PortsmouthZoe Hoy

University of WinchesterClaire Lorrain

IndependentReginald BasimiMike Bateman

A learning experience

2015 UK EXCELLENCE AWARD ASSESSORS

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GSK’s Andy Scott explains how being an Award Assessor has given him the chance to take a fresh look at his own work

“It’s quite intense but the learning opportunities have been many”ANDY SCOTTDirector of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, GSK

To date, all my team members have come from different industries and roles to me. It’s been really fantastic to meet a team for the first time, develop working relationships with people who have different outlooks, collectively agree our understanding of the organisation we’re going to assess and then complete the assessment together. It’s quite intense but the learning opportunities have been many.

I bring back numerous perspectives to GSK. People

develop strategies and work in different ways, and there’s plenty of innovation in terms of how the applicants work. I find myself doing a lot of mental benchmarking during assessments. It’s a very humbling process in many ways too.

Many assessment organisations operate in difficult sectors, with real challenges that are a world away from the corporate infrastructure I’m used to – how they succeed has been inspirational.

UK EXCELLENCE AWARD 2015


GET INVOLVEDHOW THE AWARD PROCESS CAN BENEFIT YOUR ORGANISATION AND YOUR PEOPLE

I have had the pleasure and privilege of managing 22 cycles of the UK Excellence Award process, playing a major part

in all that is involved in what is a very prestigious accolade for organisations to aim for on their Excellence journey. This includes maintaining the integrity of the whole process, and I hope I am leaving behind a legacy for those wishing to follow a true journey to Excellence, and to achieve the highest level of recognition in the UK.

The ideal way to approach the journey to Excellence is to have a long-term strategic goal of winning the national Award – this does not happen overnight.

“ I hope I am leaving behind a legacy for those wishing to follow a true journey to Excellence”SALLY GREENAwards Director, BQF

Your timeline could look like this:■ Years 1 and 2

Supported self-assessment/ Committed to Excellence

■ Years 3 and 4 Recognised for Excellence 3 stars, 4 stars and 5 stars

■ Year 5 onwards UK Excellence Award, EFQM Excellence Award

This staged approach allows an organisation to implement the feedback suggested by the different assessment teams, before moving on to the next stage – ensuring the greatest value can be gained from each step.

A vital ingredient of maintaining the integrity and rigour of the

Award process is the participation of the Award jury – the majority of whom have followed that journey.

Rob Jackson, of Ricoh UK Products, was this year’s Jury Chair. He says: “More than anything else it’s the degree of rigour applied that makes winning so satisfying. There are many awards, accreditations and accolades that organisations can apply for, but what sets the UK Excellence Award apart is that it effectively represents an endorsement from your peers.”

Ian Clarke from Siemens Healthcare is a long-serving juror and Award Assessor. He says: “Within Siemens the process is viewed as the gold standard and the presentation of progress against the Model of all our business units is one of the highlights of our annual business conference.

“Business units routinely release key staff to participate in the awards assessment process to develop their skills and expertise, and bring back best practice such that they might effectively guide and contribute to their own eventual applications.”

A great way to learn and see the importance and value of the Excellence journey is to visit an award-winning site. Many of our winners welcome these opportunities to share with other members.

If you would like to arrange a visit or just talk through your own organisation’s Excellence journey – regardless of where you think you are – do call our Award team on 020 7654 5032.

I am extremely proud of what the UK Excellence Award has helped organisations achieve over the last 22 years, and every trophy presentation has a special place in my heart – I wish all future entrants the very best of luck.

UK EXCELLENCE AWARD 2015

Sally at the 2014 ceremony with host Alexander Armstrong (left) and HRH The Princess Royal (right)

Sally Green, the BQF’s outgoing Awards Director, reflects on the importance and value of the Excellence journey and Award process

Just go for it

Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL) has praised North of

England Excellence (NoEE) for helping it to develop a culture of continuous improvement.

NWL achieved Recognised for Excellence (R4E) 5 star status in 2012, and has since won a NoEE Excellence Award for Best Company. Other accolades include a Queen’s Award for Enterprise and a BQF Achievement Award for Innovation.

Matthew Grant, Head of Business Process Improvement at NWL, said: “The support given by NoEE to the leadership team at NWL has helped to develop our culture of continuous improvement, with an increased emphasis on innovation and process management.

