Analyzing the evolution of supply chain management best practices by tracking changes in the Baldrige Criteria

The Performance Excellence Criteria for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award are widely accepted as an accurate reflection of quality management best practices. Since being introduced in 1988, the Baldrige Criteria have undergone regular revisions in an attempt to reflect the evolution of these best practices. This thesis examines the evolution of the elements of the Baldrige Criteria dealing with supply chain management (SCM) by conducting a detailed content analysis of each version of the Criteria since 1988. Our analysis includes an examination of changes in point values for SCM elements of the Baldrige Award over time. We also present an analysis of the distribution of the point values in each version of the Criteria across six key dimensions of SCM, as well as an analysis of how the SCM elements in the Baldrige Criteria compare with best practices as represented by the Supply Chain Operations Reference model.