The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) hosted the 26^th Annual Sri Lanka National Quality Awards (SLNQA) Ceremony, at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on the 16^th of November 2022, amidst much anticipation. The highest, most prestigious national-level awards for quality and performance excellence, the SLNQA recognizes Sri Lanka’s top established and emerging businesses that have dedicated themselves to excellence. The SLNQA programme is managed by the SLSI and is implemented based on the stringent and globally recognized criteria used in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards of the USA (MBNQA).  These awards provide many benefits to recipients and the wider community, apart from esteem and prestige, as they incentivize further development and improvement of quality standards and performance excellence through knowledge sharing. Participants also receive detailed reports and evaluations, along with recommendations, which they can use to further up their game.

Hemas Manufacturing (Private) Limited received the No.1 National Quality Award 2019 in the Manufacturing – Large Sector, while CBL Exports (Private) Limited won the No.1 National Quality Award 2020 in the Manufacturing – Medium Sector. Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC (Services – Large), Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Private) Limited (Manufacturing – Large) and Nestle Lanka PLC (Manufacturing – Large) also received National Quality Awards for the year 2020, in this respective order. These Main Awards were handed over by the Chief Guest at the event, Hon. Kanaka Herath, M.P, State Minister of Technology, while a number of special awards and other awards were also presented across a range of categories and sectors. The 26^th Annual SLNQA Ceremony was attended by a number of influential dignitaries and corporate personalities including, Mr. Asanga Ranasinghe, Chairman of Sri Lanka Standards Institution, Dr. (Mrs) Siddhika G. Senaratne, Director General, Sri Lanka Standard Institution, and other honored guests.

Commenting on the need and importance of the program, Dr. (Mrs.) Siddhika G Senaratna  Director General/ CEO, of Sri Lanka Standards Institution at SLSI said, “The primary objective of the SLNQA programme is to promote awareness about quality standards and an understanding of performance excellence as a process and journey, as these are important tools in enhancing competitiveness. It helps to demonstrate to the business community that companies that adopt such models empower themselves to reach goals, improve results and become more competitive, and ultimately more recognizable and profitable. The winners are also able to come together as a community to share knowledge and inspire others to follow a roadmap towards performance excellence. We are very pleased with the outcome of the event this year and take this opportunity to thank all those who participated and contributed to this valuable endeavour.”

The SLNQA Winners emerge as a result of a rigorous and exhaustive evaluation and review of applications, a five-stage process with strict rules and efforts to ensure zero conflicts of interest. In stage one, applicants are evaluated by 3 to 6 examiners in an independent individual desktop evaluation. In stage two, the desktop consensus is reviewed and evaluated collectively by the examiners. During stage three, site visits are conducted to verify and clarify all assertions and data forwarded during stage two. Stage four consists of reviews and recommendations by the Review Committee to the Panel of Judges, and in stage five, a Judging Panel, comprised of experts, selects the winners based solely on merit.

Winning an SLNQA entitles the recipient to publicize this fact and enjoy the benefits of such publicity for up to 5 years, while also empowering them to act as role models for others and share best practices. The awards further help companies to better engage and understand customer requirements and more effectively strategize, while also setting up recipients to be eligible to compete for the Global Performance Excellence Awards and gain international recognition.

The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) is the National Standards Body of Sri Lanka and functions under the Ministry of Technology. By virtue of being the National Standards Body in Sri Lanka, SLSI is also a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), based in Geneva. As a member of the ISO, SLSI is responsible for disseminating information on international standards, technical regulations and standards-related activities to the community at the national level.