In Search of Sustainable Business Excellence: An Application of the EFQM Model

Abstract: Sustainable environmental excellent organizations can operate in different environments, with different stakeholder constituencies, and come in all shapes and sizes but what they do have in common is a mindset based on eight Fundamen¬tal Concepts of Excellence according to EFQM. Each concept is a part of sustainable business. Regardless of sector, size, structure or maturity, organisations need to establish an appropriate environmental management framework to be successful in a sustainable way. The EFQM Excellence Model upgraded to Sustainable Environmental Evcellence Model (SEEM) is a practical, non-prescriptive framework that enables organisations to: assess where they are on the path to sustainable environmental excellence; helping them to understand their key strengths and potential gaps in relation to their stated (Sustainable Environmental) Vision and Mission as well as to integrate existing and planned (sustainable environmental) initiatives, removing duplication and identifying gaps. Sustainable Environmental Excellence Model provides an holistic view of the organisation and it can be used to determine how these different methods fit together and complement each other. The SEE Model can therefore be used in conjunction with any number of these tools, based on the needs and function of the organisation, as an overarching framework for developing sustainable environmental excellence because (sustainable environmental) excellent Organisations achieve and sustain superior levels of performance that meet or exceed the expectations of all their stakeholders (EFQM Excellence Model 2012). Sutainable Environmental Excellence Model and environmental excellence indicators are powerful tools that serve many purposes, useful as tools for sustainable environmental performance evaluation and public information.