Organizations Benefit When Using Baldrige Criteria
(links are to organization profiles)
Baldrige in Education
K-12
Iredell-Statesville Schools (PDF)
- The district improved its academic composite ranking from 55th to 9th in North Carolina.
- The graduation rate increased from 61% to 81% (11th in the state).
- The average SAT score of 1056 in 2008 was better than the average score in peer districts (995), the state (1007), and the nation (1017).
- For reading, students achieved a 90.6% proficiency rate on the state assessment, the proficiency gap between African-American students and all students shrank from 23% to 12.3%, and the proficiency gap between exceptional students and all students shrank from 42% to 21%, all in 2006-2007.
- The district's dropout rate-previously one of the worst in the state-reached the top ten.
Jenks Public Schools (PDF)
- Turnover rates for teaching staff in 2003 and 2004 were 11% and 6%, respectively, compared to a national rate of 20% for both years.
- 37% of the class of 2004 earned an Advanced Placement (AP) test score of 3 or better, compared to 13% of students nationally and 21.2% in Oklahoma.
- Jenks ranked in the top 1% of schools in the state.
- Graduation rates were 93%, 94%, and 95%, respectively, for 2003-2005.
- The dropout rate fell from 6.3% in 1994 to 1.2% in 2004.
Community Consolidated School District 15 (PDF)
- In 2002-2003, 84% of second-grade students were reading at or above grade level, nearly 35 percentage points above the national average.
- Eighth graders' "enthusiasm for learning," a key performance target, increased from 42% to 82% for reading, 50% to 80% for math, and 42% to 82% for science from 2001-2002 to 2002-2003.
- The certified staff turnover rate was 11.7% in 2002-2003 against a national average of 20%.
- The district outperformed its three comparison districts in cost per percentage point of student performance on state learning standards tests.
- Results on the California Achievement Test increased from the 28th to the 71st percentile in reading, from the 54th to the 78th in math, and from the 26th to the 72nd in language from 1995 to 1999.
- Chugach topped the state average in four subject areas tested in Alaska's High School Graduation Qualifying Examination.
- The district led the formation of the Alaska Quality Schools Coalition, and 12 U.S. school districts replicated the model.
- 100% of district students graduated from high school. The percentage of students graduating with a Regents diploma (a key objective) increased from 63% to 86%.
- Student satisfaction increased from 70% to 92% between 1998 and 2001; parent satisfaction increased from 62% to 96% between 1996 and 2001.
- Staff satisfaction was 98%, and faculty satisfaction was 96% in 2001.
- 75% of special education students took the SAT I exam, compared with 3% in the state and 2% nationwide.
Higher Education
Richland College (PDF)
- The employment rate for students taking technical training or workforce development classes reached nearly 100%.
- The number of students completing the core curriculum in preparation for transfer to four-year institutions grew from 500 in 2002 to 1,660 in 2005.
- For classes scheduled, class-time convenience, variety of courses, and intellectual growth-measures students rated as the most important-student satisfaction surpassed the Noel Levitz national norm over four years.
- The college found innovative ways to keep tuition rates low and quality high when state funding dropped from 70% to 30% over three legislative sessions.
Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business (PDF)
- Student performance on nationally administered exit exams was well above the national mean and reached the top 10% in 2003-2004.
- The college ranked in the top 10% nationally on 10 of 16 student satisfaction measures in a 2004 survey by Educational Benchmarking, Inc.
- 90% or more of the organizations employing students rated the program good or excellent.
- The college is one of just five undergraduate-only business schools in the nation accredited in business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
- From 1996 to 2001, the job placement rate for graduates was at or above 98%.
- 99% of employers surveyed rated graduates as well prepared.
- Approximately 90% of alumni said they would attend the university again.
Baldrige in Health Care
- For key patient outcomes, AtlantiCare was ranked in the national top 10% by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- AtlantiCare exceeded the Professional Research Consultants' national 90th percentile for several areas of customer satisfaction from 2007 to 2009 and led the market in customer preference in 2008.
