The business excellence (BE) framework is a dynamic tool for managing organizations to improve competitiveness and productivity. Using the BE framework, organizations can identify strengths and opportunities and then align management systems and processes to create an environment for sustainable, continuous improvement. Strengthening BE frameworks in organizations requires robust self-assessment tools. Technical expertise, good interpersonal skills, commitment to excellent professional performance, and teams with the necessary skills and abilities are all prerequisites for BE assessment.

The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in association with the National Training & Productivity Center (NTPC) of Fiji National University is organizing a training course on BE for Senior Assessors, 29 May–2 June 2017. The course is designed to develop experienced senior assessors for strengthening BE framework adoption among enterprises in APO member countries.

Addressing the inaugural session of the training course, Chief Guest and NTPC Acting Director Peni Taoi highlighted the importance of BE in increasing productivity. He introduced BE productivity improvement activities undertaken in Fiji and hoped that participants would learn from each other and scale up relevant BE practices in their own countries. Thanking the APO for selecting Fiji to host the training course, Taoi pledged that the NTPC would continue to support APO activities.

Eighteen participants from 13 APO member countries and six local ones are attending the course, including experts from the government, public organizations, NPOs, and the private sector. Four resource speakers from Fiji, New Zealand, and Singapore are updating attendees on general BE concepts and training them in how to utilize the BE framework to assess sustainable productivity levels.

During the course, Future Farms Limited will host a site visit to explain its BE journey and how it developed a specific assessment framework. The course will enable participants to develop manuals on BE assessment for their own government agencies and organizations.

Photos: NTPC