Singapore, 28 November 2011 (Monday) – The Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (ISES) (卓越服务研究所) organised the inaugural Singapore Service Excellence Medallion Ceremony at the Capella Singapore Hotel, Sentosa this evening. His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore, graced the occasion as the Guest-of-Honour and conferred the Organisation and Individual Medallions on the deserving recipients.
The Medallion is the latest and most prestigious of award initiatives of the national GEMS (Go the Extra Mile for Service) Up movement which aims to recognise the pinnacle of achievement for service in Singapore. This is quantified not by individual heroes, but by the remarkable performance of the people and organisations which constantly push the envelope to create environments that deliver exemplary service performance.
GEMS Up is the second phase of the GEMS national campaign which was launched in 2005. Five agencies - the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (ISES), SPRING Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), spearheaded the movement to promote a new paradigm of service excellence via a three-pronged strategy, namely Promotion, Publicity & Recognition for Service; Service Capability and Development; and Research & Thought Leadership for Service.
Ms Jennie Chua (蔡琼莹女士) , Co-chair of the ISES Governing Council, said, “ISES is proud to take the lead in organising the national Singapore Service Excellence Medallion. The Medallion is a prestigious accolade to recognise the pinnacle achievement of service excellence in Singapore. Our very first Medallion Recipients have worked tirelessly and deserve the recognition tonight. As we celebrate the success of our Medallion Recipients, let us continue to spur one another to forge a new economy of service distinction”.
“We would like to thank all the organisations which participated in the inaugural Medallion. The evaluation framework for the Medallion is rigorous and robust. Such a framework is essential to assess and select the best of our industries' best who will set the pace for more to follow,” remarked Professor Cham Tao Soon (詹道存博士) , Co-chair of the Medallion Governing Council.
Ms Caroline Lim (林晓玲女士), Director (总监) of ISES said, “We are impressed with the high level of commitment demonstrated by organisations that participated in our inaugural Singapore Service Excellence Medallion. While the Medallion has been designed to identify the single most outstanding organisation each year, we would like to emphasise that it is an achievement in itself to be shortlisted as a Medallion finalist organisation.”
The Medallion is presented to the most outstanding organisation that has consistently demonstrated supreme levels of customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and business excellence. The Medallion for individuals, on the other hand, honours nominees from organisations who epitomise the mission, vision and values of the organisations for which they work.
About the Singapore Service Excellence Medallion
The Singapore Service Excellence Medallion is the first of its kind in Singapore to recognise eminent achievements by organisations and individuals in inspiring and sustaining a culture of service excellence. Supported by the five agencies of the national GEMS Up movement - - the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (ISES), SPRING Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the twofold objectives of the Medallion is to catalyse a transformation in service amongst organisations in Singapore and to produce worthy role models for all to emulate.
About the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES)
ISES is the cornerstone of an initiative to raise Singapore's service standards and promote a culture of service excellence. Working in close collaboration with government agencies and business leaders, ISES champions service excellence through an integrated approach that encompasses benchmarking and analysis, research and thought leadership, and industry engagement. ISES is the organiser of the inaugural Singapore Service Excellence Medallion Ceremony held on 28 November 2011.