Agencies of the Department of Economic Development

MAY 20, 2013

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Contents

A Gulf News Sponsored Supplement, produced, printed and published byAl Nisr Publishing LLC. 21

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05 Welcome message

An impetus for development

12 Foreword

Incentives for excellence

08 Celebrating excellence

A look at some of the milestones that marked last year’s awards

12 Making the cut

The challenging role of an assessor

16 Meet the winners

Presenting the businesses who won the pride of place

21 Pursuit of perfection

An interview with Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director of Corporate Quality and Management Excellence, DED

24 Judging success

A collage of pictures from the assessors competency development workshops

26 Leaders speak

What makes them winners

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5Welcome Message

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has underlined the importance of performance evaluation and re-evaluation as key to

success. His Highness says: “Regular performance assessment is essential as it improves our vision, develops our efficiency, corrects our mistakes and gives us a sustained impetus for development.”

Dubai has demonstrated its ability to stay in the race for excellence and the country’s determination is derived from the vision of our wise leadership to align services and institutions with globalisation. The Dubai Quality Award (DQA), the Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) and the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES) are solid benchmarks against which companies can measure their own performance. And we now announce a new SME award, to be launched at the end of the year, to promote small and medium enterprises across the UAE. This is a joint initiative between the Business Excellence Department and Dubai SME. The Department of Economic Development (DED) and Dubai Municipality have also signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the Bareeq Excellence Award for best practices and outstanding service in the gold and jewellery sector. The department has also updated DHDA to focus on all employees of organisations, including UAE Nationals.

With the Dubai Quality Award, we aim to instil a culture of quality among businesses and to set benchmarks for this community. More than 1,300 companies have trained and registered under the award till date, and more than 230 have come out as winners. The DHDA, which drives our national goal of empowering Emirati talent, have had more than 290 companies register. More than 35 have gone on to win the recognition. The DSES has seen more than 1,500 companies come under its purview, reflecting a strong commitment to enhance services and customer experience.

I want to thank Sheikh Mohammed for his continuous support. I also want to express my gratitude to award assessors and jury members. Their contribution is invaluable indeed.

Thank you all.

Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi,Director General,Department of Economic Development,Government of Dubai

An impetus for development

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7Foreword

Incentives for excellence

We are greatly thankful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his continued support in endorsing the Business Excellence

Award ceremonies with his presence and inspiring us in promoting quality and service excellence in this region. His unwavering support to business excellence initiatives has been instrumental in steering the Dubai government’s quality and excellence drive, and in introducing global best practices across all economic sectors of the emirate.

Dubai’s economic fundamentals encourage companies and corporations to compete among themselves to adopt best practices and deliver quality services and products to gain further investor trust. A commitment to inculcating international quality standards is a must for the sustained growth of Dubai across all sectors. Our accomplishments are our pride and glory. The Business Excellence Awards become incentives for continuous development.

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) is committed to developing Dubai’s competitiveness by partnering with the private sector to strengthen the quality of products and achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction. This special supplement published by the Business Excellence Department at DED highlights the winning organisations while encouraging others in the field to take note and follow in their footsteps. These awards provide a valuable framework for excellence in the way organisations conduct business.

We have consistently focused on promoting quality and excellence to drive the productivity of various business operations, including that of the government sector. The preparatory process for participation in the Business Excellence Awards takes many months of continuous work on multiple stages and, therefore, we encourage all companies or individuals wishing to participate in the awards next year to register early to take advantage of the benefits that DED provides, such as training and advice in the field of excellence.

Shaikha Ahmad Abdulrahman Al Bishri,Director, Business Excellence Department

8 Overview

Celebrating excellenceChiranti Sengupta looks at some of the milestones that marked the 2012 edition of the Business Excellence Awards

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) organises the Business

Excellence Awards every year to honour the winners of the Dubai Quality Award (DQA), Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) and the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES).

The 18th edition of the Business Excellence Awards ceremony took place on April 29, this year, at the Sheikh Saeed Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre. His Highness Sheikh

Caption style At. Magnisisl ing eugue et autpat

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, attended the event to recognise and celebrate the success of organisations that contributed to the growth and development of Dubai.

DED launched the awards initiative in 1994 to promote a culture of operational excellence and drive business growth in Dubai. “With growing participation from the private sector, the DED has been able to evolve the Business Excellence Awards into a

comprehensive statement and establish it as a benchmark for quality across products and services available in Dubai,” says Sami Al Qamzi, Director General, DED.