“Managers now use the relevant criteria in the EFQM Excellence Model to identify further improvement opportunities for the processes they lead.”

NORTH OF ENGLAND EXCELLENCE

NEWSIMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE REGION

North of England Excellence (NoEE) is a not-for-profit organisation working to improve the competitiveness and productivity of the northern economy by inspiring, supporting and recognising excellence. www.noee.co.uk


New Chief Executive takes the helm

High-performing student receives NoEE award for module success

A student at the University of Central Lancashire who gained the highest-ever

recorded mark in a degree module has won an award from North of England Excellence (NoEE).

Zaina Ahmed, who has graduated from UCLan’s School of Sport, Tourism and the Outdoors, received the prize for her outstanding result in the Managing Quality in Service Organisations module.

The honour, now in its 10th year, is awarded to the student who attains

Top marks for Zaina

the highest mark in the module.Zaina, who hails from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), plans to return to India to pursue a career in event management.

Dave Rusk, NoEE’s Education and Training Director (pictured with Zaina, above), said: “We did some EFQM training with UCLan about 10 years ago and I came up with the idea of NoEE sponsoring a prize in a quality-related subject.

“Zaina has been an outstanding student and whichever organisation she joins will be extremely fortunate to employ her. We wish her every success in her future career.”

Andrew Palmer settles into top North of England Excellence role

A former director of the Confederation of British Industry has become the

new Chief Executive of North of England Excellence (NoEE).

Andrew Palmer took up his role at the start of October, succeeding David Teale, who stood down after eight years in the post.

Andrew was the CBI’s Regional Director of Operations based in Leeds. He joined the organisation in 1999. He also served as a board

member of NoEE from 2009 to 2012. NoEE chairman Paul Evans said: “We interviewed an incredibly strong shortlist of candidates but Andrew came through as the outstanding person to take NoEE to the next stage of its development.”

Andrew said: “Our members and partners are among the best businesses and organisations in the country, and I am determined to showcase their ambition, world-leading collaborations and the quality of their workforces, and to ensure they are ready to make the most of the opportunities which lie ahead.”

NoEE’s new CEO, Andrew Palmer

NWL reflects on continued growth

NETWORKING EVENTS

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCELondonWednesday 9 DecemberCustomer Experience for Generation NextThis event will consider what customer experience will look like to the next generation, exploring motivations, expectations and trends, and discussing the significance of customer support.

BUSINESS CONTINUITYLondonTuesday 8 DecemberBusiness Continuity Exercise

RAIL INDUSTRYHuddersfieldWednesday 21 OctoberLeadership

MODEL USER GROUPUniversity of WinchesterWednesday 4 NovemberPrioritising Processes at University of WinchesterGiving an insight into their own process improvement journey, the University will expand on their initiatives which resulted in jumping an impressive 27 places in the national student satisfaction survey.

PREMIER MEMBER SEMINARBarclays, LondonWednesday 11 NovemberPerformance Measurement

PREMIER MEMBER SEMINARThursday 10 DecemberStrategic ProgrammeManagement

BQF DIRECTORYTRAINING COURSES, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, EVENTS & NETWORKING


TRAINING COURSES

We offer a range of training and opportunities to help you and your organisation improve performance. We can tailor all of our courses to suit your needs, create a programme based on your specification and deliver it in-house at your preferred location.

LEAN SIX SIGMA – FOUNDATION GREEN BELTLondonTuesday 3 November to Friday 6 NovemberEdinburghTuesday 17 November to Friday 20 November

LEAN SIX SIGMA – ADVANCED BLACK BELT TOOLSStratford-upon-AvonTuesday 10 November to Thursday 12 NovemberLondonTuesday 5 January to Thursday 7 January

LEAN SIX SIGMA – MANAGING CHANGELondonTuesday 17 November to Thursday 19 November

ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

Our expert-led workshops will equip you with the basic tools you need to set off on your journey to excellence, and will show you how to identify key areas of improvement in your own business. In-house workshops and bespoke training courses are available to members and non-members of the BQF. ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENTLondonThursday 5 November

The Lean Six Sigma Academy’s Advanced Green Belt programme builds on Foundation Green Belt. It consists of two further three-day modules, Process Measurement and Control and Data Analysis Techniques, which use MinitabTM software to

add a comprehensive data toolset to the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) framework covered on Foundation Green Belt.

