Excellence comes as standard

The staff of EMB are celebrating the achievement of another national quality standard with recognition as an Investor in Excellence.

EMB Ltd, the leading enterprise and economic development company responsible for delivery of a range of business improvement services including Business Link, UK Trade & Investment and Leadership and Management Advisory Service, are in good company and join a "hall of fame" of organisations who have also achieved and continue to use the standard, such as Siemens, BMW, Littlewoods Home Shopping Ltd and O2 UK.

The achievement of Investor in Excellence was awarded to EMB after a rigorous nine-month programme which included assessments, action plans, written reports and an in-depth site visit. The Investors in Excellence Assessor was impressed, highlighting the following points in his report:

• Clear vision supported by mission and values that is well understood and supported by staff.
• Investment in developing the skills and competencies of staff and this is clearly valued and recognised.
• Well defined quality management system and a robust approach to internal audit throughout. These approaches clearly drive improvement.
• Well developed measurement systems and clear links between operational measures and the key strategic objectives they support.
• Staff value and appreciate the working environment.
• Structured approach to defining key processes and supporting through documentation was well understood and used by staff.
• Clear, regular dialogue between staff and their managers and the creation of a coaching culture is evident.

EMB Chief Executive, Stephen Smith praised staff on their achievements. "This award reinforces the quality of the team at EMB and the fact that we always aim for excellence and continuous improvement. More people than ever are accessing the services delivered by EMB and we will continue developing what we can offer in line with what local enterprises need."


improving performance through effective people and business development