Gaithersburg, MD-The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program has benefited the U.S. economy by $25 billion since its inception in 1987 through 2000. That's according to economists Albert Link, of the University of North Carolina, and John Scott of Dartmouth.
During that time, 41 companies have won the award out of the 785 applications submitted to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). But the program has benefited "thousands" of other organizations through the "Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence," with quality improvement programs and performance management.
Link and Scot came up with their total economic benefit by first surveying corporate members of the American Society for Quality. They estimated the total benefits to members as $2.17 billion and then extrapolated the results.
Copies of the report are available at www.nist.gov/director/prog-ofc/report01-3.pdf.
In other Baldrige Award news, applicants for the 2002 award will automatically get a seat on the award's board of examiners. Such an arrangement will improve organization's understanding of the criteria, allow them to learn how other leading groups achieve performance excellence, and facilitate networking with other quality professionals. Board members will not review their own or affiliated organizations' applications, and cannot ask to see any that they have not been assigned. Applications are due by March 18, 2002.
Go to www.quality.nist.gov for more information.
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