EFQM Excellence Model

Every organization aspires to stand out and achieve excellence. However, in today’s world of increasing demands and growing competition, reaching excellence is far from simple. To be successful and consistently maintain high levels of performance—regardless of size or sector—organizations often need to adopt an appropriate management framework.

For both private and public sector organizations, a proven framework is the EFQM Excellence Model, also known as the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model. Developed through an initiative of representatives of European organizations, it has been widely applied across Europe. The effort to institutionalise this model culminated in 1988, when the presidents of leading companies such as Bosch, Electrolux, Fiat, Philips, Nestlé, and Volkswagen, with the support of the European Commission, established the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). The creation of the model was also inspired by the existence of quality improvement frameworks in the United States (the Malcolm Baldrige Model) and in Japan (the Deming Prize). Developing the EFQM Excellence Model was therefore a necessary step on Europe’s path towards quality.

The Need for the Model and Its Essence

One of the key questions when selecting an appropriate management model is: what benefits can we gain from applying it? By adopting the EFQM Excellence Model, an organisation can:

• Assess its current position on the journey to excellence and identify its strengths and areas for improvement,
• Gain a structured approach to organisational improvement,
• Create a common language and methodology applicable across the entire organisation,
• Evaluate its performance based on objective evidence,
• Encourage teamwork and enhance employee engagement,
• Obtain a comprehensive overview of its activities, goals, and initiatives,
• Reduce duplication and identify deficiencies,
• Benchmark its performance against other organisations, and
• Gain a realistic, measurable picture of its performance.

The EFQM Excellence Model is a quality management tool designed for any organisation—public or private—aiming for continuous improvement. It integrates three key elements which, when applied together, foster sustainable success and enable comparison with other organisations, thereby promoting a culture of excellence:

• Principles of Excellence – essential for achieving sustainable excellence and providing a common language for leadership;
• RADAR Logic – a management tool for assessing the organisation’s level of quality and analysing its performance;
• The EFQM Excellence Model itself – the practical framework that puts the Principles of Excellence and RADAR Logic into action, helping leaders understand the cause-and-effect relationships between what the organisation does and what it achieves.

The goal of the model is to enable organisations to achieve outstanding results by engaging all employees in developing and improving processes. Like the ISO 9000 standards, it is based on a process-oriented approach, allowing activities at all levels of the organisation to be analysed and improved.

Structure of the EFQM Excellence Model

The structure of the model consists of two main parts: Enablers and Results.

• The Enablers criteria examine what the organisation does and how it operates.
• The Results criteria focus on what the organisation achieves as a consequence of these enablers.

The model’s underlying logic is that excellent results for employees, customers, society, and key performance outcomes can only be achieved if the Enabler criteria—expressed through five factors: Leadership, People, Strategy, Partnerships & Resources, and Processes, Products & Services—are effectively met.

European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)

Today, the model is managed and promoted by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), based in Brussels, which owns the EFQM brand. The organisation brings together members from both the private and public sectors, forming a network that shares experiences, best practices, and know-how related to implementing the EFQM strategies and principles.

Further information about the EFQM Excellence Model, including publications, events, and membership opportunities, can be found on the official EFQM website: www.efqm.org.

Slovak Society for Quality – National EFQM Partner

The Slovak Society for Quality serves as the national EFQM partner in Slovakia, authorised to provide certified training and assessment under the auspices of the European Foundation for Quality Management. More information about the EFQM Excellence Model is available on the website of the national partner.