The Mid-South Quality and Productivity Center presents a Regional Quality Cup Award which is aligned with the Baldrige Award Criteria and the former RIT/USA Today Quality Cup Award. This award honors individual teams (six categories) that make exceptional contributions to their employers’ quality improvement programs. The winning teams serve as regional and national role models, encouraging others to accept principles and practices that lead to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. The accomplishments of the 2008 Quality Cup winning teams will be recounted in an issue of The Chamber Focus.

STEPS IN THE AWARD PROCESS:

• Fill out the Nomination Form (November 19, 2008, deadline)
• Submit form with $250.00 nomination fee
• The regional nomination will be judged by MSQPC--The Quality Center Staff and Baldrige-trained examiners
• Regional winners will receive the Quality Cup Award and media coverage

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Awards are made to individual teams in each of six categories:

• educational institutions
• government units and agencies
• health care organizations
• manufacturing firms
• service firms
• small businesses

Both U.S. and foreign firms and organizations may nominate teams so long as the team members are employed in the United States and are members of the Memphis Regional Chamber. Multiple nominations are allowed.

HOW TO NOMINATE?

Nominations should be made in recognition of exemplary customer service or for exceptionally valuable improvements in a system or process for achieving customer satisfaction. A fully completed official nomination form (or photocopy) along with 3 copies (4 copies total) including supporting documentation, must be submitted for each nomination. The nomination form asks for responses to specific questions. Each of the questions specifies a desired length for the response. Responses that exceed the specified length will be considered by the judges, but will be penalized. Responses must be typed, single-spaced on standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. Additional supporting documentation must also be typed or reproduced on standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper and must comprise no more than six pages. The nomination must be signed by an officer or executive of the nominating organization whose span of authority includes the team being nominated.

An organization may nominate more than one team, but only one team per nomination form. Each original nomination along with three copies must be accompanied by a $250.00 nomination fee, payable to MSQPC—The Quality Center, 22 North Front, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103.  Each original and copy should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner – no fancy binders or sheet protectors please.

1. The fully completed nomination form and three copies, including supporting documentation, properly signed, and each stapled in the left-hand corner
2. No more than one team per nomination form
3. Responses to the nomination form’s questions typed on standard 8 ½ x 11 inch paper
4. No more than six additional pages of documentation, typed or reproduced on standard 8 ½ x 11 inch paper
5. A $250.00 nomination fee payable to MSQPC - The Quality Center, 22 North Front, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38103.

JUDGING:

Regional judging is administered by MSQPC - The Quality Center staff (Dr. Donald Fisher, MSQPC Executive Director, was a member of the National RIT/USA Today Panel of Judges). Judges include quality experts from consulting industry and universities.  In the first round of judging, each nomination is read and scored by a pair of Baldrige-trained judges. Consensus is reached by an additional panel of Baldrige-trained judges.

FEEDBACK:

Nominees will be provided with the judges' comments for each of the judging criteria, but without commentary or explanation. Decisions of the judges are final.

DEADLINE:

Nominations must be received by November 19, 2008. Please contact Dr. Donald Fisher, 901-543-3551, for additional information. When completed, send nominations and payment to: