Which nation has shaped “excellence” in the industrial age?
We encounter the word excellence every day on the road, for example, when companies advertise on their trucks that their services are excellent. Every bottle of soy sauce from the Japanese manufacturer Kikkoman says “300 years of excellence”. The origin of the term excellence is probably rooted in Japanese culture.
As early as 1948, the Japanese company Toyota began to develop the“Toyota Production System (TPS)“, which combined technology and culture for the first time. Although TPS has been copied many times, it has still not been possible to copy the success of TPS in other countries. This is due to the close connection between TPS and Japanese culture.
The key principles of TPS include continuous improvement (Kaizen), the avoidance of waste, but also respect in dealing with each other and teamwork.
The Deming Prize has been awarded to the best organizations and particularly exemplary individuals in Japan since 1951. At that time, the underlying philosophy was known as Total Quality Management (TQM).
The term excellence first became known worldwide through the book“In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters in 1982, replacing TQM. According to Tom Peters, the 8 characteristics of excellent organizations include a focus on customer expectations, a strong connection to values and simple structures.
Today, the term excellence is used for everything that is outstanding.
