First launched in 1991 by The Hong Kong Management Association, the annual HKMA Quality Award is now open for application. The Award aims to reward commitment in an age of change, and to bring public recognition to those organizations that have achieved outstanding standards of quality and made a lasting commitment to the process of quality management. All companies from the fields of service, manufacturing and small business, whose principal activities in Hong Kong, are eligible to apply for this prestigious Award.

The deadline for entries will be 24 November 2003. Participating companies will be invited to submit an Initial Submission. They will then be screened and evaluated until a list of shortlist is drawn up. Shortlisted entries will be requested to submit a final submission write-up (on or before 19 January 2004) and deliver a 30-minute presentation before the Board of Examiners (on 16 February 2004). The Board of Examiners will present their findings and recommendations on the shortlisted entries to the Panel of Judges who will then decide the winners of the Award. The examiners will conduct on-site verification of claims made in submissions of shortlisted entries if necessary. The Award Presentation Ceremony will be held in June 2004.

The HKMA Quality Award is the Association`s most prestigious business accolade. It is modelled after the American Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and is the Hong Kong equivalent to the Japanese Deming Prize and the European Quality Award. The seven judging criteria include: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer and Market Focus, Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management, Human Resource Focus, Process Management and Business Results.

Past winners of the Award are all successful companies with company-wide commitment to quality. They include Eurasia International (China) Ltd Partnership(2003), Urban Group (2003), Ricoh Hong Kong Ltd (formerly Ricoh Office Solutions) (2002), COSCO (HK) Shipping Co Ltd (2001), The Kowloon Motor Bus Co (1933) Ltd (2001), Synergis Management Services Ltd (formerly Hsin Chong Real Estate Management Ltd) (2001), PARKnSHOP (2000), Glorious Sun Enterprises Ltd (1999), The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd (1999), McDonald`s Restaurants (Hong Kong) Ltd (1998), MTR Corporation (1998), Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong (1997), Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (1995), Integrated Solutions Ltd (1994), Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (1992) and Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) Ltd (formerly Xerox Hong Kong Ltd) (1991).

The Award`s Panel of Judges this year include Dr The Hon David K P Li GBS JP, Chairman and Chief Executive, The Bank of East Asia Ltd (Chairman); Mr Giovanni Angelini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts; Mr Alfred Chan, Managing Director, The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd; Mr John Chan GBS JP, Managing Director, The Kowloon Motor Bus Co (1933) Ltd; Professor Edward Chen GBS JP, President, Lingnan University; Mr Ramagopal Rao, Managing Director, Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) Ltd and Dr Lawrence Wong, Chief Executive, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Board of Examiners this year comprises Dr T Y Lee, Director, Technology Support Centre, The University of Hong Kong (Chairman); Mr Cliff Cheung, Senior Quality Assurance Manager, Hang Seng Bank Ltd; Mr Victor Hui, Quality Manager – China/Hong Kong, Philips Electronics (HK) Ltd; Mr Ray Lau, Deputy Administration Director, Glorious Sun Enterprises Ltd; Mrs Brenda Lee, Deputy General Manager, Gold Peak Industries (Holdings) Ltd; Mr Leung Ping Him, Manager – Quality Management & Technical Training, The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd; Mr William Yau, Regional Segment Head, Textile Effects, Asia Pacific, Ciba Specialty Chemicals of Switzerland; and Mr John Yeung, Manager – Quality Programmes Implementation, Quality & Efficiency Directorate, PCCW Ltd.

Members of Organizing Committee this year include Mr Alfred Chan, Managing Director, The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd (Chairman); Mr T C Chu, Director and Managing Partner, McKinsey & Co Inc; Mr Fan Cheuk Hung, Managing Director, Synergis Management Services Ltd; Mr Kennessy Ha, Controller, Marketing & Sales, Asia Television Ltd; Mr Liu Guo Yuan, Executive Vice Chairman and President, COSCO (Hong Kong) Group Ltd; and Mr Perry Mak, Publisher and Group Managing Director, Hong Kong Economic Times (Holding) Ltd.

The 2003 Award is sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd; COSCO (HK) Shipping Co Ltd; Eurasia International (China) Ltd Partnership; Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) Ltd; Glorious Sun Enterprises Ltd; The Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd; Hong Kong L P Gas (Holdings) Ltd; Hong Yip Service Co Ltd; Ketchum Newscan; Manfield Coatings Co Ltd; Ricoh Hong Kong Ltd; Synergis Management Services Ltd; and Urban Group. Asia Television Ltd and Hong Kong Economic Times are the Media Sponsors of the Award.

For more information, please visit the website of the HKMA Quality Award at: www.hkma.org.hk/qa. For enquiries on the Award, please contact Ms Victoria Lo on 2774 8528 or Ms Rosa Heung on 2774 8547.

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Issued by The Hong Kong Management Association on 3 November 2003.