1. Project Overview
The assessment is an adaption of the Baldrige Excellence Framework and looks to answer the
following question in seven key areas. Is your company in a position to build or maintain a
sustainable competitive advantage through a strategic pursuit of quality in six key areas? In each
key area, strengths, opportunities for improvement, proposed corrective actions are identified and
discussed.
Project Outline
The following document details the organizational assessment plan. It provides an overview of
the seven benchmarks that comprise the assessment. It also includes what information will need
to be provided.
Section 1 - Organization Profile and Leadership
A senior leader (or more than one) will be identified. Information discussed and analyzed
includes the leader’s background, personality, leadership and management styles.
Business Profile includes
• Business model
• Mission
• Long-term objectives
• Product offerings
• Key markets or market segments
• Competitive position
• Workforce size
• Assets
Questions:
• What is the history of the company?
• How many employees? Organizational structure?
• What are your key product offerings and services? What is the relative importance of
each to your success?
Helpful information:
• Organizational chart
• List of product offerings and key services
• Competitive information
• List of assets
Leadership Profile includes
• Leader(s) background
• Leader(s) character and personality
• Leadership style
• Management style
Questions:
• Which leader or leaders will be profiled?
• For each person:

2. o Describe your character and personality. What are some examples?
o Describe your leadership style. What are some examples?
o Describe your management style. What are some examples?
Helpful information:
• Resume/LinkedIn profile
Section 2 - Strategy
This section assesses the strategic planning process. This includes a discussion on how
innovation is stimulated, the core competencies of the company as well the company’s
competitive advantage. The company’s vision, mission and values are also explored.
Strategic planning process and innovation
Questions:
• What does your strategic planning process look like? What are the key steps in this
process? What does your strategic plan address and what is the time frame?
• How does your strategic process stimulate and incorporate innovation?
Helpful information:
• Copy of the strategic plan
• Examples/samples of innovation
Vision, Mission, Values, and Long-Term Objectives
Questions:
• What are your vision, mission, values, and long-term objectives?
• How do these elements aid your strategic planning process and help maintain a
sustainable competitive advantage?
Helpful information:
• Copy of vision, mission, values, and long-term objectives
Core Competencies and Competitive Advantage
Questions:
• What do you think your core competencies are?
• How do you use your core competencies to differentiate your business in the
marketplace?
Helpful Information:
• Information your team uses to differentiate your business from competitors
• List of competitors

3. Section 3 - Customer-centricity
Customer service will be evaluated. This section will look at how the company listens to
customers, interacts with them and how this information is used to improve customer
satisfaction.
Customer Listening
Questions:
• How do you listen to, interact with, and observe customers to obtain actionable
information?
Helpful Information:
• Documentation of any formalized listening process.
• Examples of how learnings have been used in improve process or add a new service.
Section 4 - Operational Performance/Knowledge Management
Here, performance measurements will be examined. This includes looking at key metrics and
benchmarks the company uses and how this information is used to improve strategy planning and
business practices.
Performance Measurement and Analysis
Questions:
• What key metrics or benchmarks do you track? How do you use this information to make
or influence business decisions?
• Why are these metrics important to your company?
• How often do you review these metrics?
• How do you use this information to make decisions about the company’s organizational
health, marketplace competitiveness, financial strength and progress on strategic
objectives?
• What system(s) do you have in place to be able to respond to rapid market place changes?
Helpful Information:
• Samples of the metrics
• Examples of how the metrics have been used
• Examples of times rapid response to marketplace changes has been needed.
Performance Review
Questions:
• How do you identify and implement best practices, innovation and continuous
improvement across the company?
Helpful Information:
• Examples of best practices, innovation and continuous improvement that have been
implemented

4. Section 5 - Workforce Management
This section looks at employees and the workplace environment. Concepts that are explored
include how does your company build a supportive and effective workforce environment, how
does the company determine workplace capability and capacity as well as how employees are
kept engaged.
Workforce Environment
Questions:
• How do you build a supportive and effective work environment?
• How do you organize and manage your employees?
• How do you assess your employee’s capabilities?
• How do you make sure your current future employee capabilities are in line with future
needs?
• What are your recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes?
Helpful Information:
• Copies of any policies or procedures related to the workforce environment.
Workforce Development
Questions:
• How do you support the professional growth needs of your employees, managers, and
leaders?
• How does this align with future needs of your company?
Helpful Information:
• Examples professional opportunities that have been made available to employees
Section 6 - Operations Management
Questions surrounding work process and process management are addressed in this section.
Operational effectiveness is also addressed. This includes supply chain management and
operational expenses.
Work Processes and Process Management
Questions:
• How do you design, manage, and improve your key products and work processes?
• How do you improve your processes to improve products and performances, enhance
core competencies, and reduce variability?
Helpful Information:
• Any documentation of process improvements

5. Operational Effectiveness
Questions:
• How does your company ensure effective management of your company?
• How do you manage your supply chain?
• How do you manage the overall costs of your operations?
Helpful Information:
• Operational information to provide insight into supply change management, cost
containment
Section 7 – Marketplace and Financial Performance and Results
This section will examine marketplace and financial performance. The marketplace analysis will
look at your performance and customer satisfaction. The financial analysis will review your
financial results.
Marketplace Performance and Results
Questions:
• How do you define your marketplace?
• How is your company doing in the defined marketplace?
• How satisfied and/or dissatisfied do you think your customers are?
Helpful Information:
• Marketplace definitions
• Marketplace metrics
• Anecdotes of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction
Financial Performance and Results
Questions:
• What are your financial goals?
• How are these goals determined?
• What metrics do you monitor to make sure you are on track to meet your goals?
Helpful Information:
• Income statement for three years
• Balance sheet for three years
• Statement of cash flows for three years