Jiji and family , onam ..

ge..

A small tutorial on smartphones..

For all those dummies ( me included..) 

Look for the processor, OS, RAM, screen and the keyboard ..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/itslideshow/6196448.cms

ge..

Global Zero campaign - to reduce nuclear weapons ..

A world without nuclear weapons .... Let us work together ...

http://www.globalzero.org/map

ge..

Hi,

I wanted to tell you about Global Zero, an international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

This past April, Russia and the United States signed a historic agreement to reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals by a third each. This is the most significant arms control treaty in decades, and a crucial first step to global zero—the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons. With the US and Russia leading the way, 2010 could mark the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons. But public support at this crucial moment is critical to build the foundation of a binding and verifiable global zero agreement. To join me and the hundreds of thousands of people in every country in the world who believe in zero, click below:

http://www.globalzero.org/en/sign-declaration

We must now choose between two very different futures. In one, nuclear weapons continue to spread, increasing the chances that a country or terrorists use them, with catastrophic consequences. In the other, all nuclear weapons are eliminated according to a comprehensive global agreement for phased and verified reductions.

Zero is not only desirable, it is also achievable -- with political will. With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance.


When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many. Join us today by clicking below:

http://www.globalzero.org/en/sign-declaration

The vision of a world free of nuclear weapons can come to be, but we must get involved to make it happen. So please, sign and ask your friends to do so as well. Make your voice count.

Thanks

t john college bhm farewell video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUdrZYmbpZc&feature=player_embedded#!

ge..

Common Wealth Games, a waste of resources !

From 600 crores initial budget for the games to a whopping 28,000 crores, that is how the bill for the Common wealth Games 2010 in Delhi has been blown out of proportion.. Who has eaten away all the money ? Who has encouraged the bills to be exaggerated ? Who has encouraged this corruption to flourish ? 

If our politicains do not know how to enforce fiscal discipline and timely completion of projects without cost overruns, they should not indulge in such extravaganza at the poor man's expense..

The Commonwealth Games may bring some name and fame to the country but the poor man still still has to live in poverty and negligence .With the common man still being denied access to the the best sporting facilities , whom are we trying to showcase to the world ?  That lone Bhindra or Rosakutty ??

Nepotism, favouritism and corruption are the hallmarks of this games ..Paid by all, for a few and by a few.. Sheer waste of resources by our incompetent politicians .... 

If such poor accountability to the people of this country is going to be the practice, we should stop this nonsense.. I am with Mani Shanker Aiyer and am saddened by this waste and inefficient utilisation of resources..

Article by Azim Premji, Chairman Wipro ..

ge..

Saju Skaria's daughter, Rinku Skaria's Bharatanatyam video ..

Saju Skaria's daughter performing Bharatanatyam in New Jersey. Great stuff .. She is an undergrad at Uty of Arizona.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K48kfXQZ_LQ

ge..

Water spout (tornado over water..)

A 'waterspout,' described as a tornado over water, is seen off the coast of Okinawa, Japan on August 19, 2010.

ge..

bull jumps into the stand ..

A bull jumps into the stands during a 'recortadores' competition in Tafalla, Spain in this video grab August 18, 2010. At least 40 spectators were injured on Wednesday after the bull jumped into the stands during the competition, in which young boys run before the bull trying to avoid being caught. 

ge..

Last of US combat troops march out of Iraq ..

Leaving behind about 50,000 non combat troops, most of the combat troops have marched out to Kuwait ending the 7 year old invasion of Iraq, as promised by Pres Obama before 31 August..

A major event which saw US lose 4500 soldiers and get isolated in their efforts to kill a dictator ..

ge..

Sookshikkuka, keralam narakkyunnu ...

Kerala is ageing !! some sociological aspects which are getting exposed .. Worse than in Germany and other developed economies..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2s4lZRYj84&feature=related  part 1 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osvjek-Etrw&feature=related    part 2 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-yeOV38ISU&feature=related   part 3 of 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSbwutc-dRM      part 4 of 4

innu njaan, naale nee !!!!!

ge..

India to zoom past China by 2015 .. ?

A very welcome news and if it happens, as the world's fastest growing economy zooming past China, it is BIG news ..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Racing-The-Dragon/articleshow/6331895.cms

While India will add 136 m to its workforce by 2020, China will add a meagre 36 m. 

