The EFQM Global Awards are a prestigious business awards ceremony. The awards have been running for several years now. The awards for 2021 have now been announced and can be seen on the EFQM Global Awards website https://www.efqm.org/news/726-global-award-winners-2021/.
The objectives of the EFQM Global Award are to recognize outstanding organisations worldwide, regardless of size, initiative or sector focus. These organisations prove a track record of extraordinary achievement in transforming strategy to implementation and the continued improvement of their overall performance. EFQM recognises the unique combination of a business’s vision, mission and values along with its organisational structures, policies, practices and staff. To this end, all organisations are assessed on three different dimensions: corporate governance, corporate management and working practices, and sustainability. The purpose of the EFQM Global Award, named after the late Dr Elisabeth Deutsch, is to reward and recognise the most proactively successful companies in the global market.
An indisputable track record of successful performance is required if an organisation is to receive the EFQM Global Award. To achieve this, the organisation must first be able to provide evidence of continuous improvement and an overall commitment to building a stronger, more diverse and more sustainable organisation. As well as providing evidence of continued progress, organisations need to have in place effective systems, processes and structures to ensure that these goals can be achieved. The main criteria for selection of the awardees includes a commitment to sustainability, an ability to achieve synergies and an ability to build a culture of high quality and effective performance.
As a part of the selection process for the EFQM Global Award, the first pharmaceutical company that will be reviewed is Sanofi Aventis. Sanofi Aventis is a world leader in the production of vaccines and medicines. The company is dedicated to the manufacture of essential vaccines and has successfully led the way in terms of quality, cost and delivery time. As one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in France, Sanaf added the EFQM Global Award to its impressive pharmaceutical portfolio, which includes operations in numerous countries across the globe. The EFQM Global Award provides a platform for pharmaceutical leaders to share their experiences, provide tips and advice on the best practices with a view to improving the quality of pharmaceuticals and develop guidelines for future developments in the pharmaceutical industry.
Once the selection process has been completed, a feedback report is then sent out to all organisations that had been assessed. The feedback report contains detailed information on each of the organisations that were assessed. It covers the areas of impact and importance that were identified during the assessment process and also gives an overview of the feedback that was received from staff during the entire process. The scope of the project is then presented. Each of the organisations involved in the project is then asked to comment on the feedback that has been provided. Comments are provided on a template that can be used to produce final proposals and documents.
The EFQM Global Award highlights the importance of the on-site review and assessment team. The team should consist of experts in pharmaceuticals and have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the issues that the organisation is dealing with. It is important that the team has appropriate expertise in order to deliver clear and unbiased advice to the Board and to the stakeholders. It is also essential that the team is independent and thorough so as to provide objective and reliable advice. The experts are chosen from a pool of candidates invited by the Board. The selection process ensures that only those individuals who meet the guidelines of excellence are invited to participate in the EFQM Global Award.
The EFQM Global Award recognises those organisations that have developed policies that are based on the guidelines provided by the award and sets out criteria for identifying such policies. It also recognises those organisations that demonstrate the commitment required for sustainable growth in an environmentally responsible way. The scope of the projects included in the award is also set out in a detailed manner. This enables the organisation to track progress made towards attaining sustainability. The Global Award aims to help define new benchmarks that will drive continued improvement in all areas of organisational performance, making this truly one of the most significant sustainability awards available today.