What is the ABEF?
The Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF) is a comprehensive management system designed to assess and improve all aspects of a business. Its integrated approach covers leadership and management systems, strategy and planning, people, information and knowledge, safety, service delivery, product quality and bottom-line results. By addressing these key elements, the ABEF provides organisations with a methodology to achieve and sustain high performance levels.
The 9 Principles of Business Excellence:
- Clear direction and mutually agreed plans enables everyone in the organisation to work towards common goals which fosters unity and efficiency for successful progress.
- Understanding what customers and other stakeholders value and need drives strategic decision making to ensure that the organisation stays relevant and responsive.
- All people work in a system. Outcomes are improved when people work on the system to optimise the processes and systems to enhance performance.
- Engaging people’s enthusiasm, resourcefulness and participation is essential to improve organisational success. Motivated employees contribute to organisational success.
- Innovation and learning must be fostered for an organisation culture of agility and responsiveness. Embracing new ideas and technologies leads to opportunities for organisational growth.
- Effective use of facts, data and knowledge. Using evidence based data to improve decision making to achieve consistency, reliability and efficiency.
- Variation impacts predictability, profitability and performance. Organisational systems and processes need to be understood for consistency, reliability and efficiency.
- Sustainable performance is determined by an organisation’s ability to deliver value for all stakeholders in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible manner for long-term success.
- Leaders determine the culture and value system of the organisation. Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the culture and values by leading by example embodying the principles and values they wish to instil in the organisation.