Baldrige Framework for Process Excellence
Since 2008, Language Solutions has been studying, implementing and applying the Malcolm Baldrige criteria for performance excellence inside and out of our organization. The Baldrige Framework for Process Excellence is rooted in our process management. We’ve been actively involved in the Missouri Quality Award process, with leadership and project management involvement as Baldrige Examiners.
Applying the Baldrige Framework
The Baldrige Framework is the most comprehensive and holistic framework we know that guides organizations through the process of achieving its mission and vision. As a service company, we must always strive for continuous improvement in order to reach excellent customer satisfaction, translation quality and accuracy, cost efficiency and innovation.
The Baldrige Criteria focus is on competitiveness—specifically for the delivery of ever-improving value to customers, the improvement of overall organizational effectiveness and capabilities, and organizational and personal learning. We are the only Translation firm in our Industry to follow the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence
Our Toolbox within the Baldrige Framework
The Baldrige Framework is not prescriptive and allows us any imaginable tool available to accomplish our goals. It incentivizes us to think about process excellence that reaches beyond our organization. The tools that we use and have developed are:
- ISO 9001:2015
- Process Improvement Methodologies
- Capabilities Maturity Models
- Reporting Models
- Voice of the Customer
- Our 7 categories in the Baldrige Framework
Language Solutions has been ISO 9001:2008 certified since 2011 and recertified in 2018 for the new ISO 9001:2015 standard. Key aspects of ISO 9001:2015 in our organization are:
To have a defined Quality Management System;
To have a standardized documented process to ensure continuity and accountability;
A formal corrective and preventative process to facilitate continuous improvement;
To provide appropriate training to all members of the organization.
Use of risk register to plan, implement and mitigate all risk
This is the foundation to our Localization Maturity Model that we developed. We are actively engaged with our clients to integrate the translation process within the framework of our client’s organization. As organizations grow and mature, so should their translation/localization processes. We provide the data, measures and tools to help our clients. In 2017, we offered this to the Industry as a whole to help improve it and now offer it to organizations who manage their translations inhouse and want to assess, benchmark and implement objectives and metrics already developed and tested for this industry
We provide insight for clients into project performance through customized reporting.
Our Voice of the Customer initiative has been one of our most valuable insights. We continue to use the Voice of the Customer process to capture real client feedback to improve our company.
Leadership involvement in the process is crucial to excellence in process management. The Baldrige Criteria has us examine how our Senior Leaders’ personal actions guide and sustain our organization. In addition, it also has us measuring how we fulfill our legal, ethical and societal responsibilities.
Strategy
Our strategic process is driven by ISO 9001:2008 standards. In our annual Strategic Planning Process, defined in our ISO 9001:2008 process, we review our mission, vision and values, our customer and supplier inputs and our performance indicators to set the strategic framework for the new year. This allows us to be agile and respond to customer needs and strategic advantages and threats to better serve our customers in the future.
Customer Focus
The customer is always at the heart of the process. Here are our principles:
- Focus on Customer Learning and Transparency
• Focus on Key Performance Indicators
• Voice of the Customer
Localization Maturity – this was specifically developed for our customers to help them succeed. We wanted to go beyond just great customer service and develop specific tools for our clients along with mentoring to help them on this journey.
Knowledge Management
Our organization regularly measures, analyzes, reviews and improves its performance through the use of data and information at all levels. Ask us about our Key Performance Indicators and how it benefits you, the client. We use this data to constantly improve our organization and to share with others so that they may improve.
Workforce
The Baldrige Focus is on workforce capability and engagement that relates to our processes which better serves our clients. We collect and analyze key measures of workforce satisfaction and development.
Operations
The Baldrige Operations Focus examines how our organization designs, manages, and improves its work systems and work processes to deliver stakeholder value and achieve organizational success and sustainability.
Results
The Business Results Category provides a results focus that encompasses our objective evaluation and our customers’ evaluation of our organization’s services, our overall financial and market performance, our leadership system and social responsibility results, and results of all key processes and process improvement activities.