Thanks to our demographic dividends and the enterprising nature of the new upcoming youth raring to go and conquer the world, we have only the forward direction to look at. If we keep aside our regional, communal, political leanings and try to leverage on our rich democratic credentials, the world is at our feet .. 

Leading the world is not a small thing .. Once the underdogs who allowed ourselves to be subjugated, let us start asserting ourselves.. History is past .. look at the future with conviction and confidence ..This is the feeling not just of me or a few people, but of the whole populace..

ge..

Abdul Nasar Madani and his silly antics ..

Madani does not even deserve to find a mention in this list, but being a criminal and a communalist who is trying to evade police arrest, Madani does not deserve any leniency.

Trying to raise communal tension for his personal ends, Madani is a smart player who will find the going tough during the coming months. Finally the long arm of law has wrapped itself around him.

a criminal should be treated like a criminal ..

ge..

Bulshehr nuclear plant, Iran, waiting to be blown out !

With clandestinely acquired technology, the rogue state of Iran is finally going to open its nuclear plant around 21 st of August.

The world is watching with baited breath as to what will happen in the next four five days.. Will Israel wipe off Bulshehr from the face of the earth ? Will Israel do another Entebbe on Iran and prevent Iran from being a nuclear power ?

ge..

NDM - 1 superbug ..

New Delhi metallo beta lactamase superbug has raised doubts not only in academic circles, but also in the doubts of the common man in India where abuse of anti-biotics by doctors and patients alike, by buying them off the counter etc has made matters worse.

How the Indian govt will tackle the growing resistance to anti-biotics in India is a problem worth taking serious note of.

ge..

PMs Independence Day speech .. Aug 15, 2010 ..

Was listening to the speech of the PM in the morning.. Mature, composed and brimming with confidence, it could never have been any better .. Appealing to the internal disruptive forces of Naxals, and divisive forces in J & K, he did not miss the point to request Pakistan in all humility to refrain from using its territory to train extremists  against India and its people.

Let us wish the new year for India would be one of peace and development, working together to lifting its millions of people from poverty and illiteracy to peace and prosperity, India can give the leadership to the world in ensuring equitable distribution of wealth and removing poverty and diseases from the remotest areas of the world.

PM also mentioned about the need to keep our houses, towns and cities clean and neat. Cleanliness is very much lacking in our daily lives which leads to diseases and finding means to seek its expensive cure (otherwise avoidable).

Let us wish India a happy 63 rd birthday !!

ge..

Ships collide and oil spill off Mumbai coast ..

Sunday, Aug.8, 2010 photo shows the Panamanian-registered ship MSC Chitra, background, getting submerged after it collided Saturday with the MV Khalijia-II, another Panamanian-registered ship, unseen, in the Arabian Sea, close to Mumbai, India. Indian coastguard ships were working Monday to minimize the impact of oil spill from the collision, 

ge..

Landslide in Leh ..

ge..

What a waste of money Rs 50,000 crores, poor project management..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/333-projects-put-extra-burden-of-Rs-50000-crore/articleshow/6284736.cms

50,000 crores ?????

Cost of improper Project management.. inefficiency, corruption and ignorance..

ge..

Infosys' Global Education Centre, Mysore ..

The world's largest corporate training centre is not in any other part of the world, but here in Mysore itself.. It is not run by Walmart, IBM or Exxon Mobil but by our own Infosys.. The world has only started to see the might of the emerging India ..!!

It has facility to train 18,000 employees at the same time, ensuring five star facilities and comfort .. A great example of innovation, hardwork, integrity and customer satisfaction. For the 100,000 + employees there is no better satisfaction than seeing Infosys rise to be the numero uno in India, if not in the world ..

Snaps after a recent visit there .. Even Capitol in Washington DC would get envious on seeing this !!


President Obama should have compared Washington DC with the city of Mysore than Buffalo with Bangalore to understand the might of the real India ..

ge..(courtesy Sourish and Infosys Tech Ltd, Bangalore..)

Anything cheaper than this ??

Tatateleservices , owners of Tata Indicom and Tata Docomo mobile telephony services in India has just offered the world's cheapest mobile tariffs for their CDMA based customers. Innovation by offering the cheapest, trusted and cleanest services, hallmark of TataSons.

Rs. 0.3/min for talking to anywhere in the country (STD), local call is Rs. 0.5/min. Less than 0.6 cent for a distance of upto 4000 kms for a duration of 60 secs,

Can you get anything cheaper than this in the world ??

ge..

