The EFQM Excellence Model was initially developed as a framework for assessing organizations taking part in the annual "European Excellene Award". First introduced in 1992, it has subsequently been widely adopted, to become as the most extensively-used organizational assessment framework in Europe.
Today, most current users have no intention of applying the principles of the model in order to win awards: rather, they use the framework - and the analysis techniques which are to be found in the model - as diagnostic tools:
- to assess the health of their organization
- to identify strengths and areas for improvement
- to periodecally measure progress
- to identify and sahare good management practices
- to anticipate and target desired result in tangible, measurable ways
(text cited from back cover)