South Carolina Quality Forum
South Carolina Excellence!
About Us
South Carolina Quality Forum (SCQF)
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The South Carolina Quality Forum was created in 1991 to recognize and encourage improvements and excellence in quality, productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness by organizations throughout South Carolina. The Forum's mission is: To improve the competitiveness and performance of organizations operating within South Carolina. The Forum’s vision is to be the partner of choice for performance excellence in every sector of the economy in South Carolina.
The South Carolina Governor’s Quality Conference is sponsored by the South Carolina Quality Forum and its’ primary partner, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. The South Carolina Quality Forum recognizes achievements of organizations that improve the quality of their goods and services and/or sets an example of innovation for others to follow. By providing feedback and establishing benchmarks for self-assessment, the recognition process helps stimulate organizations to obtain a competitive edge in a global economy.
Our Mission: To improve the competitiveness and performance of organizations operating within South Carolina.
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Our Vision: To be the partner of choice for performance excellence in every sector of the economy in South Carolina.
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The Quality Forum’s strategies for achieving its mission include:
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• Awards Process Administration
• Sponsorship – Networking Resources
• Examiner Training
• Workshops and Training Seminars
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The South Carolina Quality Forum is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(6) tax exempt, charitable organization. As such, your membership and contributions are tax deductible as business expenses.
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Benefits of Participation in the Awards Process
Organizations that have received the Award have seen:
• Increased revenue
• Decreased cycle time
• Improved product reliability
• Greater customer satisfaction and engagement
• An increase in new product sales as a percentage of total annual sales
• Decreased time to market
• Increased employee involvement, empowerment, and productivity
• Increased market share
• Greater opportunities for innovation, research and development
• Cost reduction opportunties
• Increased return on assets and return on equity
• Global market improvement
An organization does not have to receive the Award to see these benefits; all applicants are rewarded through improved organizational processes and both qualitative and quantitative results.
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Baldrige and South Carolina
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Read about the benefits that the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria has brough to the great state of South Carolina in this publication!
SC Quality Forum Chair,
Bridget P. Dewees, PhD
Bridget P. Dewees, PhD
Assistant Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness
Claflin University
Email: bdewees@claflin.edu
Phone: 803-535-5793
Chair: South Carolina Quality Forum
Website: www.scquality.com
PO Box 3435
Summerville, SC 29483
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A note from Bridget Dewees, the Chair of the South Carolina Quality Forum
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It is my pleasure to serve the State of South Carolina in this capacity as Chair of the Quality Forum! Having served as an examiner on both the state and national levels, I understand the dedication, resources and time constraints necessary for organizations to embark on a never-ending journey to performance excellence. The performance excellence assessment experience is both rewarding and humbling, and we applaud the many organizations in South Carolina for taking the plunge.
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The Steering Committee, along with our many stakeholders, dedicate themselves in evaluating the Forum’s progress, re-designing its processes, and charting our path forward. For over twenty years, many South Carolina organizations have benefited from the Forum’s assessment processes, and have partnered with us to make South Carolina an awesome state to work and live in.
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Our assessment processes mirror those of the National Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. Evaluations are completed using the same criteria as national, and our Board of SC Examiners receives similar training. The SC Quality Forum is also connected to and allowed to benchmark other state quality programs via participation in the Alliance Enterprise. It is our goal to provide the state of South Carolina with relevant and current tools for continuous improvement and performance excellence.
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For more information about the Forum, or to find out how you or your organization can participate, please feel free to contact me any time.
Email: bdewees@clalfin.edu
Phone: (803) 535-5793