Common Wealth Games Delhi 2010, the mess ..

With just 45 days or 6 weeks left for the start of the CWG in delhi, it is the right time to see how inefficient and corrupt officials have been caught unawares trying to sully the image of the country by organising a shoddy games of very low standards.

The games if organised this way will definitely bring so much of disrepute for the country that no other games will be allocated to India in the future, thanks to the great service of the CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and his group of corrupt office bearers.

If they wanted to loot the country of a couple of thousands of crores, it could have been planned and executed, why at this last momwent when the nation's image and reputation is at stake ?

Now the PM is faced with a herculean task of seeing to it that the games are conducted on time and the nation's reputation is protected.

ge..

With College chess team ..

The college team secured 26 th position overall in BU chess championships.. PED Chini Sridhar also in the snap..

ge..

Droid from Motorola ..

with a 5 MP camera, navigation s/w and 3G capability, this is ahead of iphone and blackberry both in sales and functionality.. The advantage this phone has over others is one does not have to change the hardware, upgraded versions of the software downloaded for free from the net will serve the purpose of upgradation.

What's special about Google Android ?





ge

FAQ on Baldridge Quality Awards

Malcolm Baldrige Award Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Malcolm Baldrige Award» Malcolm Baldrige Award Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

On this page:

• Who was Malcolm Baldrige?
• What is the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award?
• Why was the award established?
• How is the Baldrige Award achieving its goals?
• What are the Bladrige criteria?
• Which organizations have received the award?
• When were the education and health care categories established?
• Why are categories in education and health care needed?
• How are recipients selected?
• Does quality pay?
• Is it tougher for smaller organizations to receive the award?
• Can only U.S. organizations receive the award?
• Do the award criteria take into account an organization's financial performance?
• Does the award amount to a product or service endorsement for the award recipients?
• Why are the Baldrige Award recipients asked to share their successful strategies?
• To what extent are they asked to share their strategies?
• Do advertising and publicity diminish the image and prestige of the award?
• Are organizations simply chasing after the award and ignoring the lessons of performance improvement?
• If this is a federal government program, why are organizations charged a fee to apply?
• May an organization hire a consultant to help prepare answers for the Baldrige application?
• Is it a conflict of interest for members of the Board of Examiners to work as consultants?
• Is the number of applications for the award an indicator of interest about quality and the Baldrige Award?
• How does the Baldrige Award differ from ISO 9000?
• Is the Baldrige Award a U.S. version of Japan's Deming award?
• Why was NIST selected by Congress to manage the award and what is the role of ASQ?
  

Who was Malcolm Baldrige?

Malcolm Baldrige was Secretary of Commerce from 1981 until his death in a rodeo accident in July 1987. Baldrige was a proponent of quality management as a key to this country's prosperity and long-term strength. He took a personal interest in the quality improvement act that was eventually named after him and helped draft one of the early versions. In recognition of his contributions, Congress named the award in his honor.

Back to Top

What is the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award?

The Baldrige Award is given by the President of the United States to businesses—manufacturing and service, small and large—and to education and health care organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resource focus, process management, and business results.

Congress established the award program in 1987 to recognize U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and performance and to raise awareness about the importance of quality and performance excellence as a competitive edge. The award is not given for specific products or services. Three awards may be given annually in each of these categories: manufacturing, service, small business and, starting in 1999, education and health care.

While the Baldrige Award and the Baldrige recipients are the very visible centerpiece of the U.S. quality movement, a broader national quality program has evolved around the award and its criteria. A report, Building on Baldrige: American Quality for the 21st Century, by the private Council on Competitiveness, said, "More than any other program, the Baldrige Quality Award is responsible for making quality a national priority and disseminating best practices across the United States."

The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) manages the Baldrige National Quality Program in close cooperation with the private sector.

Back to Top

Why was the award established?

In the early and mid-1980s, many industry and government leaders saw that a renewed emphasis on quality was no longer an option for American companies but a necessity for doing business in an ever expanding, and more demanding, competitive world market. But many American businesses either did not believe quality mattered for them or did not know where to begin. The Baldrige Award was envisioned as a standard of excellence that would help U.S. organizations achieve world-class quality.

Back to Top

How is the Baldrige Award achieving its goals?

