ISO 9000 series registration to business excellence: the migratory path

Plots a path from a base of ISO 9000 series system registration to the effective use of self‐assessment against the criteria of an excellence model (e.g. the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model or the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) model). Both the ISO 9000 series and excellence models define the total quality management (TQM) philosophy in a specific way, but at different levels of TQM maturity. The gap between the TQM maturity levels defined through the ISO 9000 series and an excellence model are pointed out in the paper. An eight step approach is described that shows how an organisation can move forward from an ISO 9000 series base to be in a position to challenge for a recognised quality/excellence award. The implementation of self‐assessment against an excellence model is an important element in this migratory path. It is also pointed out that organisations need some experience with TQM before being able to effectively use self‐assessment against an excellence model.