- Workforce engagement ranked close to the 90th percentile nationally, and turnover rates for nurses were substantially lower than the state average for hospitals.
- AtlantiCare provided 90% of the free care in the county in 2008.
- Overall outpatient satisfaction ratings were at 90% between 2006 and 2009.
- The Community Health Plan ranked above the National Committee for Quality Assurance's 90th percentile, and Heartland was ranked in the top 15% nationally for patient safety by HealthGrades.
- Cost savings resulting from process improvement increased from around $8 million in 2005 to more than $25 million in 2009.
Poudre Valley Health System (PDF)
- For patient loyalty, Poudre Valley ranked in the top 1% of U.S. hospitals.
- Treatment of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia ranked in the top 10% for national performance standards.
- Physician satisfaction was in the national 99th percentile.
Mercy Health System (PDF)
- Against a benchmark of 4%, the community-acquired pneumonia mortality rate was 1.2%.
- Mercy was named one of "Best Employers for Workers Over Age 50" by the American Association of Retired Persons as well as one of Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies in Which to Work."
- 1.8% of hospital revenue and 2% of clinic revenue went to charity care.
Sharp HealthCare (PDF)
- Net revenue increased $900 million revenue from 2001-2007.
- Sharp ranked in the top 10% nationally for treatment of non-intensive-care-unit, community-acquired pneumonia.
- Sharp was one of only nine health care organizations to receive the "100 Most Wired" award for nine consecutive years.
North Mississippi Medical Center (PDF)
- Overall satisfaction among physicians reached 99%.
- The deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) rate fell 65% and the pulmonary embolism rate fell 45%, resulting in cost savings of more than $760,000.
- North Mississippi saved $11 million due through care-based cost management.
Bronson Methodist Hospital (PDF)
- Patient satisfaction reached 97%.
- The Medicare mortality rate decreased from 4.8% in 2002 to 3.5% in 2005.
- Turnover was 5.6% for employees and 4.7% for registered nurses, and vacant positions for registered nurses fell 6.5%.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (PDF)
- Retention rates reached 96% for employees and 98% for registered nurses.
- Patient satisfaction with the Emergency Department reached 90%.
- Market share for cardiology, surgery, and oncology grew 30%.
Baptist Hospital Inc. (PDF)
- Baptist ranked in the 99th percentile for overall satisfaction among inpatients, outpatients, ambulatory surgery patients, and home health care clients.
- Hospital staff morale was 84% positive.
- Baptist donated 6.7% of total revenue to the care of indigent patients.
Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City (PDF)
- Saint Luke's ranked in the top 5% of U.S. hospitals in total margin and operating margin.
- For financial performance, the Council of Teaching Hospitals ranked Saint Luke's in the top 5%.
- Of the 21 facilities in the market area, consumers ranked Saint Luke's as having the highest-quality health care and the best doctors and nurses.
- 33% of the previous year's operating margin was allocated to the care of people who cannot pay.
- Against a benchmark of 64%, SSM gave coumadin treatment to more than 80% of patients with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
- SSM reached national benchmark levels for the percentage of heart attack patients receiving lipid-lowering agents to decrease morbidity and mortality.
Baldrige in Manufacturing
Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies
- Overall customer satisfaction reached or exceeded 95%.
- Customer product quality and reliability reached 99.9% for traditional customers and 99% for nontraditional customers.
- 72% of the workforce indicated a "positive environment," compared with 58% for commercial best-in-class manufacturers.
- Use of the Six Sigma Plus Continuous Improvement Model resulted in cost savings from increased productivity and deployed innovations of $23.5 million-$27 million annually.
- Employee volunteer hours averaged roughly 15,000 per year from 2006 to 2009.
