Operations ManagementQuality - Essay Example

Operations Management-Quality The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards was established by the Public Law of 100 to 107. The of the award was given by the congress in the honor of Malcolm Baldrige who was the Secretary of Commerce from 1981 until his death in an accident in 1987. He was an advocate of the quality management and played a major role for the state's success and long lasting power. He was personally interested in the quality improvement act which was ultimately named after him that helped the state in many ways.

However, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards was signed into law was on August 20, 1987. It led to the establishment of an innovative public and private partnership. The main support for the act comes from the Foundation of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards which was recognized in 1988. However, the purpose of this award is for the betterment of manufacturing and services of small and large businesses, education, health, non-profit corporations that relate and are reviewed to be remarkable in several areas of leadership and strategic planning, measurement, knowledge management, human resource, process management and their outcomes.

This award is only given by the president of the United States to the businesses and corporations. The award program was created by the parliament in 1987 to be familiar with the United States organizations for their success in quality, performance and to increase awareness about the significance of quality and performance superiority as a viable edge. Although, the award is not only given for a particular product and service, but is divided into different categories such as manufacturing, service, education, small business, nonprofit organizations and health care services.

In 1980's, many of the government officials and industry saw that a transformed emphasis on quality has become a necessity for doing a business rather than just being an option. But unfortunately, many of the businesses did not believe in quality or they did not know from where to begin. This award was however, foreseen as the excellence of standard that helped the U.S. corporations to attain first class quality. Like this, awards can motivate industries to achieve their main goal and world class quality for products and services.

The category of Baldrige Award has played a main role in accomplishing the goals which are established by the parliament. It was designed to assist organizations for the improvement by focusing two major goals; improving the performance and delivering the enhanced value to the customers. This award act has been proved to be successful for both government and private sector. Government spends about $7 million yearly and $100 million from the private sector including $10 million raised by private industry to help initiate the program.

Every year, about more than three hundred specialist from the industry, government, non-profit organizations and educational institute's volunteer a lot of their time for the award, conducting site visits and provides the applicant with a positive feedback. The Baldrige Award winners have shown a lot of efforts as well. (NIST, 2008).BibliographyNIST. (2008). Baldrige National Quality Program. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from http://www.quality.nist.gov./