Summary: After trained examiners and accomplished business professionals performed a thorough assessment of their work, Peter Hines and Chris Butterworth have been selected as recipients of an internationally-recognized award from the Shingo Institute, a program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. The authors received the award at the Shingo Conference occurring April 28–May 3, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

LOGAN, Utah — The Shingo Institute, a program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has awarded Peter Hines and Chris Butterworth with the Shingo Publication Award for their case study, The Essence of Excellence.

“Receipt of the Shingo Publication Award signifies an author’s significant contribution and practical application to the body of knowledge regarding enterprise excellence,” said Ken Snyder, executive director of the Shingo Institute.

By “challenging” or applying for a Shingo Publication award, authors invite a group of accomplished professionals and trained examiners from the Shingo Institute to thoroughly review their publication(s). Shingo examiners select recipients based on a rigorous set of standards.

The case study follows the research conducted by Mr. Hines and Mr. Butterworth within 100 companies around the world, investigating support systems utilized by best-in-class organizations to successfully integrate tools of the Shingo Model™. Through careful examination of these companies, the authors identify four systems critical to supporting the integration of these tools: Behavioral and Strategy Deployment System, Continuous Improvement System, Leader Standard Work System, and Learning and Development System.

In outlining these four systems for continuous cultural improvement and growth, The Essence of Excellence is equipped with guidelines for application of the systems within a company, as well as real-life examples and resources from global organizations. Richard J. Schonberger, an independent researcher, author, and speaker, said, “This well-referenced book is loaded with in-color graphs, pictures, tables, and so on, both to illustrate excellence conceptually and to exemplify it with broadly based case studies. Blended in effectively are the Shingo Guiding Principles, under which the Shingo Institute annually awards the Shingo Prize for operational excellence to organizations of many kinds in many countries. You’ll find much to like in The Essence of Excellence.”

The systemic model elaborated in the book was presented at the Shingo Conference in Europe in Brussels in 2018 with over 200 executives from global companies attending workshops based around the book. The systems outlined have also been employed by many large corporations, including Nestle, Coca-Cola, Abbott Diagnostics, and STMicroelectronics, with overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Jas Scott de Martinville, Director for Nestle Research & Development in the UK, effectively summarized the unique value of the publication, stating, “The Essence of Excellence provides the reader with the what, why, and—most important of all—the how of creating and sustaining a high performing organization. Clearly, reaching such a goal is not a short-term quick win but more so an enriching journey of discovery and learning. I have personally seen the value of investing in creating and communicating a clear vision, mission, and most important of all values—the principles by which we live and operate by in our organization.”

Copies of the case study may be ordered online at https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/1999374800/ref=tmm_pap_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=1554459952&sr=8-2.

Mr. Hines and Mr. Butterworth received their award at the awards ceremony during the Shingo Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA on April 28–May 3, 2019.

 About the Shingo Institute

The Shingo Institute is home of the Shingo Prize, an award that recognizes organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture that fosters continuous improvement. A program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser, Shigeo Shingo. Dr. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world’s thought leaders in concepts, management systems, and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Production System.

Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model which is the basis for its several educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute’s Licensed Affiliates. For more information on workshops, affiliates, or to register to attend the next Shingo Conference, please visit www.shingo.org/v1.1.