(Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey) -- The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) has set a standard for government agencies through its recent achievement of being the first Department of Defense organization to receive the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the first year government organizations were allowed to compete.

A subordinate element of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, ARDEC has worked purposely to achieve and live up to the Baldrige Award’s standard of excellence.

“The Malcolm Baldrige [Award] doesn’t mean you’re perfect,” says Bob Scott, ARDEC Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and deputy director, quality engineering and system assurance. “It means you know where you’re going and you have executed a plan to get there.”

As part of a Black Belt lean Six Sigma project called Enterprise Excellence, ARDEC’s director and former deputy director worked to revolutionize the ARDEC “way of thought” by developing focused values in leadership, management, and operation practices. Conducting itself as a learning organization, ARDEC is continuously evaluating its business practices, processes, and searching for ways to measure and improve in all areas.

 …