Cargill Corn Milling (CCM) (PDF)
- CCM saved more than $15 million from 2006 to 2008 by using ideas generated by employees.
- The error-free delivery rate was 99% or above from 2005 to 2008.
- The operational reliability effectiveness rate, a ratio of actual production to commercial demand, reached 95%-three points shy of the world-class benchmark set by the Society of Maintenance and Reliability Professionals.
- Per-bushel costs held steady from FY2006 to FY2008 even though energy costs increased 50-80%, chemical costs rose 30%, and maintenance costs increased 10%.
Sunny Fresh Foods (PDF)
- After receiving the Baldrige Award in 1999, revenues increased 93%.
- SFF's market share increased while competitors' market share decreased more than 10%.
- Sales per stakeholder (SFF's term for employee) and profit per stakeholder increased 19% from 2001 to 2005.
The Bama Companies, Inc. (PDF)
- Bama's sales increased 72% and total revenue grew from $123 million to $211 million from 1999 to 2004, while sales and revenue in the overall frozen baked goods industry remained relatively flat.
- Profit-sharing payments averaged about $3,000 per year for each employee from 2001 to 2004.
Medrad, Inc. (PDF)
- Medrad consistently achieved its balanced scorecard goals from 1998 to 2002, including an average annual revenue growth rate of 15%.
- Medrad reimbursed employees $487,000 for tuition in 2002 and budgeted $535,000 in tuition reimbursement for 2003.
Motorola Commercial, Government & Industrial Solutions Sector (CGISS)
- Employee productivity, measured as sales per employee, increased 32% from 1999 to 2002.
- Overall customer satisfaction and repurchase/recommend satisfaction levels exceeded 88% from 1999 to 2002.
- Return on assets was 7% from 1999 to 2002, when the average return was negative for the telecommunications industry.
- CGISS recycled 57% of its nonhazardous waste and reduced emissions 88% from 1996 to 2002.
- Market share increased 50% from 1996 to 2001.
- In 2001, Clarke American implemented more than 20,000 ideas from associates, resulting in a cost savings of about $10 million.
- Surveys of partner organizations consistently showed a 96% satisfaction rate from 1997 to 2001.
- Clarke American's associates averaged 76 hours of training in 2001, more than the average for employees of the best-in-class companies tracked by the American Society for Training and Development.
Baldrige in Government and other Nonprofit Organizations
City of Coral Springs (PDF)
- The city received an AAA credit rating from all three of the nation's largest bond-rating agencies.
- The crime rate decreased by nearly half over 10 years.
- The percentage of residents who are satisfied with city services has been 95% or higher since 1999.
- Business satisfaction rose from 76% in 2004 to 97% in 2008.
ARDEC (PDF)
- Lean/Six Sigma improvements in quality, cost, schedule, and risk resulted in a cost avoidance of $3.22 billion between 2001 and 2007
- Customer satisfaction ratings increased from 3.48 (on a 4-point scale) in FY2001 to 3.75 in FY2007.
- Job satisfaction increased from 85% in FY2004 to 90% in FY2007.
- Development cycles shortened, costs fell, and the volume of armament releases more than doubled as a result of the adoption of world-class modeling, simulation, and prototyping design tools.
VA Cooperative Studies Program Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Center (PDF)
- Budget for new studies grew 143% from 2002 to 2008, compared to 58% for Veterans Affairs.
- In 2008, productivity (as measured by revenue/employees) of $221,000 compared favorably to that of eight top competitors, with the highest competitor at approximately $195,000.
- Over three years, the program benefited more than 90,000 patients at approximately 1,600 sites using nearly 300 drugs.
- Overall customer satisfaction increased: the percentage of customers rating the program "good-excellent" increased from 83% in 2003 to 100% in 2009. Customer complaints were consistently fewer than 3.4 per million units shipped from 2001 to 2009.
Baldrige in Service Organizations
Premier Inc. (PDF)
- Hospitals in the Premier alliance validated more than $2.5 billion in savings.
