Transformation of the EFQM approach from business towards operations excellence

The purpose of this paper is to provide an enabler-based approach for a supervised self-assessment of operations excellence (OsE). Based on the latest approaches of excellence in operations from the literature as well as on the philosophy of the EFQM model, an OsE working definition was developed. In contrast to operational excellence (OE), which deals exclusively with the optimization of result driven processes, OsE promotes the enhancement of operation-specific enablers and linked results. The evaluation of crucial cause–effect relationships of relevant enabler and result criteria supports the determination of a company’s capability to achieve sustainability and excellence in terms of its operations. To foster a methodical integration of OsE in organizations, a phase model for a systematic assessment process was designed and verified with 24 companies in the Austrian machinery and metalware industries.