Performance Excellence Reflective Essay

Running Head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY 1

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Professor

Course

Date

Performance Excellence

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 2

Introduction

Performance excellence is considered an imperative concept in every organization,

especially where quality drives the organization’s vision and mission. Performance excellence

concerns quality in the management of an organization since an organization cannot be

concentrate exclusively on excellence of the products or services. This implies that an

organization has to incorporate quality aspects in all its functioning units including the

management, considering that the management drives quality matters within the organization.

Therefore, the managing team has to understand quality aspects before implementation of

quality-related improvements. Performance excellence is realized at the time when a firm or

company acquires optimum profitability in their dealings, considering the human, capital,

monetary resources that the firm or organization holds.

Performance excellence concerns management approaches that often bringing about

conveyance of quality services or products to consumers, advancement of general organizational

efficiency and capabilities and learning within the organization, as well as at the personal level

(Lindsay & Evans, 2008). Performance excellence is usually utilized by organization in various

ways. They comprise of creating an understanding on consumer needs or requirements, assuring

consumers that an organization possesses the required competence and tools for adequate

customer satisfaction. In addition, firms or organizations employ performance excellence in

tracking improvements and success through utilization of performance measures. Moreover,

organizations employ performance excellence in making sure that all processes function well

through constant checks and feedback. Performance excellence is one of the attributes that most

successive organizations or firms hold, considering that it is a requirement for offering quality

commodities and services. Performance excellence adds into organizational sustainability and

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 3

firms acquire other benefits upon embracing its principles within the firm’s systems and

functionality (Lindsay & Evans, 2008).

The commonest principles that performance excellence concentrate on are fundamental

management elements that comprise of the focus that the consumer and stakeholder obtains,

employee commitment and cooperation within the organization and management of the

organization through accurate information (Evans, 2011). The other principles that performance

excellence exploits include process flow propped up by continual improvements and knowledge

acquisition, visionary leadership that considers performance excellence an in-built system and

strategic application of quality aspects in gaining a competitive edge over other organizations.

Performance Excellence Index (PEI) is employed as the measure for the industry and

country overall quality performances (Wiley, 2010). The hi-tech manufacturing category has the

highest score considering the degree of favorability of the questioned that are usually considered.

These questions include the level of senior management commitment towards the provision of

high quality merchandise or services to consumers, performance standards set for a particular

service or good, response to consumer-related problems, utilization of consumer feedback in

enhancing job processes, knowledge acquisition for maintenance of consumer requirements and

participating in organizational decision-making processes (Wiley, 2010). Despite the actuality

that the healthcare category has a lower PEI scores, some organizations have managed to realize

performance excellence in their operations. Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS) has received

several performance excellence awards, owing to their excellence in service delivery through

integration of performance excellence principles into their management approaches and systems.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 4

PVHS have managed to acquire performance excellence through incorporation of quality

elements in service conveyance to its customers through utilization of customer feedback and

continuous improvement of work processes (Evans, 2011). The organization concentrates on the

prospective service delivery and through partnerships; the organization has managed to convert

competitors into associates. Partnerships have enabled the organization provide quality services

since it manages to outsource services to experts in a particular field. The organization’s

partnership with physicians has allowed the organization to obtain quality services on matters

relating to physicians (Evans, 2011). Additionally, the organization have managed to develop its

partner base to take in other bodies for instance home health organizations, permanent care

providers, societal health agencies and other related bodies. PVHS has improved quality of

service since it utilizes feedback gathered from these affiliate organizations for the realization of

performance excellence. Some partnerships have directed to development of new hospitals in

different regions for instance Scottsbluff, Nebraska. In this case, PVHS gathered information

from service consumers after which it enhanced emergency services through improvements on

the emergency room design (Evans, 2011). Additionally, PVHS enhanced services through

construction of private rooms for patients with opening windows, healing gardens and other

necessary amenities. Undertaking these improvements demonstrate the management’s

commitment towards achieving quality standards through utilization of consumer feedback.

PVHS built a performance improvement framework regarded as the Global Path to

Success (GPS) (Evans, 2011). This framework allows senior management and staff to combine

vital processes. Consequently, users can measure progress on important components through

utilization of electronic Balanced Scorecard System (Evans, 2011). Blue and green are utilized as

the measures for the organization’s performance where these colors demonstrate the

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 5

organization’s level of realization of its objectives. Conversely, yellow or red serves to indicate

an action plan that is often supervised by the relevant senior person within the organization

(Evans, 2011). The action plan is usually utilized in the correction of certain situations brought

forward by the customers of that organization. This covers the question on addressing customer-

related problems or response to problems that arise in consumer service acquisition.

