ACES Course Description
- Achieving Competitive Excellence Series
- ACES Course Description
- Simplified Organizational Profile and Relationship to Modules
- Leadership System
- Strategic Planning and Strategy Implementation System
- Customer Intimacy System
- Communication System
- Product and Service Development and Delivery System
- Measurement and Analysis System
- Process Management and Improvement System
- Performance Management System
- Feedback Evaluation
- Self-Assessment
Who Should Attend
All the modules are designed for the senior leadership team. Ideally, 5-16 of the top leaders of the organization will receive the training module first, will develop their plans and will then teach it to others in the firm as a way to introduce and earn support for the plans.
Promoting Baldrige
The curriculum was designed to first appeal to small to medium manufacturers on the basis of helping them improve their organizational capabilities and achieve better results through the training provided. Therefore, we recommend waiting until the organization has completed whatever modules they choose to take before "pulling it all together" with a discussion of how the concepts relate to the Baldrige framework.
Pricing and Letter of Agreement
Prices are determined by the instructing organization and should be based at least partially on the learners' ability to pay. The goal of ACES is to engage firms in the proven Baldrige Award principles and to help them become more competitive and successful. However, another important goal is to earn money for the state programs.
Once agreement has been reached between the instructing and learning organizations, a letter of agreement should be signed by both. A sample letter follows.
Evaluation Questionnaire
A questionnaire that has the learners evaluate the courses is attached. Each training session allows time for the learners to fill out and return the questionnaire so that the instructing organization and instructor can continue to improve the modules.
Keeping the Curriculum Current
Because the curriculum was intentionally designed to reflect the underlying systems required for organizations pursuing performance excellence rather than to the Baldrige Criteria, there are no references specific to any version of the Criteria. Therefore, other than adding key concepts to modules, where appropriate, there should be no need to revise the curriculum when new versions of the Criteria are published.
Getting Started
Below are instructions for pulling together all the components of the ACES training curriculum.
- Read and review all training materials.
- Review the material relative to the client's needs. You will use the questionnaire "About Your Organization" (found at the end of each Instructor's Guide) to gather facts on the client organization. It is based on a simplified Organizational Profile. The linkages to the curriculum modules are shown on the following pages. Those questions that were difficult for the client to answer or difficult on which to get agreement point to a probable need for the referenced modules. Determine if there is any particular sequence in which to present the modules.
- If minor changes are needed, modify materials being mindful of the impact of any changes on such things as page numbers that may be referenced elsewhere.
- Add your state Baldrige organization's logo to each of the three main module components (Slides, Participant's Workbook, and Instructor's Guide). There is a space indicated for each of these showing the maximum size and location for a professional look. On the PowerPoint slides, the logo is included in the Title Master and Slide Master and is different sizes in each. In the Word documents, the logo is in the footer (cover only for the Instructor's Guide; cover and contents for the Participant's Workbook and different sizes in each).
- When printing the Participant's Workbook and Instructor's Guide, follow instructions in document "Printing Instructions."
- We recommend setting up a 3-ring binder for each participant, filling it with content of the modules purchased as they are rolled out. In some cases, materials need to be sent ahead of the instructor so that the participants can do appropriate pre-work.
- We have provided a cover for the overall 3-ring binder that can be slid into a clear sleeve on the cover of the binder. Each module can be set-up with a tab and there is a cover for the materials for each module as well.
Once you have reviewed everything and are ready to go, as the Training Organization you will then need to:
- Provide the Client Organization (receiving the training) with advance materials for the first module as needed. All should be pre-punched for 3-ring binder use.
- At the first session, provide each participant with a 3-ring binder (with cover inserted, perhaps 1½" or 2" capacity). This will already include:
- Table of Contents
- Tabs for all modules (ordered by the client or not)
- Contents for first session incorporated behind appropriate tab
- As each succeeding session takes place, provide the participants materials for that session, again pre-punched for use in the binder. Some materials may have to be provided in advance, which can be done at the end of the prior module (recommended), or shipped to the Client Organization ahead of the next session.
Timing
Each module's training is timed to last between 3 hours and 4 hours. Large groups and a high degree of discussion tend to add time to the training.
