When we decided to write the first edition of this book, we were
heavily involved as assessors in the European Quality Award and
UK Quality Award. This has continued and continues to be a great
learning experience, which we would encourage the reader to get
involved in if at all possible. Our experience as researchers and
consultants in the field of business excellence has built on this
experience and has encouraged us to share our experiences of
the Award processes and organizational self-assessments. Having
worked with many leading organizations on their journey to
excellence, we are convinced that the Excellence frameworks
used in the Award processes offer a unique opportunity to integrate
the business excellence philosophy into standard business
practice. In too many organizations excellence is a veneer rather
than being integrated into the organization.