The criteria for the Baldrige Award have played a major role in achieving the goals established by Congress. They now are accepted widely, not only in the United States but also around the world, as the standard for performance excellence. The criteria are designed to help organizations enhance their competitiveness by focusing on two goals: delivering ever improving value to customers and improving overall organizational performance.

The award program has proven to be a remarkably successful government and private-sector team effort. The annual government investment of about $5 million is leveraged by a contribution of over $100 million from private-sector and state and local organizations, including $10 million raised by private industry to help launch the program and the time and efforts of hundreds of largely private-sector volunteers.

The cooperative nature of this joint government/private-sector team is perhaps best captured by the award's Board of Examiners. Each year, more than 300 experts from industry, educational institutions, governments at all levels, and non-profit organizations volunteer many hours reviewing applications for the award, conducting site visits, and providing each applicant with an extensive feedback report citing strengths and opportunities to improve. In addition, board members have given thousands of presentations on quality management, performance improvement, and the Baldrige Award.

The Baldrige Award winners also have taken seriously their charge to be quality advocates. Their efforts to educate and inform other companies and organizations on the benefits of using the Baldrige Award framework and criteria have far exceeded expectations. To date, the recipients have given more than 30,000 presentations reaching thousands of organizations.

Back to Top

What are the Baldrige criteria?

The Baldrige performance excellence criteria are a framework that any organization can use to improve overall performance. Seven categories make up the award criteria:

Leadership

Examines how senior executives guide the organization and how the organization addresses its responsibilities to the public and practices good citizenship.

Strategic planning

Examines how the organization sets strategic directions and how it determines key action plans.

Customer and market focus

Examines how the organization determines requirements and expectations of customers and markets.

Information and analysis

Examines the management, effective use, and analysis of data and information to support key organization processes and the organization's performance management system.

Human resource focus

Examines how the organization enables its workforce to develop its full potential and how the workforce is aligned with the organization's objectives.

Process management

Examines aspects of how key production/delivery and support processes are designed, managed, and improved.

Business results

Examines the organization's performance and improvement in its key business areas: customer satisfaction, financial and marketplace performance, human resources, supplier and partner performance, and operational performance. The category also examines how the organization performs relative to competitors.

The criteria are used by thousands of organizations of all kinds for self-assessment and training and as a tool to develop performance and business processes. Approximately 2 million copies have been distributed since the first edition in 1988, and heavy reproduction and electronic access multiply that number many times.

For many organizations, using the criteria results in better employee relations, higher productivity, greater customer satisfaction, increased market share, and improved profitability. According to a report by the Conference Board, a business membership organization, "A majority of large U.S. firms have used the criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for self-improvement, and the evidence suggests a long-term link between use of the Baldrige criteria and improved business performance."

Back to Top

Which organizations have received the award?

2002

Motorola Inc. Commercial, Government and Industrial Solutions Sector, Branch Smith Printing Division, and SSM Health Care

2001

Clarke American Checks, Incorporated, Pal's Sudden Service, Chugach School District, Pearl River School District, and University of Wisconsin-Stout

2000

Dana Corp.-Spicer Driveshaft Division, KARLEE Company, Inc., Operations Management International, Inc., and Los Alamos National Bank

1999

STMicroelectronics, Inc.-Region Americas, BI, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., L.L.C., and Sunny Fresh Foods

1998

Boeing Airlift and Tanker Programs, Solar Turbines Inc., and Texas Nameplate Co., Inc.

1997

3M Dental Products Division, Solectron Corp., Merrill Lynch Credit Corp., and Xerox Business Services

1996

ADAC Laboratories, Dana Commercial Credit Corp., Custom Research Inc., and Trident Precision Manufacturing Inc.

1995

Armstrong World Industries Building Products Operation and Corning Telecommunications Products Division

1994

AT&T Consumer Communications Services, GTE Directories Corp., and Wainwright Industries Inc.

1993

Eastman Chemical Co. and Ames Rubber Corp.

1992

AT&T Network Systems Group/ Transmission Systems Business Unit, Texas Instruments Inc. Defense Systems & Electronics Group, AT&T Universal Card Services, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., and Granite Rock Co.

1991

Solectron Corp., Zytec Corp., and Marlow Industries

1990

Cadillac Motor Car Division, IBM Rochester, Federal Express Corp., and Wallace Co. Inc.

1989

Milliken & Co. and Xerox Corp. Business Products and Systems

1988

Motorola Inc., Commercial Nuclear Fuel Division of Westinghouse Electric Corp., and Globe Metallurgical Inc.