This year’s highlights “Every year we see a growing interest and increased participation in the Business Excellence Awards from organisations,” says Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director, Corporate Quality and Management Excellence, DED.

9Overview

This year the Business Excellence Awards introduced a new category for Outstanding Business in the Best Service Performance Brand awards under DSES. Brands that showed consistent growth over the past three years were honoured with the new award. For the first time, DED also announced the scores of all the winners so that participants knew where they stood in the race for excellence and how they could move ahead.

Benefits of participationThe awards not only offer organisations the opportunity to benchmark their operations against internationally recognised criteria by fully trained assessors, but also give applicants a chance to get exclusive feedback reports from DED on their strengths and weaknesses.

The DQA, which is considered a valuable framework for companies on how to improve their efficiency in cost-effective ways, has allowed 1,325 companies (to date) to get relevant training to align their businesses in line

Every year we see a growing interest and increased participation in the Business Excellence Awards from organisations.”Mohammed BushanainExecutive Director, Corporate Quality and Management Excellence, DED

with international best practices. “More than 500 companies applied for the DQA awards with more than 230 of them winning in various categories,” says Bushanain.

The number of companies trained or registered under DHDA crossed 290, while more than 90 of them applied for the award and more than 35 actually won the recognition. For DSES more than 1,500 retailers applied so far, with more than 95 winners.

“Every year, more than 150 assessors are trained on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model and this year the focus was on the training and development of Emirati assessors. A survey conducted recently showed that more than 80 per cent of the assessors were also applicants or had used the model for improvement in their own organisations,” adds Bushnain.

AssessmentDED always ensures that the evaluation process of the award is transparent and balanced. Each submission for the DQA, for instance, is reviewed by assessors according to procedures laid down by the Business Excellence

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai seen here with Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and other dignitaries

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11Overview

The best enterprises stand to win these trophies

Department at DED as per the latest EFQM Excellence Model. Later, a panel of jury members interview the teams that assess the applicant companies to select potential winners. Applications for the DHDA are evaluated by a team of assessors who conduct site visits and then prepare detailed assessment reports highlighting existing best

practices and areas for improvement in each company.

In the pipeline for 2014To acknowledge the contributions of the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Dubai’s economy, DED has decided to launch a new SME award in the next cycle. This new

award will be implemented in partnership with Dubai SME, the DED agency mandated to develop the SME sector.

A code of conduct for shopping malls will also be introduced as part of DSES this year to improve the customer experience in the retail sector, says Bushnain. He adds, “Another addition will be the Bareeq Excellence Award, jointly instituted by the Business Excellence Department in DED and the Dubai Municipality to reinforce best practices in the jewellery sector.”

The DHDA will be expanded with a new government human resources award, which will cover both expatriates and UAE national employees. The award criteria will be based on the latest EFQM Excellence Model and the Radar methodology of assessment. n

The Business Excellence Depart-ment (BED) is entrusted with the responsibility of organising the Dubai Quality Award, Dubai Human Development Award and Dubai Service Excellence Scheme.

The department plays a criti-cal role in the economic devel-opment of Dubai by encourag-ing companies to participate in the programme. It also gives or-ganisations the scope to benefit from its training programmes and guidelines on quality and ef-ficient operations. The awards at the Business Excellence De-partment always keep people and organisations in the UAE at the cutting-edge of best busi-ness practices while giving them the scope to improve holistically, challenge themselves constant-ly and achieve overall higher standards.

Business Excellence Department

12 Decision makers

Making the cutFrom an utmost degree of professionalism to commitment to quality, being an assessor for the awards is a challenging but rewarding role

Hosted by the Dubai Economic Development, the 18th Business Excellence Awards,

which rewards companies for their commitment to pursuing excellence in 2012, took place on April 29 this year, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Every year, the Secretariat for the Dubai

By Emily Goldstein

Quality Award (DQA) selects an additional group of assessors to bring fresh skills, perspectives and experiences to the assessment process.

