Deadline for Quality Award Team Showcase at UA Aug. 1

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Businesses and organizations wishing to apply as showcase participants during the upcoming Alabama Quality Award Conference, to be held on The University of Alabama campus, should file a pre-application by Aug. 1.

The Alabama Quality Award is the premier award for recognizing the state’s outstanding business and organizational teams. Groups selected for the 2006 Team Showcase will make 15-minute presentations during the 2006 Alabama Quality Award Conference and Ceremony Nov. 28-30 at UA’s Bryant Conference Center.

For more information about the Alabama Quality Award, administered by the Alabama Productivity Center, or the Team Showcase, visit www.alabamaexcellence.com. To apply for the Team Showcase, contact Linda Vincent at 205/3438-8953, or Linda@proctr.cba.ua.edu.

The productivity center lists the following as the 10 top reasons businesses and organizations should apply for the Alabama Quality Award Team Showcase.

• Provides feelings of satisfaction and commitment, as well as a sense of being part of something greater than what one could accomplish alone
• Provides a system for conducting team-based improvements
• Provides team building within the organization and a setting to increase knowledge of interpersonal dynamics
• Provides a means for employees to focus on organizational goals/performance measures
• Assists with understanding the many interrelationships that exist between organization units and processes and the impact of these relationships on quality, productivity and costs
• Provides a platform to objectively analyze problems and opportunities that could lead to cost savings
• Provides a means of promoting cross-functional understanding
• Provides an atmosphere for greater innovation and training in problem solving skills
• Provides an atmosphere of increased ownership and stewardship
• Provides a method of broadening knowledge of business processes and developing skills for future leadership roles

The Alabama Productivity Center, a nonprofit organization located on the UA campus, works to improve Alabama companies’ productivity, quality, and competitiveness through the use of the University’s research and educational resources.