Back to Top

When were the education and health care categories established?

Both categories were introduced in 1999. Since then, a total of 47 applications have been submitted in the education category and 42 in th health care category.

Any for-profit or not-for-profit public or private organization that provides educational or health care services in the United States or its territories is eligible to apply for the award. That includes elementary and secondary schools and school districts; colleges, universities, and university systems; schools or colleges within a university; professional schools; community colleges; technical schools; and charter schools. In health care, it includes hospitals, HMOs, long-term-care facilities, health care practitioner offices, home health agencies, health insurance companies, or medical/dental laboratories.

As in the other three categories, applicants must show achievements and improvements in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus (for education: student, stakeholder, and market focus; for health care: focus on patients, other customers, and markets); information and analysis; human resource focus (for education: faculty and staff focus; for health care: staff focus); process management; and business results (for both education and health care: organizational performance results).

Many education and health care organizations are using the Baldrige criteria to good effect. For example:

• The New Jersey Department of Education permits school systems to use the New Jersey Quality Achievement Award criteria—based on the Baldrige Award criteria—as an alternative to its state assessment criteria. Other states are considering a similar approach.
• The National Alliance of Business and the American Productivity and Quality Center have developed the Baldrige In Education Initiative, a national program to improve the management systems of education organizations and educational outcomes.
• In April 2000, the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) held a nationwide teleconference,
• Creating a Framework for High Achieving Schools," to focus on the Baldrige criteria in education. In the foreword to a report issued in conjunction with the teleconference, then-Governor Tommy G. Thompson of Wisconsin and 2000 chair for the NEGP, said the Baldrige criteria for education "can provide educators with a framework and strategies for improving their schools and helping all children to reach high standards."
• At the teleconference, Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association (NEA), said, "The Baldrige process and what I call 'new unionism' are a quality match. Most crucially, NEA's new unionism and the Baldrige process share the same bottom line, improving student achievement."
• Dr. Michael Wood, CEO, Mayo Foundation and Clinic, hosted a Baldrige Health Care Summit on June 29, 2000, involving 10 leading health care institutions in the United States.
• Special sessions on Baldrige in health care were held at the Institute for Health Care Improvement conferences in December 1999 and December 2000.
• Motorola University hosted 120 health care leaders for a one-week course on Baldrige and Quality Improvement in Health Care in February 2001.
• Richard Norling, CEO, Premier Inc., a leading distributor of health care supplies, is serving as president of the private-sector Baldrige Foundation during 2001.

Back to Top

Why are categories in education and health care needed?

Since its creation in 1987, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has played an important role in helping thousands of U.S. companies improve not only their products and services, their customers' satisfaction, and their
bottom line, but also their overall performance.

Now, organizations in other sectors vital to the U.S. economy—education and health care—are recognizing that the Baldrige Award's tough performance excellence standards can help stimulate their improvement efforts as well. Just as it has for U.S. businesses, a Baldrige Award program can help these organizations improve performance and foster communication, sharing of "best practices," and partnerships among schools, health care organizations, and businesses.

Back to Top

How are recipients selected?

Organizations that are headquartered in the United States may apply for the award. Appli-cations for the award are evaluated by an independent Board of Examiners composed of primarily private-sector experts in quality and business. Examiners look for achievements and improvements in all seven categories. Organizations that pass an initial screening are visited by teams of examiners to verify information in the application and to clarify questions that come up during the review. Each applicant receives a written summary of strengths and areas for improvement in each area addressed by the criteria.

"The application and review process for the Baldrige Award is the best, most cost-effective and comprehensive business health audit you can get," says Arnold Weimerskirch, former chair of the Baldrige Award panel of judges and vice president of quality, Honeywell, Inc.

Back to Top

Does quality pay?

Studies by NIST, universities, business organizations, and the U.S. General Accounting Office have found that investing in quality principles and performance excellence pays off in increased productivity, satisfied employees and customers, and improved profitability—both for customers and investors. For example, NIST has tracked a hypothetical stock investment in Baldrige Award winners and applicants receiving site visits. The studies have shown that these companies soundly outperform the Standard & Poor's 500.

Back to Top

Is it tougher for small organizations to receive the award?

The Baldrige Award's small business recipients have proven that any U.S. organization can improve by using the criteria's performance excellence framework. But, given the importance of smaller businesses to the U.S. economy, NIST is mapping out ways to strengthen awareness of the award program and criteria among these organizations.