Since the first edition of the Dubai Business Excellence Awards, the DQA has trained over 2,000 working professionals from leading companies in the public and private sectors in the UAE, in the fields of finance,

management and marketing. Assessor Koshy Thomas, an assessor from Dutco Balfour Beatty, says: “DQA has always been like a second family to me with staff at the award office and assessors sharing a close bond. I have been associated with the Business Excellence Awards since 2002 and each year has been a learning experience with changes being made to the assessment process to add

13Decision makers

value to the applicant organisation, the assessors and the award office.”

For last year’s cycle of awards, 150 assessors were on board, 65 of which were new assessors of the DQA and the Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA). One notable point of the 2012 cycle was the rise in the number of Emirati assessors, who represented 10 per cent of the group, up from five per cent in 2011. “We are delighted to welcome more Emirati and bilingual

assessors to the team as it will ensure wider representation in the DQA and the DHDA. Extending the award as well as its related processes across all sectors and professionals, is critical to achieving excellence across all levels in Dubai,” says Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director Corporate Quality and Management Excellence, DED.

What it takesBecoming an assessor requires meeting a number of set criteria, such as adequate experience — no less than six years — credentials, quality and firm knowledge of the business excellence model; a command over the English language; and a final interview with senior assessors. Assessors must also be willing to commit to the necessary duration of six months, which is dedicated to

The Best Practices conference takes place each year once the winners of the Dubai Excellence Awards have been selected. Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Economic Sector Committee in Dubai, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the Best Practices conference aims to further enhance the necessity for quality and excellence among the business community in Dubai.During the annual full day conference, winners of the Business Excellence Awards are able to share their winning best practices in quality management with various organisations, thus further promoting the highest standards for quality. Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director Corporate Quality and Management Excellence, DED, says, “There is no doubt that the Share Best Practice conference enhances the competitive role that Dubai plays in the business sector and contributes in promoting the emirate as the ideal investment hub in the region. Such initiatives motivate us to be more active in implementing the highest quality standards in service offerings.” Organisations applying for the next Business Excellence Awards can consult Dubai Quality Award Winning Practices, a best practice book that was launched alongside the Share Best Business Practice 2011 conference. It outlines the best practices of the winners of the Business Excellence Awards of 2010 including details of the winning entries.

The assessors recognition event for the 2011 cycle

Each year has been a learning experience for me.” Koshy ThomasAssessor, Dutco Balfour Beatty

Best Practices conference

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15Decision makers

training and assessing companies for the awards.

Upon selection, assessors are briefed on the DQA and DHDA, the implications of the latest European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model — an extensive model, with nine major areas for assessment — and the assessment process. “The quality of the working methods of assessors within teams directly impacts the quality of assessments and serves as an authenticated standard against which companies can measure their performance. It is due to the continuous efforts of the assessors that the standards remain uniformly high year-on-year, enabling companies to raise the quality each year,” Bushanain says,

The DQA 2012-2013 calendar is

divided into several phases that include team meetings; pre-site visits; completing the individual workbook with key information such as strengths and weaknesses; consensus meetings; a detailed site visit; and scoring and feedback. Once detailed assessment reports are finalised, a panel of jury members interviews the teams that assess the applicant companies to select the winners.

A fulfilling experienceFor assessors, the biggest benefit of taking up the challenge is the learning experience. Not only do assessors play a pivotal role in assessing applicant companies, they also learn best practices and serve as implementers of the award model in their respective organisations.

Assessor Satish Koul of Union National Bank, says: “To me the Dubai Quality Awards is an epicenter for business excellence, hub of learning initiatives and a great platform for sharing knowledge. Through DQA, I have acquired new nuances of business excellence and it has helped me to widen my horizon.”

Other benefits include networking opportunities, being part of a community of quality and business excellence, and benefiting from free training, which is not the case in Europe. Last but not least, after ten years of participation, assessors enjoy additional recognition by being enrolled in the jury panel, which determines the winners.

For more information on how to be an assessor, email bed@dubaided.gov.ae ■

“Being a DQA assessor has given me fantastic strategic insights into different business models and how they add value to the customer. A lot of teamwork goes into an assessment cycle. Fellow assessors provide an excellent opportunity to network and learn. As an assessor and an organisational user of the EFQM Excellence Model, I cannot think of a better tool that focuses on sustainability.” — Nitin Thariyan, Jumeirah Group

“The DQA is a platform where diverse organisations with varied business activities have adapted to a common model of excellence, and have woven a neat fabric of quality across the country. It has helped me to view business entities across several cross-sections of the market and to understand how they function.” – Indu Singhal, EBM International Consultants.

