How does SLNQA serve as benchmarks of success?
The primary objective of the Sri Lanka National Quality Award (SLNQA) criteria is to assess organisational performance excellence, with a significant emphasis placed on the results criterion among the seven criteria evaluated. This criterion focuses on pivotal aspects of organisational operations such as product performance, process effectiveness, organisational governance, and financial and market performance. Therefore, winners of the SLNQA provide stakeholders with a compelling indication of their ability to thrive even in challenging economic climates.
Furthermore, SLNQA recipients serve as benchmark companies within their industries, offering valuable insights and best practices for other organisations to emulate and achieve success. Their achievements not only validate their own performance but also provide a roadmap for industry peers to adapt proven strategies and elevate their own performance standards.
The Sri Lanka National Quality Award (SLNQA) is built upon globally recognized performance excellence criteria established through a collaborative effort by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) in the USA, through a renowned public-private partnership. These criteria serve as the foundation for over 80 countries’ National Quality Awards, providing a robust framework for evaluating organizations’ improvement processes and results.
In what manner should organisations be acknowledged to guarantee transparency, impartiality, and relevance?
To uphold transparency, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) strategically selects qualified and experienced examiners who encompass a wide array of expertise, both from within SLSI and the industry, to ensure comprehensive evaluation across various award categories. Subsequently, upon completion of the evaluation phase, a review committee comprising SLSI Director General and Deputy Directors General, as well as experts from the public and private sectors convenes to analyse the assessments and recommend award recipients for the panel of judges.
The final decision rests with a panel of judges presided over by a retired Supreme Court judge, accompanied by eminent individuals from the public and private sectors such as the Secretary to the Ministry overseeing SLSI, Secretaries from other pertinent Ministries, the President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, and either the Chairperson or Secretary General/CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. This meticulous arrangement guarantees an unbiased and transparent SLNQA
evaluation, providing recipients with the opportunity to compete for international accolades like the Global Performance Excellence Award (GPEA) conducted by the Asia Pacific Quality organisation. How does SLNQA contribute to establishing a corporate entity’s reputation as a reliable and credible brand?
The Sri Lanka National Quality Award
(SLNQA) is built upon globally recognised performance excellence criteria established through a collaborative effort by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) in the USA, through a renowned public-private partnership. These criteria serve as the foundation for over 80 countries’ National Quality Awards, providing a robust framework for evaluating organisations’ improvement processes and results. Regarded as the gold standard, the MBNQA employs stringent criteria to uphold the integrity of the Award and its recipients. For 27 consecutive years, the SLNQA has similarly adhered to these high standards, ensuring the quality and credibility of the award. Consequently, SLNQA winners can showcase their excellence in product quality and process efficiency to both local and international stakeholders, affirming their standing in international competitions and earning global recognition.
Furthermore, SLNQA recipients serve as benchmark companies within their industries, offering valuable insights and best practices for other organisations to emulate and achieve success. Their achievements not only validate their own performance but also provide a roadmap for industry peers to adapt proven strategies and elevate their own performance standards.
What is the potential influence of SLNQA scheme on companies’ overall business performance?
The SLNQA undoubtedly wields a significant influence on fostering performance excellence within the business landscape, concurrently elevating industry standards through the acknowledgment of exemplary practices. Serving as the sole accomplished and recognised national quality award in Sri Lanka, the SLNQA imparts invaluable guidelines and incentivises organisations to strive for paramount standards and attain market recognition.
Comprising seven meticulously crafted criteria for applicant evaluation— Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management, Workforce, Operations, and Results—the SLNQA is strategically oriented towards two overarching objectives: perpetually enhancing value to customers and enhancing overall organisational performance. Widely revered as the pinnacle of recognition in quality and performance excellence, this award symbolises the utmost honour attainable by a company.
At the conclusion of the SLNQA evaluation process, companies receive a comprehensive feedback report from the panel of SLNQA examiners who possess extensive expertise in various sectors and industries. This feedback serves as a valuable framework for addressing future strategic challenges and evaluating progress in response to the evolving dynamics of the global economy. Therefore, the SLNQA criteria serve as an exceptional monitoring tool, fostering a conducive environment for achieving performance excellence and catalysing innovation within organisations. This, in turn, culminates in the creation of superior and sustainable products and services, while concurrently strengthening internal stakeholder motivation.
How do you perceive the capacity of smaller businesses to compete with larger organizations through such award programmes?
The parameters of the Sri Lanka National Quality Award (SLNQA) are meticulously crafted to identify top-performing organisations. Historically, this recognition has been bestowed upon wellestablished and experienced organizations that have consistently maintained high levels of performance over an extended period.
However, recognising the importance of providing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with opportunities to enhance their product quality and process excellence, the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) has introduced a more accessible award scheme known as the Small and Medium Enterprises Quality Award (SMEQA). SMEQA offers comprehensive guidelines tailored to SMEs, enabling them to aspire toward becoming top-performing organisations. Ultimately, this initiative aims to position SMEs as contenders for the prestigious SLNQA, fostering both local and international trust in their capabilities.