Back to Top

Can only U.S. organizations receive the award?

Any for-profit organization headquartered in the United States or its territories may apply for the award, including U.S. subunits of foreign companies.

Back to Top

Do the award criteria take into account an organization's financial performance?

Yes. The criteria include many factors that contribute to financial performance, including business decisions and strategies that lead to better market performance, gains in market share, and customer retention and satisfaction. Organizations are urged to use financial information, including profit trends, in analyzing and reporting on improved overall performance and to look for the connection between the two.

Back to Top

Does the award amount to a product or service endorsement for the award recipients?

No. The award is given because an organization has shown it has an outstanding system for managing its products, services, human resources, and customer relationships. As part of the evaluation, an organization is asked to describe its system for assuring the quality of its goods and services. It also must supply information on quality improvement and customer satisfaction efforts and results. That does not mean that a recipient's products or services are endorsed.

Back to Top

Why are the Baldrige Award recipients asked to share their successful strategies?

One of the main purposes of the award is to pass on information about the recipient's performance excellence strategies that other organizations can tailor for their own needs. Representatives from the award recipients willingly have shared their organizations' performance strategies and methods with thousands.

Back to Top

To what extent are they asked to share their strategies?

The managers of each recipient must decide how much time and effort to devote to activities such as speaking engagements and tours of facilities. The requirements of the award program are minimal. Recipients are asked to participate in the award's annual conference and several co-sponsored regional conferences, to provide basic materials to those who request it on their organization's performance strategies and methods, and to answer news media inquiries.

Back to Top

Do advertising and publicity diminish the image and prestige of the award?

The law establishing the award states that an award recipient may publicize its receipt of such award and use the award in its advertising. Promoting public and business awareness of quality improvement is one of the prime goals of the program, and advertising is one way to meet this goal. Guidelines help organizations assure their advertising is appropriate in representing their Baldrige Award recognition.

Back to Top

Are organizations simply chasing after the award and ignoring the lessons of performance improvement?

The perception by some that receiving the award is the goal of U.S. organizations is not supported by the facts. Says Earnest Deavenport, chairman and chief executive officer of Eastman Chemical Company, "Eastman, like other Baldrige Award winners, didn't apply the concepts of total quality management to win an award. We did it to win customers. We did it to grow. We did it to prosper and to remain competitive in a world marketplace." Thousands of organizations are using Baldrige Award performance excellence criteria to assess their organization and to improve. The program has helped to stimulate an amazing movement to improve U.S. organizations, including companies; academic institutions; and federal, state, and local government agencies.

Back to Top

If this is a federal government program, why are organizations charged a fee to apply?

Federal funding for this program is about $5 million annually and is used by NIST to manage the program. The application fees are charged to cover expenses associated with distribution and review of applications and development of feedback reports. The application and review process is considered to be a very cost-effective and comprehensive business health audit. For an application fee ranging from $5,000 for large organizations to $500 for non-profit education institutions, organizations receive at least 300 hours of review by a minimum of eight business and quality experts. Site-visited organizations receive over 1,000 hours of in-depth review. Every applicant receives an extensive feedback report highlighting strengths and areas to improve. An article in the Journal for Quality and Participation said, "The Baldrige feedback report is arguably the best bargain in consulting in America."

Back to Top

May an organization hire a consultant to help prepare answers for the Baldrige application?

Applicants for the award are asked to supply facts and data to substantiate their claims concerning their management practices. Consultants, including members of the Board of Examiners, may provide services on performance management issues as well as the Baldrige Award process. However, since there are no secret answers or even right or wrong answers to the Baldrige application, the award cannot be received by hiring someone to fill in the blanks.

An organization must show through facts and data that it has a world-class management system in place and that it is continually looking for ways to improve.

As a final check before recommending recipients, members of the Board of Examiners visit the more outstanding candidates for the award. During these site visits, examiners interview employees and review pertinent records and data. The objective is to verify the information provided in the application and to answer questions raised during the board's review. An organization that hired someone to fill out its application would never make it through this rigorous review if its performance management system was not supported by facts and data.

Back to Top

Is it a conflict of interest for members of the Board of Examiners to work as consultants?

No. Members of the Board of Examiners are experts in evaluating performance management systems. They are in demand as speakers, as information resources, and as consultants. These activities serve as a way to make more people aware of performance improvement techniques and the Baldrige Award.