The assessors recognition event for the 2009 (above) and 2010 cycles

What assessors have to say

16 In pictures

Meet the winners

Sheikh Majid honours Naturalizer Sheikh Majid honours The Face Shop

Sheikh Majid honours Pure Gold Jewellers

Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, honours Al Jaber Optical Sheikh Majid honours Dnata Travel Services

Sheikh Majid honours Grand Stores

17In pictures

Sheikh Majid honours Nine West Sheikh Majid honours Springfield

Sheikh Majid honours UAE Exchange Sheikh Majid honours Plug-ins Electronics

Sheikh Majid honours Dubai Islamic Bank Sheikh Majid honours Ministry of Education

18 In pictures

Sheikh Maktoum honours Emirates Gas

Sheikh Maktoum honours Prime Healthcare Group

Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai honours Danube Building Materials

Sheikh Maktoum honours Al Tanmyah Services

Sheikh Maktoum honours UAE Exchange CentreSheikh Maktoum honours Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Sheikh Maktoum honours Union National Bank

19In pictures

DUBAI QUALITY AWARDDubai Quality Appreciation Award 2012

Carea Air Conditioning Services LLC (CASP) Service Sector

Al Tanmyah Services LLc Service Sector

World Security Service Sector

Shift Leasing Rent A Car LLC Service Sector

VFS GCC LLC Service Sector

ENOC Lubricants & Grease Manufacturing Plant LLC

Retail Sector

Aldo Business Concepts by Apparel Group Retail Sector

Dubai Refreshment PJSC Manufacturing Sector

Prime Healthcare Group Healthcare Sector

Abu Dhabi Health Service Co PJSC (SEHA) Healthcare Sector

RAK Hospital Healthcare Sector

DUBAI QUALITY AWARD 2012

Danube Building Materials FZCO Trade Sector

Emirates Gas LLC Manufacturing Sector

UAE Exchange Centre LLC Finance Sector

DUBAI QUALITY GOLD AWARD 2012

Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Tourism Sector

Union National Bank Finance Sector

DUBAI SERVICE EXCELLENCE SCHEMEBEST SERVICE PERFORMANCE OUTLET 2012Plug Ins Electronics Electronics Dubai Mall

Dnata Travel Services Travel Services Burjuman

Springfield Apparel Safeer Mall RAK

Naturalizer Footwear Mall of the Emirates

Grand Stores — Digital General Retail Mirdif City Centre

Nine West Footwear Al Ain Mall

Pure Gold Jewellers Jewellery Karama

Al Jaber Optical Opticals Bawadi Mall

BEST SERVICE PERFORMANCE BRAND 2012The Face Shop Small Business Category

Grand Stores Medium Business Category

Nine West Large Business Category

UAE Exchange Centre LLC Special Business Category

Pure Gold Jewellers Outstanding Business Category

Al Jaber Optical Outstanding Business Category

DUBAI HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AWARDDUBAI HUMAN DEVELOPMENT APPRECIATION AWARD 2012Ministry of Education Government Sector

DUBAI HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AWARD 2012Dubai Islamic Bank Banking Sector

Sheikh Maktoum honours Carea Air Conditioning Services (CASP)

Sheikh Maktoum honours Aldo Business Concepts by Apparel

Sheikh Maktoum honours Dubai Refreshment

Sheikh Maktoum honours Enoc Lubricants and Grease Manufacturing Plant

Sheikh Maktoum honours RAK HospitalSheikh Maktoum honours VFS GCC

Sheikh Maktoum honours Abu Dhabi Health Services Co (SEHA)

Sheikh Maktoum honours World Security

Sheikh Maktoum honours Shift Leasing Rent A Car

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21Viewpoint

What are the highlights of this year’s Business Excellence Awards?All three components of the Business Excellence Awards (BEA) — the Dubai Quality Award (DQA), Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) and the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme (DSES) — have continued to expand year after year and 2012 was no exception. More than 1,325 companies have been trained and registered under DQA to date, and more than 500 of these have applied for the award and more than 230 have gone on to win it.

The number of companies trained or registered under DHDA has crossed 290. More than 90 of these applied for the award and in excess of 35 actually won

the recognition. More than 1,500 retailers have applied so far for DSES, and the number of winners exceeds 95.

