The Laboratory's Research Library and Facilities, Security and Safeguards Division won Roadrunner awards, which recognize organizations that implemented quality processes and demonstrated significant progress. Los Alamos' Business Operations Division, Critical Experiments Facility and Solid Waste Operations won Piñon awards, which recognize those organizations that made serious commitments to using quality concepts and principles.
"Quality is important in all aspects of our Laboratory," said Los Alamos Director John Browne. "I'm proud of the employees in these organizations for showing the way."
Only one organization, L&M Technologies Inc., in Albuquerque, won the Zia Award, the highest honor given. L&M Technologies recently won a $3 million contract for assisting environmental cleanup activities at Los Alamos.
The winning organizations were announced Wednesday during a press conference held in the State Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe and on the House and Senate floors of the state legislature.
In describing the successful entry of the Facilities, Security and Safeguards Division the board of examiners wrote in their executive summary, "It is clear to the examining team that FSS is driven by the values of continuous improvement, safety and respect for the individual. The enthusiasm and capability of the leadership and staff of FSS are outstanding."
Regarding the Research Library, the examiners noted the library's strong leadership and customer interest and significant improvement in productivity and supplier responsiveness, among other accomplishments.
"The LANL Research Library has integrated a strong customer focus with visionary planning and uses a well-defined process... for managing their business. They are demonstrating strong results from their advancements in a number of areas," the examiners wrote.
The examiners recognized Solid Waste Operations for increasing customer satisfaction, reducing cycle times and satisfying employee needs. They also recognized the group's training and safety programs and work with stakeholders in refining processes and performance. "The partnership between group management and contract employees is being developed to ensure better safety and training benefits for the contract employee," the examiners wrote.
The examiners praised Los Alamos' Critical Experiments Facility, used for training and conducting research into nuclear criticality, for recovering from a forced shutdown in 1990 and for winning an internal award in 1995. "LACEF's actions to align its goals with the National Laboratory's strategic plan, along with efforts to stay current with technical developments in its field, will keep the facility at the forefront of critical mass science," they wrote.
The business division received high marks in leadership and strategic planning. "[The] division demonstrated approach and deployment of the Malcolm Baldrige criteria throughout its organization," the examiners wrote. They also recognized the division for putting in processes that recognize and encourage employee participation to increase organizational effectiveness, as well as for clearly demonstrating Baldrige core values in the Quality Support Office.
All applications were judged in leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; human resource development and management; process management; information and analysis; and customer satisfaction results.
Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici and Gov. Gary Johnson, the three honorary chairs of Quality New Mexico, are scheduled to present the awards during QNM's annual conference, to be held March 5 and 6 in Sweeney Convention Center, Hotel Loretto and La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.