Self-assessment
What are the learning points of the articles?
According to the textbook, various techniques of business excellence complement each other. This calls for a systematic passage to excellence. In this regard, the book recommends the application of the excellence maturity model in a business’s journey to success. In essence, the book states that a business cannot start self-assessment at an early stage of its development, rather it should pursue stability through a systematic development model like the one given, (excellence maturity model) before they focus on self-assessment. Van der Wiel and Williams share the same sentiment in their article for business excellence. They believe that before reaching the self-assessment stage, a business must undergo several processes. In their case, the path starts with ISO 9000 certification series than to Total Quality Management (TQM) through the excellence model.
The learning points from these articles are that self-assessment is only possible in the latter stages of business development and not the beginning, all businesses must go through ISO 9000 certification series and excellence models to achieve the level of self-assessment. The article goes on to state that achieving ISO 9000 is not an automatic ticket to business excellence, the business needs total quality management philosophy and maturity to keep rising through these levels. The article further gives the six levels of Total Quality Management (TQM) in which stages of businesses pursuing excellence are provided. They include the uncommitted group, drifters, tool pushers, improvers, award winners as well as a world-class group. In essence, an organization that has attained ISO 9000 certification series will have to pass through the first three named stages before it starts self-assessment in the last three of the stages. Other learning points include the need for self-assessment, which is to maintain continuous and sustained business excellence. This is what makes a company, world-class. Companies that start self-assessment at an early stage are highly likely to be discouraged and even lose focus. It is therefore important to follow the levels of excellence.
What is the link between Figure 1.3 on page 15 of the textbook and the model presented in the article (use bullet points)
The figure in the textbook provides a graphical description of the journey to the excellence of a business. It starts with the control level, in which such activities as survival, rules, and procedures, ISO 9000 are practiced to attain performance improvement and excellence maturity. It then moves to the Best practice level in which the business prospers, and thus internal self-assessment is allowed, to attain benchmarking. In the final stage, which is world-class, external self-assessment can be accommodated. The article also provides for the journey to excellence and starts with ISO 9000 process control, then to Total Quality Management levels before it moves to self-assessment levels (through excellence model). The two models have several links, which are as shown below.
- The two models start at the control phase in which they both require ISO 9000 certification series.
- They both allow self-assessment at the latter stages of business excellence.
- Although the model in the article is much more detailed, they both recommend passage through the excellence model at the latter stages of development.
- The two models discourage starting self-assessment at an early stage of the business.
- The focus for both models, as shown in the figures, is to attain a world-class level of business excellence. World-class is the final level of the journey to success. It is at this level that domination and sustainability are expected to be achieved.
- The two models are practically linked to each other since they profess the same general guidelines and journey to business maturity and excellence.
What are the difficulties and advantages related to Self-assessment?
Advantages of Self-assessment
Self-assessment is important in evaluating the overall performance of an organization in its organizational framework. It spots and trails all results that are of importance to the organization as well as analyzes and provide feedback on the results along with the capability of the organization, to the planning and strategy process. Self-assessment is ideal for measurement of the progress, improvement, and potentials of a company, this gives an organization the motivation to surge forward and better their class. Also, self-assessment has over the years brought together, several companies as they compare their excellence models and in turn help improve their status.
Disadvantages of Self-assessment
Self-assessment requires teamwork and therefore is not suitable for small businesses. Furthermore, the level of skills required to provide this service is extensive and in-depth, something impossible to handle by one person. This extends its complexity with cost, as it requires training of the assessment team and employment of quality assessment managers who are tasked with the responsibility of sustaining such levels of organizational framework. Another disadvantage is the fact that it relies on people’s capacity to come up with an objective assessment. Naturally, people have different perceptions of excellence, and objectives, therefore, when an assessment team is formed, it has to take a team-based approach, which is quite complex, time-consuming, and extensive. This makes it a factor of time and if an extensive assessment is required then more time would be needed. To crown it all, having considered its complexities and extensiveness, self-assessment is very expensive. That is why it weeds out and discourages businesses at a starting level of organization to utilize it.