Every year, more than 150 assessors are trained on the EFQM Excellence Model, and this year the focus was on training and developing more UAE nationals. A survey conducted recently showed that more than 80 per cent of the assessors were also applicants or had used the model for improvement in their own organisations.

Have you introduced any new categories this year?We have added new award categories as well as expanded existing ones, in line with the evolving local and regional

business landscape. By year end we will announce a new Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Award as part of DQA to promote SMEs, which are critical to social and economic development in the region. SMEs already comprise a majority of business activity in the UAE. It’s therefore essential to encourage them to follow a path of excellence. The award will be a joint initiative between the Business Excellence Department (BED) and Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai mandated to develop the SME sector.

With Dubai aiming to become a hub of Islamic financial services, we are set to add this critical sector to DQA as well. We will also expand the human resources (HR) award as part of DHDA to focus on all employees, including UAE nationals. It will be one of the first government HR awards in the UAE to focus on all categories of employees, and the criteria will be based on the EFQM Excellence Model, with the RADAR Methodology for assessment.

Shopping malls have a strong and growing impact on the unique retail experience Dubai is known to provide. While DSES rewards retail outlets for customer service excellence, we want to

Pursuit of perfectionMohammed Bushanain, Executive Director of Corporate Quality and Management Excellence at DED, discusses the year ahead. By Chiranti Sengupta

Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, (second from right) hands an award to Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education, in the presence of Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director, Corporate Quality and Management Excellence, (left) and Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director General, Department of Economic Development

22 Viewpoint

Applicants for the Business Ex-cellence Awards have to meet a set of eligibility criteria:l The Business Excellence De-

partment (BED) maintains a pre-qualification check list to ensure applicants comply with certain basic and uni-form standards.

l Businesses applying for the awards should have an exist-ing UAE trade license that is at least three years old and approved quality standards across their operations.

l The organisation needs to have financial autonomy and present relevant and favour-able results ranging from two to five years, depending on the category.

l It will be an added bonus if the company applying for the awards has implemented strategy tools.

l Pre-qualified applicants are invited for a two-day work-shop provided by the BED to teach them to do an internal self-assessment to deter-mine their eligibility for the award and to write a proper award submission on the second day.

l Applications will be evalu-ated by a team of trained as-sessors who will conduct site visits and prepare detailed reports highlighting best practices and areas for im-provement in each organisa-tion.

l The assessment is based on the latest EFQM excellence model or DQA criteria and the RADAR Scoring Methodology.

l The workshop as well as the assessor training are offered free of cost by the BED.

What makes applicants eligible?

encourage malls to be in a healthy competition to offer the best overall service experience. As a start, we are introducing a code of conduct for shopping malls under DSES. The BED will also introduce the Bareeq Excellence Award under DSES in partnership with Dubai Municipality this year for the jewellery sector, to encourage and reinforce best practices.

How would you assess last year’s event?Every year, we see a growing interest and increased participation in BEA from businesses and organisations. DED also conducts an annual Best Practice Conference, where all the BEA winners share their best practices with the business community. A DSES Insights 2013 study we did, based on the awards and their outcomes in 2008-2012, shows more and more retailers acknowledging customer confidence and service quality as key differentiators and drivers of growth.

How is BED promoting excellence?The BED was established to streamline and unify standards of excellence with international best practices. It now serves as an umbrella organisation and resource for promoting the concept of excellence across industry sectors and services in Dubai. The BEA, over and above recognising commitment to excellence, have also become a benchmark and measure of how well a business in the UAE is aligned to international best practices.

What are the challenges?While there is growing awareness, many still perceive BEA as difficult and hard to earn. In reality, it’s a simple model that has clearly pronounced processes and a user-friendly interface. More businesses and investment adding to the diversity of business in the UAE is another challenge, as it means we need to constantly expand our coverage and add new categories. The BED being a not-for-profit institution is also a challenge, as we need to keep the entry

threshold for our awards as accessible and attractive as possible.

How are you promoting quality consciousness in the UAE?In addition to the success that the awards have achieved in terms of integrating excellence as a business goal in the UAE, we believe bringing SMEs on board is a path-breaking move that will produce outstanding outcomes. SMEs are a strategic component across all key economic sectors and these enterprises embracing excellence will lead to improved customer satisfaction. The DHDA being extended to all employees in organisations is also a milestone on the path to promoting business satisfaction and a culture of excellence.

