Energizing the business – creating business excellence in a service based electrical utility

Northern Ireland Electricity is the largest listed plc in Northern Ireland. This article describes how the organization has managed its approach to total quality management since privatization, in 1992. Examines specifically the third stage of a three-stage approach, describing the strategic and operational integration of total quality management/business improvement. Describes the strategic partnership with the University of Ulster and discusses how this relationship has focused the organization on a journey of soul searching and learning. Explains how the self assessment approach, linked to balanced scorecards and performance planning review cycles, allows employee involvement in setting and achieving objectives. Finally, describes how the adoption of a learning based approach to business improvement, integrating thinking and doing, allows a fuller understanding of the issues and contributes to better results.