However, since the examiners and judges on the board review applications for the award and are involved in recommending award recipients, precautions are taken to prevent a conflict of interest or even the appearance of conflict. Rigorous rules are followed at every stage of the review.

Primarily, this means all members of the board must abide by a code of ethics requiring, among other things, that they disclose all business affiliations that might create a conflict. In such cases, they cannot review an application, comment on it, or make any judgments that could affect it. It is a violation of the code for board members even to ask for information on applications other than those to which they are assigned.

Other safeguards and checks also are built into the four-step review process. For example, during the first step, each application is evaluated independently by at least eight different examiners. By the time the review is over, some applicants will have gone through over 1,000 hours of evaluation.

Back to Top

Is the number of applications for the award an indicator of interest about quality and the Baldrige Award?

The number of applicants for the national Baldrige Award is not an indicator of overall interest in quality or the award program. Interest continues to grow both nationwide and internationally.

For example, participation in state and local award programs has increased steadily. In 1991, fewer than 10 states had award programs. Now, 44 states have or are establishing award programs. Most are modeled after the Baldrige Award, and many organizations opt to compete for them first before considering a Baldrige Award application. Many of the Baldrige Award recipients also have won state quality awards.

Internationally, nearly 60 quality programs are in place. Most have been established within the past several years, and many are based on the Baldrige Award. In Japan, home of the Deming Prize, an award that closely resembles the Baldrige Award has been established.

Also, it is important to remember the award program is much more than a contest. While recognizing organizations that have successful performance management systems is the most visible part of the program, its intent is much broader. Equally important is the award's role in raising awareness about quality by encouraging all U.S. businesses and organizations to set up performance improvement programs whether or not they intend, or are even eligible, to apply for the award.

Back to Top

How does the Baldrige Award differ from ISO 9000?

The purpose, content, and focus of the Baldrige Award and ISO 9000 are very different. The Baldrige Award was created by Congress in 1987 to enhance U.S. competitiveness. The award program promotes quality awareness, recognizes quality achievements of U.S. organizations, and provides a vehicle for sharing successful strategies. The Baldrige Award criteria focus on results and continuous improvement. They provide a framework for designing, implementing, and assessing a process for managing all business operations.

ISO 9000 is a series of five international standards published in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland. Companies can use the standards to help determine what is needed to maintain an efficient quality conformance system. For example, the standards describe the need for an effective quality system, for ensuring that measuring and testing equipment is calibrated regu-larly and for maintaining an adequate record-keeping system. ISO 9000 registration determines whether a company complies with its own quality system.

Overall, ISO 9000 registration covers less than 10 percent of the Baldrige Award criteria.

Back to Top

Is the Baldrige Award a U.S. version of Japan's Deming award?

The basic purposes of both awards are the same: to promote recognition of quality achievements and to raise awareness of the importance and techniques of quality improvement. However, the Baldrige Award:

• focuses more on results and service
• relies upon the involvement of many different professional and trade groups
• provides special credits for innovative approaches to quality
• includes a strong customer and human resource focus
• stresses the importance of sharing information

Back to Top

Why was NIST selected by Congress to manage the award and what is the role of ASQ?

NIST is a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration. NIST develops and promotes measurements, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. NIST was selected by Congress to design and manage the award program because of its role in helping U.S. organizations compete, its world-renowned expertise in quality control and assurance, and its reputation as an impartial third party.

ASQ—the American Society for Quality—assists NIST with the application review process, preparation of award documents, publicity, and information transfer. ASQ is a professional, non-profit association serving more than 80,000 individual and 700 corporate members in the United States and 62 other nations.

Back to Top

Android overtakes iphone and Blackberry !!

Google Android powered smartphones like Motorola Droid and Taiwanese HTC have overtaken iPhone and Blackberry in sales and activation in US, considered to be a mature high value market. The number of new mobile users is highest in India at 20 million new users getting added every month in India.

Can some user of the Android OS give his comments on the Droid or other android powered smartphones ??

thanks.. out of tech curiosity ..

ge..

Symbiosis students arrested for disturbing locals in Pune..

