ASQ names 2010 International Team Excellence Award finalists

In this challenging economy, companies are more conscious than ever about balancing the need for quality products and services with efficient and cost-effective operations. The key to success lies in outstanding leadership and innovative thinking – key traits demonstrated by the 32 teams from around the world named finalists in the 25th annual International Team Excellence Award Process hosted by the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

Teams from nine countries and a broad spectrum of industries including manufacturing, service, education, healthcare and hospitality are vying for the coveted ASQ Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. The finalists’ projects showcase creative, innovative solutions and organizational cost-savings. The teams will be part of live project presentations May 24-26, 2010, at ASQ’s Annual World Conference on Quality and Improvement at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo. Conference attendees can observe team project presentations using quality tools and creativity to demonstrate valuable business insights. Winners will be recognized during an awards ceremony Wednesday, May 26, and will serve as benchmarks of organizational excellence in all industries for years to come.

Since 1985, more than 900 teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and the United States have participated in this outstanding team-recognition process — the only one of its kind in the United States. Well-known companies such as Alcoa, Baxter Healthcare, Bayer, Boeing and Fidelity have showcased proven results with long-term implications, resulting in cost-savings of millions of dollars.

The following finalists have been invited to participate in the 2010 International Team Excellence Award Process. Their project summaries can be found at wcqi.asq.org/team-competition/2010-teams/index.html.

• 3M, St. Paul, Minn.
• 3M, Knoxville, Iowa
• Allegheny Energy Inc., Greensburg, Pa.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.
• Bayer Healthcare, Mexico City, D. F. Mexico
• Continental Guadalajara Services Mexico S.A. de C.V.,Tlajomulco de Zuñiga, Jalisco, Mexico
• CSX Transportation, Jacksonville, Fla. (two teams)
• Fabrinet Co. Ltd., Lamlookka, Patumthanee Thailand
• Firstsource Advantage LLC, Amherst, N.Y.
• Firstsource Solutions Limited, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Housing & Development Board, Singapore
• Humana Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, Mumbai, Maharashtra India (three teams)
• Littelfuse Phils. Inc., Lipa City – Malvar, Batangas, Philippines
• Lockheed Martin – Missiles and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas
• Masterlease, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico
• Metal Container Corporation, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Ministry of Defence, Singapore (Republic of Singapore Navy), Singapore
• Movistar, Argentina
• Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division, Crane, Ind.
• School District of Lee County, Fort Myers, Fla.
• SGS, Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
• Telefonica, Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina (two teams)
• Boeing Company, Long Beach, Calif. (two teams)
• The Urology Group, Cincinnati, Ohio
• The West Paces Hotel Group, Auburn, Ala.
• U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

The International Team Excellence Award Process takes place during the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement. Keynote speakers at this year’s event include: Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company; Robert Stephens, founder and chief inspector of The Geek Squad; and Terry Jones, founder and former CEO of Travelocity.com.
Conference registration information can be found at wcqi.asq.org/index.html.

The American Society for Quality, www.asq.org, has been the world's leading authority on quality for more than 60 years. With more than 85,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As a champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers. ASQ has been the sole administrator of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991. Headquartered in Milwaukee, ASQ is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a prominent quarterly economic indicator, and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.