National and international quality awards are an effective state and public incentive to boost the competitiveness of companies.

The Deming Prize was instituted in 1951 to reward Japanese companies for the active use of special quality-management mechanisms, including statistical process-control methods. This largely facilitated the emergence of the so-called “Japanese Miracle” and Japan’s assertion on the global market. Officials at most famous Japanese firms say that the striving to receive the Deming Prize, as well as corporate transformations in line with the criteria of this prize, had ensured their initial economic successes.

In 1987, the US Congress also established the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in order to prevent US companies from lagging behind their Japanese rivals.

In 1991, the European Quality Award, now known as the EFQM Excellence Award, was instituted by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and the European Organisation for Quality (EOQ). Its criteria also conform with the relevant US and Japanese experience.

The Russian Government Quality Awards were instituted by Resolution No 423 of the Russian Government dated April 12, 1996.

The awards are received annually on a competitive basis by organisations for their impressive quality-control results with regard to specific products and services, for manufacturing safe products and for introducing highly effective quality-management methods.

The relevant criteria and methods for assessing the performance of competitors have been harmonised with the European Quality Award / EFQM Excellence Award and serve as corporate guidelines for introducing advanced international approaches to management and competitiveness-enhancement methods. The harmonisation of specific award criteria also enables Russian enterprises to vie for the European Quality Award / EFQM Excellence Award. Various companies involved in the competition are rated in line with the award's criteria on the basis of their reports and through the on-site assessment of their respective quality-control programmes.

The Russian Government Quality Awards stipulate no cash payments in line with international experience. The winners receive Government awards and certificates and the right to use award logos in their advertising materials. This improves their reputation and competitiveness.

The relevant Quality Awards Statute, which was approved by Government Resolution No 206 dated February 24, 1999, notes that each Quality Award consists of a standard Government certificate and prize. The relevant certificate is signed by the Prime Minister and stamped with the Government Seal featuring the Russian state emblem.

Under Government Resolution No 279 dated May 10, 2006, the CEOs of prize-winning companies receive the awards from the Prime Minister during an official ceremony, or from Deputy Prime Ministers acting on his instructions.

National quality competitions and awards are an effective instrument compelling enterprises to improve their management and production organisation methods and to introduce new technologies and innovations.

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The Academician Makeyev State Rocket Centre

The centre, which was established in 1947 in the city of Miass in the Chelyabinsk Region, employs 3,316 specialists, including one Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 individuals with a DSc degree and 40 with a Ph. D.

The centre is a leading global developer of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. It is also a major national research and design centre of space technology.

The centre primarily develops new submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, upgrades all the main rocket and missile systems, recycles and disposes of decommissioned naval missile systems and also develops light-weight commercial launch vehicles.

The centre’s civilian products are developed by specialised design bureaus and by functional departments in line with dual-purpose technologies. The centre’s civilian R&D projects include electric vehicles, fire-fighting equipment, wind-diesel generators, agricultural-produce processing equipment, oil-refining equipment, medical equipment, as well as automation and communications systems.

Since 2008, the centre’s specialists have submitted 140 applications for inventions and useful models. They have received 124 patents and have used ten inventions during the production process, with a total economic effect of 1.9 million roubles.

Numerous employees have received state awards over the years. The centre employs six Heroes of Socialist Labour, 15 Lenin Prize holders, 38 USSR and Russian State Prize holders, 25 holders of the USSR Council of Ministers (Government) Prize and two holders of the Russian Government Prize. In all, 1,680 employees have received orders and medals.

The KAMAZ-Metallurgy Company

The company, which is located in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in the Republic of Tatarstan, employs 10,030 specialists.

The KAMAZ-Metallurgy Company is a unique enterprise that manufactures a wide range of top-quality castings and forging products from various types of alloys and materials for the automotive industry and other industries. The company primarily meets the demand for truck-components at its parent company, KAMAZ. Moreover, the enterprise successfully exports its products to former Soviet republics and non-CIS countries.

The company’s traditional clients include automotive plants and automobile-systems plants, oil and gas producing companies, agricultural enterprises, as well as numerous small and medium businesses operating in various fields. KAMAZ, AVTOVAZ, Russian Railways and other companies are among its major permanent partners and clients.

The successful implementation of the corporate anti-crisis programme has enabled the enterprise to attain its pre-crisis levels in three years. Product-sale volumes are increasing. At the same time, the company retains its market segment in terms of expensive and top-quality products.

The Research Institute of Physical Measurements

The institute, which was founded in 1960, is located in the city of Penza and employs 1,323 specialists.

The institute specialises in R&D projects, and is the main enterprise of the Russian Federal Space Agency. Its specialists manufacture, test and deliver sensors, converters and transformers, as well as measuring, control and automation systems for launch vehicles and spacecraft. The institute is involved in the Federal Targeted Programme, “Global Navigation System.”

Moreover, the institute makes and delivers sensors and measuring systems for aircraft, nuclear power stations, railway transport, iron-and-steel enterprises, oil and gas producing companies, oil-refining and other industries.