What is the biggest achievement of the BED since its launch?The biggest achievement is its committed team of people. Most have been a part of the team since its inception and have evolved over the years, gaining knowledge and insights on customer service, innovation, quality and excellence. The most noteworthy component is our assessors, trained by us and helping us with critical decision making. There are more than 1,500 assessors enrolled in the award process and 70 per cent have stayed with us since signing up for the first time. n

Mohammed Bushanain

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24 Workshops

Judging successA collage of pictures from the assessors competency development workshops to train them for the 2012 Business Excellence Awards

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26 Testimonials

SEHA — A healthy winner

Al Ghurair Retail —Enhancing lifestyles

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company – whose marketing identity is SEHA – is an

independent, public joint stock company created to develop the public health care system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi, which together make up the SEHA HealthSystem.

Applying for and consequently winning the Dubai Quality Award or any other excellence award is a tool that helps SEHA assess its standards, demonstrate where it is and where it wants to be, and most importantly, enables it to spot the gaps and address them.

Expressing his gratitude towards the Abu Dhabi government and its commitment towards delivering

Al Ghurair Retail was founded in 1999 with a vision to operate a Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC)-based retail franchise company capable of trading across all GCC countries. The brand currently operates 60 franchise stores in three countries and represents world class retail brands like the The Face Shop, Springfield and Triumph.

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman, Al Ghurair Investments, says: “Al Ghurair is one of the largest diversified industrial enterprises in the Middle East. With a history of pioneering innovative businesses built upon excellence, trust and responsibility, Al Ghurair Investments has a deep commitment to enhancing life in the communities we serve. Al Ghurair

Retail continues the family’s trading history in providing the best standards and services, based on the group’s core strengths and shared values.”

Al Ghurair Retail advises companies to pay attention to qualitative feedback and look into its training and management systems before trying to discipline underachieving staff. It also believes in recognising efforts of employees when they get it right.

services to communities and customers, Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, Chairman, SEHA, says: “We are pleased and honoured to be recognised for our achievements at such a prestigious event, which offers evidence of SEHA’s commitment to providing quality health care at par with international standards. We congratulate all our employees on winning this much-deserved award and for their dedication and commitment.

“In terms of advice to future participants, we would like to highlight that excellence is everyone’s responsibility; it’s not an objective, it’s a journey to achieve one’s goals. The award does not mean that the organisation is perfect, but that we are moving in the right direction.”Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, Chairman, SEHA

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman, Al Ghurair Investments

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28 Testimonials

Apparel — On the road to excellence

UNB — Banking on the best

Established in 1996, the Apparel Group is a leading retail conglomerate with its

headquarters in Dubai. In 2001, Nilesh Ved, Chairman and Founder of the brand, initiated ALDO Business Concepts (ABC) by acquiring exclusive franchise rights for ALDO.

“The Apparel Group’s journey towards continual improvement is fueled by our quality policy of SPEED (Service, Productivity, Effectiveness, Efficiency and Dedication or commitment). Our daily aim is 100 per cent customer satisfaction and this drives all our endeavours,” says Ved.

Union National Bank (UNB) is one of the leading banks in the UAE. It was established in 1982

as a Public Joint Stock Company.Today, it has extended its footprint across the region with a branch each in Qatar and Kuwait, a network of 30 branches in Egypt and a representative office in Shanghai.

“After winning the DQA twice earlier, winning the QA Gold now is gratifying and a reaffirmation of our commitment towards continual improvement and business excellence. The DQA Gold is a tribute to the efforts put in by our people who play a key role in meeting the needs of our customers,” says Mohammad Nasr Abdeen, CEO, UNB.

The company believes in plugging gaps through quick wins or preparing action plans for long term initiatives. UNB also advises that senior management should provide the required resources, be encouraging in celebrating successes and form cross-functional project teams led by experienced team leaders to offer support while team members devote time for an entire project.

While applying for this award, the ABC team learnt to assess approaches along with results and it has proven that its success is multifaceted. The company’s biggest challenge was finding benchmarks for some of the results criteria and presenting all of ABC’s achievements.

The Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme recognises that ABC are on the right track to excellence. The company believes that any improvements made must not be merely to win the award but to achieve excellence and understand that awards are merely a framework to aid you in the process of continual improvement.Nilesh Ved, Chairman, Apparel Group

Mohammad Nasr Abdeen, CEO, UNB

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30 Testimonials

Over the last 20 years, the Danube Group has come a long way since its humble

beginnings as a small trading shop in Deira to being the region’s leader in construction, building materials, home interiors and shop fitting industries. Today, the group is spread over 40 locations in nine countries with an employee strength of over 2,000 people.

