Use of Excellence Models as a Management Maturity Model (3M)

Abstract

Maturity models can be defined as approaches to improving the business process management (BPM) of any organisation, or, from a global system-wide perspective, the organisational processes.

The rationale behind the concept of maturity is that the organisations with experience carry out tasks systematically, where immature organisations achieve their outcomes as a result of considerable efforts of individuals using approaches that they create more or less spontaneously. Nowadays maturity models are indissolubly linked with the Process Maturity Models, as conceptual models that compares the maturity of organisation current practices against an industry standard. These models support any organisation to set priorities for improving the product/service operations in order to find the optimum levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

On the other hand, Excellence Models provide a holistic view of the organisation and it can be used to determine how these different methods fit together and complement each other. Any Excellence Model can therefore be used in conjunction with any number of these tools, including BPM, based on the needs and function of the organisation, as an overarching framework for developing sustainable excellence. In fact, one of the eight fundamental concepts of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model is “Managing with agility”, principle based on that excellent organisations are managed through structured and strategically aligned processes using fact-based decision making to create balanced and sustained results.

The structure of Excellence Models, in the case of the EFQM Excellence Model, includes the following criteria: Fundamental Concepts of Excellence; Model Criteria and; RADAR Logic. They allow to introduce a more complex concept about maturity in the management and not only in processes.

This chapter describes a new point of view of the concept of maturity model, introducing new evaluation elements beyond the concept of process.