This programme will show you how to present data to engage and influence your stakeholders and much more.

Lean Six Sigma Data Analysis

LEAN SIX SIGMA – PROCESS MEASUREMENTLondonTuesday 1 December to Thursday 3 DecemberEdinburghTuesday 1 December to Thursday 3 December

LEAN SIX SIGMA – DATA ANALYSISLondonTuesday 15 December to Thursday 17 DecemberEdinburghTuesday 15 December to Thursday 17 December

To find out more please email [email protected]

EFQM TRAINING COURSES

EFQM ASSESSOR TRAININGLondonTuesday 20 October to Thursday 22 OctoberLondonTuesday 1 December to Thursday 3 December

This can be offered in-house on dates to suit the organisation. Contact [email protected]

020 7654 [email protected]

LEAN SIX SIGMAEmily Short020 7654 5006 [email protected]

PREMIER MEMBERSEmily Short020 7654 5006 [email protected]

RAIL INDUSTRY Emily Short020 7654 5006 [email protected]

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTGreta Cowen020 7654 [email protected]

NETWORKING GROUPS

BUILT ENVIRONMENTGreta Cowen020 7654 [email protected]

BUSINESS CONTINUITYBen Sloan020 7654 [email protected]

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEGreta Cowen020 7654 [email protected]

EXCELLENCE MODELGreta Cowen020 7654 [email protected]

INNOVATION UNITPat Myles

BQF CONTACTS

DIRECTOR GENERAL Russell Longmuir020 7654 5002

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Ian Stokes020 7654 5007

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Rosie Day020 7654 5002

MEMBER SERVICESPat MylesHead of Member Services020 7654 5013

Emily ShortPremier Member Executive020 7654 5006

Ben SloanMember Services Executive020 7654 5005

Greta CowenMember Services Executive020 7654 5014

AWARDSSally GreenAwards Director020 7654 5010

Riza JonesAwards Manager020 7654 5032

SALES, SERVICES AND MARKETINGIan SwainSales Director020 7654 5009

Diane DibleyDirector of Services020 7654 5000

David GavinsBusiness Development Manager07917 091268

Miles DurhamBusiness Development Manager07876 225927

Amanda AllbrightMarketing Manager020 7654 5003

Autumn ChawnerMarketing Executive020 7654 5019

FINANCE AND ITBahram MavahebiFinancial Controller020 7654 5004

Rodney Harrison-MerchantAccounts Officer and Credit Controller020 7654 5008

Charles AlmondIT Manager 020 7654 5015

HOW TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT AN EFFECTIVE BALANCED SCORECARDLondonThursday 12 November

HOW TO USE BENCHMARKING TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCELondonThursday 19 November

GROUP DYNAMICSLondonThursday 26 November

HOW TO USE THE EFQM EXCELLENCE MODELBirminghamThursday 3 December

To find out more, please call 020 7654 5005 or email [email protected]

EFQM Assessor Training (EAT)Based on the EFQM Excellence Model, EAT is also the minimum requirement needed to enable you to become a qualified EFQM Excellence Assessor.

This is the only official EFQM Assessor Training Course available in the UK. The three-day diploma course has the benefit of a case study based on a global organisation. A delegate-to-trainer ratio of 6:1 ensures everyone receives individual coaching and is provided with valuable one-to-one feedback.

Explore the future of customer experience

32 AWARDS 2015www.bqf.org.uk TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY

ORGANISATIONSCONTACT 020 7654 5000 // [email protected] // www.bqf.org.uk

Catalyst’s mission is to ‘Enable Results’ by accelerating the rate of performance improvements, and extending the deployment of world-class best business practice. We provide training and consultancy solutions covering a range of business improvement activities. Our primary focus is Lean and Six Sigma, Process Management, Culture Change and Business Excellence.0845 345 2282 // [email protected] // www.catalystconsulting.co.uk

Catalyst Consulting

As products, processes and organisations journey from inception to maturity, costs and risks accumulate. Oakland Consulting, a leading quality improvement consultancy, offers a mix of strategic and operational support. We help clients to manage and avoid risks throughout the change journey, accelerate change, reduce costs, improve quality and protect reputations.0113 234 1944 or 0113 234 1988 // [email protected] // www.oaklandconsulting.com