Danube’s business philosophy is focused and responsive to change, balanced with a clear understanding of creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society. Commenting on the brand’s win, Rizwan Sajan, Founder and Chairman says: “In today’s competitive business scenario, excellence has become one of the

most important factors for business growth. By identifying the real path for excellence, an organisation can explore ways to improve business practices to gain a competitive edge. At Danube, strategic programmes, initiatives and achievements, are a result of basing our function on an excellence model.”

The company says the Business Excellence Department is a major milestone for the growth of a business, hence it is important to sustain your organisation’s development through innovation and continuous improvement. It is essential to focus on three main performance indicators — output, outcome and impact to deliver quality through reliable products and service.

Danube — Building on a milestone

A leading distributor and retailer based in the UAE for the past three decades, Grand Stores is

the regional distributor of several world-renowned brands in imaging, information technology and accessories, perfumes and cosmetics, luggage, linen and dinnerware. Headquartered in Dubai with investments across the region, Grand Stores currently operates 40 showrooms in the UAE alone.

In recognition of the high standards maintained over the years, Grand Stores stands accredited with the ISO 2000-9001 Quality Certification and the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme membership. The company has also acquired three more awards, such as the Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme award, the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence award and the Sharjah Economic Excellence award. It also

Grand Stores — Three decades of excellence

offers its customers the world’s best brands including Nikon, Fujifilm, Lexar, MSI, Epson, Samsonite, American Tourister, Chanel, Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne, Azzaro, Thomaston,

Centa Star and Greggio, to name a few. “Various world-renowned brands

have been investing their trust in Grand Stores for more than three decades. Our retail segment is humbled to have been recognised for dedication towards service excellence while staying rooted to strong business ethics which have always been our driving force. We at Grand Stores will continue to strive towards enhancing this customer-centric approach with strategic service related initiatives,” says Mohamed Abu Issa, Managing Director, Grand Stores.

Grand Stores stays true to its policy of consistently offering quality products to its customers. By understanding customer requirements, the company takes a long-term perspective of the relationship shared and strives to achieve its satisfaction. Through regular training sessions, promotion campaigns, improved shop ambience, enhanced product information, technical back-up and a friendly multicultural customer service set-up, it leaves no stone unturned to achieve excellence.

Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube

Mohamed Abu Issa, Managing Director, Grand Stores

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32 Testimonials

DIB — Best of Islamic banking

EMGAS — Premium petroleum products

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) is the first modern commercial Islamic bank in the world and has always been

conscious of its wider role in society. The bank supports the communities in which it operates through the DIB Foundation, a non-profit social, humanitarian and charitable organisation that distributes millions of dirhams towards noble causes both at home and overseas, every year.

Its participation in the Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) has formalised the existing systems by introducing the Excellence model into the organisation. Award submissions are based on the Radar model, which was new for the organisation and thereby required acquiring new skills.

The benefits of participation in the awards have shown the bank not only where it stands based on the DHDA Excellence model, but also provided the opportunity to review individual processes and procedures based on the Excellence model.

“Speaking on behalf of everyone at

A subsidiary of the ENOC Group and owned by the Government of Dubai, Emirates Gas LLC

(EMGAS) is the UAE’s leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas and propane in cylinders since 1947. EMGAS is an ISO Certified Company for 9001 (QMS), 14001 (EMS), 18001 (OSHAS) and 10002 (Customer Care), and is the proud recipient of the 2010 cycle Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme award and CSR label in 2011 and 2012.

EMGAS currently operates from five different locations in the UAE and is fast expanding into international markets. It is also the first in the region to promote Emirates Gas aerosol propellant as an effective alternative to the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon’s in line with its commitment to environmental

Dubai Islamic Bank, I want to express my appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his continued dedication to human development. The UAE’s extraordinary success over the past 40 years is due in large part to our leadership’s commitment to investing in the country’s people,” says Abdulla Al Hamli, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Islamic Bank.