The institute also cooperates successfully with the Indian Space Research Organisation, the China National Space Administration and the European Space Agency. It supplies measuring equipment for RD-180 rocket engines, which are manufactured by the Energomash Glushko Science and Production Association for the first stage of the American Atlas launch vehicle.

The institute has over 1,100 copyright-protection documents, including 366 patents for inventions, industrial prototypes and useful models.

The TAIF-NK Company

The company, which was established in 1998 in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, employs 2,924 specialists.

The company is a modern oil refinery with all the necessary components and production and technological facilities. It comprises a refinery and a petrol plant.

The petrol plant turns out petrol brands meeting all quality requirements of the Euro-3 and Euro-4 European emission standards. The company controls 1.7% of the national petrol market, 3.1% of the national diesel fuel market and 3% of the national boiler oil market. At the same time, it controls 54.4% of the regional petrol market, 69.6% of the regional diesel fuel market and 65.8% of the republic’s boiler oil market.

The company exports 49.76% of its products.

The company is recognised by the International Association of Oil Refining Companies and is listed in its international database together with other crude oil, petroleum and aviation-fuel refining companies.

TAIF-NK is a major taxpayer in the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation.

The International Trade Centre

The International Trade Centre, which has been operating since 1979, employs 1,646 specialists.

The centre, which covers an area of 278,000 square metres, consists of three office buildings, namely, the Convention Centre, the Crowne Plaza Moscow WTC Business Hotel, the Crowne Plaza Club Hotel and the Mezhdnunarodnaya (International)-2 Apart-Hotel. The adjacent territory has an area of 50,970 square metres.

Right now, the International Trade Centre ranks among major Russian multi-role business developments. The centre’s specialists have accumulated long-term experience making it possible to successfully manage office developments and hotels, blocks of flats and convention/conference centres. In addition, the centre’s specialists ensure the expanded business operations of their clients.

Over the past 30-plus years, the International Trade Centre has hosted over 9,000 top-level events. The centre’s clients include leaders of foreign states and public organisations, representatives of foreign embassies and diplomatic missions, well-known public activists, academics and artists, R&D and educational organisations, as well as media outlets.

The Federal State Budget Higher Educational Institution – Stavropol State Agrarian University

The Stavropol State Agrarian University, which ranks among the oldest higher educational institutions in southern Russia, celebrated its 80^th anniversary in 2010.

The university’s training programmes include prep courses, higher professional education programmes, post-graduate training, as well as additional professional education.

The university provides training in 72 specialist, BA and MA programmes. In 2011, the university had 6,378 full-time students, 6,302 correspondence students and 489 students receiving an external degree.

Thirty-eight academic schools and sections implement R&D projects in eight scientific areas and encompass 56 comprehensive subjects. Post-graduate students receive Ph. D. and DSc degrees in nine scientific, 34 post-graduate training and eight DSc careers. The university has five DSc councils for biological, veterinary, agricultural, technical and economic sciences.

The Stavropol State Agrarian University has repeatedly won prizes and awards at Russian and international competitions, including the following:

- Winner of the EFQM Excellence Award-2010 competition;

- Winner of the 2010 Ministry of Education and Science competition, “Systems for assessing the quality of training of graduates of professional education institutions,” in the “Recognised Perfection” category. 

- Finalist of the EFQM Excellence Award-2010 competition.

The Bashneft – Udmurtia Company

The enterprise, which was established in 1997 in the city of Izhevsk, Udmurtia, employs 691 specialists.

Bashneft – Udmurtia is a leading operator of the petroleum retail market in the Udmurt Republic, controlling 37.5% of the regional market.

The company owns 44 petrol stations in the cities of Izhevsk, Votkinsk, Glazov and other local communities.

The company comprises six petroleum storage facilities meeting world-class petroleum acceptance, storage, transportation and sale standards. The entire petroleum transportation chain is subject to permanent control, from the storage facility to the end client. Delivery routes and transportation safety are monitored by the corporate security service using GPS transceivers.

In 2002, the enterprise became the first independent national operator to introduce an automated petrol-station control network, which encompasses all petrol stations. This enabled the company to obtain a number of advantages, including the possibility of using discount cards and corporate fuel cards.

The Budget Institution – Solnyshko (Little Sun) Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children and Adolescents in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra

The organisation, which was established in October 1993, employs 133 specialists.

The centre primarily helps minors with health problems, disabled and mentally disabled children to adapt to life in society.

The centre has two subsidiaries in the towns of Alyabyevsky and Kommunistichesky.

The centre provides outpatient, semi-inpatient, inpatient and home-care services. Solnyshko is the only institution providing social rehabilitation services to disabled children in the Sovetsky District of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. Individual rehabilitation programmes make it possible for disabled children to adapt to life in society and in families. These programmes also provide for their studies and work. The centre caters to all disabled children in the Sovetsky District.

A new building, which was opened in 2009, features modern specialised equipment and technology for assisting children in different categories. An organisational-methodological department has also been established.

In 2010, the centre was listed as a basic institution for testing and implementing innovative social-work technologies among budget social-services institutions of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area.