The Pune rural police action against 81 students of the 489 from Symbiosis found partying in a farm house in Theur, 30 kms from Pune  was indeed the right thing to do.. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Crackdown-on-Pune-party-too-harsh/articleshow/6254110.cms

Since the students are from respectable families and cases have been registerd against the 89 students for excessive noise created during the party and for consuming liquor without permission from police, lot of members, even respectable, of the partying circuit from Pune have joined the chorus against the Police.

Is the police to blame ? Let thwe police do its job and rest of the matters can be dealt with in court..

If students, the future citizens of the country, behave like this or are permitted to behave like this, is the future of the country safe in their hands ?? Is partying a sin or not is not the question, responsible partying and respecting the sentiments of the rural neighbours of the rural located farmhouse is the main issue.

Should the police now start differentiating between the city elites and the rural non-elites, in favour of the city bred ? Should the police give any preference to the law breaking city breds over the law abiding rural breds ?

The right decision will send the correct signals to the 600 million youth population in the country. Are we ready to compromise the country's future for the sake of a few law breaking influential kids ?

ge..

Some modern day marvels..

http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/03/stories/2010080355991000.htm

ge..

apple's iphone 4

3 axis gyro, 5 megapixel camera, thinnest phone in the world, 3 g enabled..

http://ezinearticles.com/?Curiosity,-Apple-iPhone-4,---Whats-So-Special-About-It?&id=4460754

ge..

Can Islam and secularism go hand in hand ?

Two of the Muslim dominated countries of the world, Indonesia and Turkey prove that Islam and secularism can go hand in hand. The recent repealing of the fifth constitutional amendment in Bangladesh introduced in 1977 by the military junta dropping the name secularism from the constitution, is indeed a proud moment not only for Bangladeshis, but Asians in general. It assures that another country in this region is not going to be a failed state in the name of religion. We all know what happened to Pakistan.

Introducing a state religion is a sure shot sign for disaster and destruction of the country. The same reason why the military rulers who introduced it, never wants to call it off, lest their influence on the state gets corroded. Only in a situation where religious sentiments are at stake can the military play spoilsport, remain in control and take away the spoils.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Back-To-The-Future/articleshow/6248473.cms

ge..

DRDO embarks on its Laser journey ..

Light Amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (LASER) is being planned by Indian DRDO to be used both for peaceful and defence purposes. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/DRDOs-next-Star-Wars-like-weapons/articleshow/6248942.cms

The shift thus shifts from the Star Wars initiative of US to the peaceful and defence uses of Lasers by the Indian Scientists..

ge..

An obituary on Mathukuttychayan, (K M Mathew ..

The doyen of the independent press in India is no more. PadmaBhushan K M Mathew besides being the President of PTI, was also instrumental in bringing responsible press journalism in the country through the vernacular newspaper which he edited for many years. 

Hailing from Kandathil family in Kerala and belonging to a family of illustrious entrepreneurs, brands like MRF tyres, MM Foam, MM tea etc are household names in India, he was non-controversial and at the same time focused on responsible journalism, investigative at times, keeping the greater societal and public good in mind.

He was solely responsible for widening the reach of this vernacular newspaper to all nooks and corners in India and broadbasing the news media to include Internet, TV and weekly magazines. Even though a vernacular newspaper from Kerala, it has the combined circulation of some of the major English and Hindi national dailies. 

His contribution to the involvement of the youth in shaping the society through "Yuvajanasakhyam" is great and has shaped some of the modern leaders in the state . The news items published in the columns of Malayala Manorama covered not only political items, it found coverage of commercial, local issues, economic, national and global current affairs in the columns of Malayala Manorama. Its constant tirade against the menace of terrorism and communalism was widely accepted by the people of Kerala and influenced the conscience of a generation or two of Malayalis.

A proud son from Kerala whom Malayalis world over and Kerala society will miss for a long time to come..

From history we find if one generation is very enterprising, the next generation will maintain the reputation and wealth and the following one or two generations will very responsibly squander it all, the wealth and reputation. Will the same affect Manorama too ?

george easaw

India has more rich than poor ??!!!

very difficult to believe.. But the economic turnaround has worked for the better of the country. Coming from a very respectable industry organisation, governmental, it is indeed a matter of great happiness. It shows that the econoomic growth of the country is inclusive and not exclusive..  The number of ricj families, earning more than rs 1.8 lakhs per annum has increased to 46.7 million in 2010. Though the facts are not clear, less than 46 million households in the country are earning less than rs 45,000 per year.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-has-more-rich-people-than-poor-now/articleshow/6242324.cms

ge