He adds, “In parallel, DIB has focused on training and advancing local talent, and today we are very proud of our staff who form the very core of the UAE’s thriving Islamic finance industry. In 2013, the year of Emiratisation, the percentage of DIB employees who are nationals stands at an impressive 46 per cent, and we look forward to sustaining this commitment in the years and decades ahead.”

protection. EMGAS strives to be a role model organisation by adopting world-class standards and best practices that have benefited the industrial and commercial development of Dubai and the UAE over the years.

Saeed Khoory, Chief Executive Officer, ENOC, says, “As the premier provider of LPG and other products that have widespread residential and commercial application, upholding the highest quality standards is of utmost importance for EMGAS. This is also crucial in strengthening overall safety. The Dubai Quality Award highlights the continued focus of EMGAS to strengthen quality best practices. We are thankful to the Department of Economic Development for the award, which underlines our commitment to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to ensure a culture of organisational excellence and quality.”

Abdulla Al Hamli, CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank

Saeed Khoory, CEO, ENOC

33Testimonials

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Shift Leasing — Enjoy a quality drive

Shift Leasing, formed in 2008, is part of the dynamic AW Rostamani Group, which has an

illustrious history in the automobile industry. The company provides customised solutions for mid-to-long-term vehicle leasing including spot rentals in the UAE market and is supported by its sister company Arabian Automobiles (AAC) —authorised distributors of Nissan, Infiniti and Renault for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Shift Leasing was formed with the vision of becoming one of the top three quality lease providers in this region. Over the past few years, they pursued

this vision relentlessly and strived to maintain the highest level of quality in all their operations. The Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme award complements the brand’s efforts and they will continue to set the highest standards of quality in the leasing industry.

The brand urges future aspirants and business excellence leaders to adopt the European Foundation for Quality Management model in their respective organisations. This has provided an enormous opportunity for Shift Leasing as an organisation to learn and ensure that quality remains the backbone of their operations. Michel Ayat, CEO, AW Rostamani Automotive

34 Testimonials

PRIME HealthCare Group is a quality driven company offering health care services under

different service verticals to suit the specific needs of the customers, all which go into creating the sustainable PRIME brand.

With over 650 dedicated staff, the group consists of a network of outpatient medical centres including Prime Medical Centre, Premier Diagnostic Centre and MediPrime Pharmacies. Prime Medical Centre can be found in most of the major residential areas of Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi and offers services ranging from general practice to specialties and super-specialties with comprehensive diagnostic facilities under one roof. Comprising more than 170 expert physicians, each member of the group’s team possesses

PRIME — Health care providers that careextraordinary expertise in diagnosis and treatment. “Quality is not a process, it’s a habit,” and the group stays true to its vision of being the most respected health care provider in the region, offering the most effective treatment outcomes through the best in-class professionals,” says Dr Jamil Ahmed, Managing Director.

The group also believes in earning its customers’ respect by delivering what it promises, respecting staff and treating them with fairness and dignity, earning the respect of investors by being transparent and accountable, earning its business partners’ respect by valuing their businesses, earning the respect of suppliers by dealing with them on merit, earning the government’s respect by not violating any law and earning the community’s respect by generating goodwill.

Al Jaber Optical presently operates 35 outlets in prime locations all over the UAE. It has

an extensive collection of international brands of vision care products, sunglasses and optical frames to suit every taste, lifestyle and budget. Over the past 25 years, Al Jaber Optical has not just been associated with high quality products, but also with service. Eye examination is a part of this service. Exemplary service is achieved through updating of instruments to keep up with the latest technology, and employing only optometrists with international experience.

On winning the 2012 cycle of the Dubai Quality Award, Ahmed Jaber, Managing Director of Al Jaber Optical, says: “I would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for bestowing our organisation with this

Al Jaber Optical — An eye for perfectionhonour for the fourth time. We also wish to thank the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme team and the Dubai Economic Department for their continued support. I would finally like to thank all our staff members for their hard work and continuous support and loyalty.”

Applying for the award has a lot of benefits, says Jaber. “It is an opportunity to share best practices, improve self-assessment by monitoring our staff performance and customers’ reaction, build momentum and pride among staff, helps strengthen our brand recognition and positions our company ahead of competition, helps identify best requirements to keep our shops in the forefront, encourages us to focus more on our staff training and development and enhances the company image in the optical industry in the UAE.”

Dr Jamil Ahmed, Managing Director, PRIME

Ahmed Jaber, Managing Director, Al Jaber Optical

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