Process

The Greater Memphis Association for Quality provides a mechanism to recognize local organizations that excel in quality management. Like the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, GMAQ provides a process for continuous self-assessment and improvement for organizations seeking the highest levels of overall quality performance.

Award Categories

Applications submitted by interested organizations are screened by a team of trained examiners from industry and academia. Recognition is based on three levels of evaluation.

• Quality Commitment - Level I

An award for enlightened organizations that have begun an initial focus on adopting and applying quality principles.
• Quality Progress - Level II

An intermediate level award for organizations reflecting commitment and varying stages of development of total quality initiatives.
• Quality Leadership - Level III

The highest level for organizations demonstrating significant accomplishments in implementing quality principles that have impacted operations and quality results of the organization. (Level III applicants will receive a site visit by a team of examiners.)
• Pyramid of Excellence

Organizations that achieve the quality leadership level and exceed a minimum threshold scoring formula will be presented this prestigious award.

Site Visits: Applicants for Level I and II have the option to receive a site visit. Level III applicants must receive a site visit to be eligible for Level III recognition.

To apply for any of the levels, an organization must be located in the Greater Memphis Region, including Arkansas and Mississippi, and fall into one of the following categories: manufacturing, service, small business, nonprofit, healthcare, or education.

Benefits of the GMAQ Award

You can expect to receive several benefits from participating in the award process.

• Improve you ability to analyze quality processes from the feedback report, which identifies your business strengths and improvement opportunities.

 
• Obtain the opportunity to benchmark your quality systems/approaches with others.

 
• Accelerate your ability to improve products, services, internal processes, and your organization's capabilities.

• Prepare you organization for ISO 9000 certification, the Tennessee Quality Award, the Mississippi and Arkansas State Awards, and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

 
• Receive recognition for your organization's efforts and achievements.

Application

Application materials can be obtained by contacting:
Greater Memphis Association for Quality
Executive Director
The University of Memphis
213 Alumni Center
Memphis, TN 38152-3760
(901) 678-4268 FAX (901) 678-4301

Fees

A $100 fee is required, plus an additional charge of $1 per full-time employee, the combined total not to exceed $500. If the organization is a member of GMAQ, there is a 25% discount on the application fee

Confidentiality

Information contained in applications or obtained during site visits will be regarded as strictly confidential.