EFQM

EFQM stands for the European Foundation for Quality Management. The EFQM Excellence Model is a self-assessment framework used by organizations around the world to measure where they’re strong, where they’re falling short, and what to do about it.

It works across industries and company sizes, which is part of why it’s held up as a broadly applicable tool rather than something built for a specific sector.

How the model is structured

The EFQM model organizes everything an organization does into nine areas, split into two categories: Enablers and Results.

Enablers are about how an organization operates. They cover leadership, people, policy and strategy, partnerships and resources, and processes. Essentially, this side of the model asks: how does the organization run itself, manage its teams, allocate resources, set direction, and keep its key processes on track?

Results are about what actually comes out of all that. They cover people results, customer results, society results, and key performance results. This side asks: what is the organization actually achieving, and for whom?

The logic connecting the two is straightforward. Strong enablers tend to produce strong results. Gaps in how an organization operates usually show up eventually in the outcomes it delivers. The model gives organizations a structured way to see both sides clearly and close the distance between where they are and where they want to be.