The organization commitment to quality has enabled the organization realize

performance excellence since the organization utilizes innovative technologies in handling

consumer problems. PVHS ensures quality through invention and experimentation of fresh

systems and technologies that meet the current healthcare requirements (Evans, 2011). PVHS

served as one of the pioneers who utilized robotic-assisted surgery systems within the healthcare

system. Additionally, the organization was in the forefront in the incorporation of medical

imaging systems in the healthcare sector. The organization has been offering user-friendly

electronic system that enables streaming of accurate and real-time data in order to ensure that

patients receive quality services (Evans, 2011). This demonstrates the organization’s dedication

towards offering its customers satisfactory services. The organization has adequately realized

quality services through integration of information systems that assist the organization in running

its operations. The organization promotes patient experiences through utilization a patient

educational program that enable patients to gain access to information regarding their caretakers

and offer feedback in the form of complaints or compliments (Evans, 2011).

The organization concentrates on offering services in accordance to the set standards and

prevents any incidences that lower level of service delivery within the institution. The

organization realizes total quality through the management’s commitment towards quality

services. This is evident through the issuance of strict quality standards during treatment of

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 6

patients and utilization of highly qualified employees. High qualifications within the employee

base assists in preventing inexperienced persons from offering services to patients.

The organization has presented outstanding performances in patient safety, operational

and monetary performance and other outcomes that are considered in determining performance

excellence in health care. The organization’s patient satisfaction attainment goes beyond the

nationalized top, which runs at 10 %. Additionally, the organization priced its services at

approximately $2000 less relative to its competitors (Evans, 2011). The organization’s monetary

and market performances confirm its management approaches thus indicating that the

organization has realized performance excellence. The organization has acquired the maximum

profitability level, considering the assets and resources that it owns. This is evidenced by the

outstanding monetary performances that make the firm price its services at lower levels that most

competitors cannot surpass. The organization has realized performance excellence through the

nurturing of culture that concentrates on quality, high operational standards and realizing the

requirements of service consumers and stakeholders. Moreover, the organization has managed to

accomplish performance excellence, owing to the presence of planning systems that are in line

with organizational objectives and that offer course for progression (Evans, 2011). The planning

systems results into innovative technologies together with outstanding practices that improve the

quality of service conveyance. The senior management dedication to supporting, expanding and

involving the workforce allows proper running of the organizational operations at all levels

(Evans, 2011).

Quality outcomes within the organization could be perfected through acquisition of

adequate training in the emerging technological systems within the health care system. The

training ought to be focused on all employees and patients. Training should serve to impart

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 7

knowledge for effectiveness and sustainability within the organization. Adequate training can

lessen cases of poor service conveyance to patients thus further improving customer satisfaction,

which is the major objective of offering quality services. Offering training on emerging

technological systems to patients can allow patients to understand the ways these systems work

thus improving the effectiveness of treatment for long-term patients. Participative decision-

making can enable employees develop appropriate programs and systems that may improve the

quality of services that the hospitals offer. Additionally, participative decision-making may

enable the senior management understand problems that other employees undergo during service

delivery. The management team can exploit the feedback from other employees to formulate

management approaches, which adequately address the underlying predicaments. Addressing

these factors adequately improves the organization’s outcomes in that, these factors are major

considerations in the measurement of PEI that determines the level of performance excellence.

The most imperative learning experience obtained through a probe into the healthcare

industry or sector is that, performance excellence can only be attained by organizations with

great focus on the provision of quality services. In view of the state of most organization within

this sector, little has been accomplished in the healthcare sector. However, certain organizations

for instance PVHS have incorporated performance excellence principles into their operations and

systems thus surpassing players within the industry. Additionally, PVHS through their

performance excellence have considerably reduced the cost of healthcare services, considering

the management approaches used and optimal utilization of the available resources. Therefore,

any organization can attain performance excellence, despite the industry’s overall performance.

However, the management has to demonstrate its commitment towards the provision of quality

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 8

services or products that adequately addresses consumer requirements. The management has to

set high standards in the quality of services or commodities that the organization deals in.

Conclusion

Performance excellence is accomplished in an organization once the organization

acquires maximum profits in its operations through utilization of the various resources that it

possesses. Different industries have varying degree of performance excellence with the hi-tech

manufacturing sector possessing the highest score. Healthcare sector has a lower PEI score

although some organizations such as PVHS have continually achieved performance excellence.

PVHS has realized performance excellence through utilization of consumer feedback to provide

better services, focus on quality services, worker cooperation, utilization of effective

management approaches that incorporate performance excellence principles and management

dedication towards the provision of quality services.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY 9

References

Evans, J. R. (2011). Quality and performance excellence: Management,

Organization and strategy. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Lindsay, W. M. & Evans, J. R. (2008). Managing for quality and performance excellence.

Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western.

Wiley, J. W. (2010). Driving Success Through Performance Excellence and Employee

Engagement.

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