As part of Engineers Canada’s commitment to continuous improvement, we have connected with Excellence Canada to embark on a journey to enhance all aspects of our work as we strive to advance the engineering profession in Canada.
OTTAWA, Feb. 17, 2016 - As part of Engineers Canada’s commitment to continuous improvement, we have connected with Excellence Canada to embark on a journey to enhance all aspects of our work as we strive to advance the engineering profession in Canada.
“This relationship is designed to bring greater structure to the work we are already doing, and to ensure that all facets of the organization are aligned and sequenced for maximum impact,” said Kim Allen, FEC, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer of Engineers Canada. “This isn’t about reinventing the wheel or adding to our work, but rather applying a structured approach to ensuring that everything that we do is of the highest quality.”
Employees at every level will become empowered to be more productive and engaged as policies, planning and procedures are implemented to optimize excellence, innovation and wellness.
For over 20 years, Excellence Canada has been helping organizations to achieve the highest levels of world-class performance: first by establishing frameworks and standards of role-model performance; second by promoting and raising awareness; and third by training and coaching people to embrace and attain a culture of excellence. Through its third-party verification and awards, Excellence Canada certifies and celebrates organizations that have achieved sustainable and continual improvement, supported by measurable outcomes.
When it was formed as the National Quality Institute in 1992, Excellence Canada asked the question, “What things do high-performing organizations do that set them apart from everyone else?” As they examined the top performing organizations in Canada, a common set of traits emerged. These traits are organized into six themes. Together, they form a comprehensive set of requirements that holistically informs every plan, process, and metric of the organization. They provide a blueprint for building a culture of continual improvement by laying a foundation, transforming workplace culture and measuring results.
Excellence Canada guides organizations toward satisfying the many requirements of their Excellence, Innovation and Wellness standard and certifies organizations at four significant milestones. Success in achieving the successively more stringent milestones is recognized through the prestigious Canada Awards for Excellence program.
Engineers Canada is embarking on this journey with a desire to move its work forward and strive for higher levels of excellence. The first step will be to form an Excellence Council among our staff who will help drive the process forward. We will also be undertaking a benchmarking exercise task with Excellence Canada to understand where we currently stand in relation to their framework.
“This journey will enhance our ability to advance the engineering profession in Canada, said Allen. “The stronger our operations the better we can work to safeguard Canadians, advance the economy and protect the environment, now and in the future.”