Oakland Consulting

Renault-Nissan ConsultingRenault-Nissan Consulting provides improvement consultancy and support that draws on over 20 years’ experience of helping their parent companies and numerous other organisations. Using such methodologies as Lean and Six Sigma, we work in a diverse range of industries and have delivered over £1bn of validated savings to date. Renault-Nissan Consulting also jointly lead the BQF Lean Six Sigma Academy. 01923 697269 // [email protected] // www.rnconsulting.co.uk

TQMITQMI focus on delivering immediate benefits for clients. We are recognised as a leading consultancy for the application of the EFQM Excellence Model and all advanced aspects of improvement, such as engagement, customer advocacy and cost effective processes. TQMI’s goal is to transfer capability to you to ensure lasting improvement, innovation and success.01928 734266 // [email protected] // www.tqmi.co.uk

Organisations that want to succeed need to be adaptable, but sustainable success doesn’t happen by itself; it has to be planned, led and managed. It is not just our unique blend of skills but our passion to deliver excellence that makes us different. Here’s where we can help: Business Continuity; Business Excellence; Management Systems; Project Management; Quality Improvement; Standards Compliance.01494 772327 // [email protected] // www.leyhill.com

Ley Hill Solutions

Our registered training and consultancy organisations

The following are BQF registered training and consultancy organisations. Inclusion on the register is an indication of an organisation’s ethical stance and commitment. However, it is for a customer to establish the suitability and competence of any of the organisations with which they engage.

TO ADVERTISE IN

PLEASE CONTACT ALISON FRASER Call 0141 946 8708 or email: [email protected]

• A20 Consultants• 4GM Consulting• ATOL Business Services• Berkshire Consultancy• BMN Management• Catalyst Consulting• Footloose Enterprises• Global Excellence Consulting• IQ Management Systems• Key Performance• Keypath Group• Ley Hill Solutions• Oakland Consulting• Oakwell Management

Services

• Partners in Change• Perfex• Process Management International• Quality Assurance Advisors• Renault-Nissan Consulting• SGS United Kingdom• Teal Consulting• TOQUEX• Touchstone Renard• TQMI• Trimentis• You & More

EFQM Levels of Excellence

EFQM Levels of Excellence

Plan, measure and benchmark your organisation’s route to improving and maintaining its business performance. Europe’s leading certification programme recognises and rewards business excellence. Based on the EFQM Excellence Model, it is suitable for any organisation, regardless of location, size or sector.There are two levels and each follows an independent assessment process:EFQM Committed to Excellence• Developed to introduce you

to business excellence• Identify areas for improvement

and introduce initiatives to address them• Two ways to apply: Project Validation

and AssessmentEFQM Recognised for Excellence• Suitable if your organisation is on its way

to achieving sustainable excellence• Provides a thorough external analysis

of your organisation’s overall performanceand achievements

For more information: www.bqf.org.uk/levels-of-excellence or contact Ian Swain on: T 020 7654 5009 E [email protected]

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Training and Workshops

EFQM Excellence Model Training Courses Comprehensive training in how to use the EFQM Excellence Model and RADAR logic to give you the skills to perform external assessments for Awards and Recognition schemes, widen your knowledge and understanding, and enable best practice transfer for your own continuous improvement programmes.

These are the only official EFQM Assessor Training courses in the UK and are delivered by experienced trainers using EFQM training materials.

EFQM Assessor Training

This three-day training course enables you to become a qualified EFQM Excellence Assessor and could qualify you to participate in external assessments. It is ideal for experienced managers wanting to enhance their professional business skills, including detailed analysis and report writing.

Leader for Excellence

This two-day training course will enable you to lead performance improvement initiatives in your organisation. The course equips delegates to lead and manage improvement projects, including how to use the EFQM Excellence Model to identify areas for improvement and adopt a structured approach to address them.

We can also deliver in-house courses for every stage of your corporate or personal Excellence Model journey.

For more information: www.bqf.org.uk/excellence-model-training T Our training partner, Perfex, on 01928 736624 E [email protected]

3718 - BQF - Excellence Model Ad_AW.indd 1 12/01/2015 09:49

the uk excellence awards 2015 achievement awards … · is to build it and test it in a laboratory...

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