- Customer satisfaction levels exceeded 90%.
- Operating income per employee grew from $144,000 to $225,000.
DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Company (PDF)
- Following Hurricane Katrina, operations relocated from New Orleans to Beaumont, Texas, and within five days began delivering oil.
- Workdays lost due to injury were 0.6 per 200,000 worker hours, compared to the national average of 4.8.
- Hazardous waste decreased from 3,802 to 515 total pounds, below the goal of 539.
Caterpillar Financial Services Corp. (PDF)
- Assets and profit increased 34% and 54%, respectively, during an industry decline.
- Customer satisfaction levels exceeded industry and world-class benchmarks.
- 80% of employees said they would recommend Caterpillar as a good place to work.
Boeing Aerospace Support (PDF)
- Annual revenue more than doubled from 1999 to 2003.
- Product and service requests were met within three days of receipt.
- Cash awards paid to employees for extraordinary performance tripled.
Operations Management International, Inc.
- Total revenue grew an average of 15% annually, triple that of the organization's top competitor.
- Associate turnover decreased from 25.5% in 1994 to 15.5% in 1999.
- Customer satisfaction showed an eight-year improvement trend.
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC
- 99% of guests surveyed said they were satisfied.
- Any employee could spend up to $2,000 to immediately correct a problem or handle a complaint.
- Pretax return on investments and earnings nearly doubled.
Baldrige in Small Business
MidwayUSA (PDF)
- MidwayUSA had more than 1,500 documented processes, all focused on serving the customer.
- Overall customer satisfaction was 93%, and overall customer retention reached an all-time high of 98% in 2009.
- The sales growth rate reached nearly 30% in 2008, compared with 10% for the top competitor. Net income as a percentage of sales grew from 2.5% in 2003 to nearly 10% in 2008.
- Scores on the annual employee survey improved from about 60% favorable in 2002 to 82% in 2008.
PRO-TEC Coating Company Profile (PDF)
- PRO-TEC maintained an industry-leading uptime of 98% from 2002 to 2006.
- The defect rate was less than 0.12%.
- The turnover rate was less than 2%, and PRO-TEC has had no layoffs in its history
MESA Products, Inc. Profile (PDF)
- Sales increased 93% (to $27 million).
- 94% of customers preferred doing business with MESA than with competitors, and MESA retained 100% of its key customers from 2000 to 2005.
- The on-time shipping rate reached 97%, and error rates decreased 50%.
Park Place Lexus Profile (PDF)
- The Grapevine dealership's new-car client satisfaction index reached 99.8% in 2004--the highest of any U.S. Lexus dealerships.
- Gross profit increased 51.3% from 2000-2004.
- Satisfaction among preowned vehicle clients reached 98%.
Texas Nameplate Company, Inc. Profile (PDF)
- 70% of top customers were retained for more than 10 years.
- More than 80% of workforce members were cross-trained to perform multiple jobs; employee satisfaction was 83%.
- Quote response time decreased from 6 hours to under 2 hours, and the production cycle decreased from 14 days to under 8 days.
Stoner, Inc. Profile (PDF)
- Sales increased 400%.
- Manufacturing productivity increased 150%.
- More than 98% of top customers were retained over a five-year period.
Branch-Smith Printing Division Profile (PDF)
- Sales grew more than 72% over four years during an industry decline.
- Employee satisfaction reached 86% and turnover fell from 43% to under 8% percent in six years.
- Volatile organic compound emissions fell more than 50% in three years.
Pal's Sudden Service Profile (PDF)
- The average customer service score for quality was 95.8% in 2001.
- Order handout speed increased more than 30% (to 20 seconds).
- Market share doubled.
Los Alamos National Bank Profile (PDF)
- 80% of customers said they were very satisfied.
- Net income increased more than a 60%.
- More than 90% of employees received leadership training.
