COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Cyta is committed to quality and continuous improvement and therefore uses internationally approved systems and models for measuring quality standards.

Self assessment based on the EFQM model
In 2000, Cyta made its first attempt to assess itself based on the EFQM model (European Foundation for Quality Management), an attempt which was repeated in the following year. The results of both assessments lead to important improvements and to the adaptation of new methodologies and models of quality management like the idea.click and the Total Quality Management model (TQM).

In 2005 the above effort was repeated based on the EFQM model covering all the departments. For this self assessment a new approach was used that was designed internally, using questionnaires for the evaluation and a business game where people of each department participated for the understanding of the criteria. As a result, over thirty projects were initiated aiming at Cyta's improvement in different areas. The most important result was the decision of all upper management for the participation in the “Recognized for Excellence” award.

The work for the achievement of this project was undertaken by a team however the effort was embraced by all the departments of the Organisation who in a systematic way collected all the essential documentation needed. In June 2007 Cyta was evaluated by the assessors of the EFQM organization and was ranked in the range of 500-550, the higher recognition of five stars for the level of Recognised for Excellence. This was repeated next year with the participation of the Organization in the EFQM Excellence Award 2008. Cyta again achieved a high score, improving the score of the previous year (550-600). Cyta is the first and only organization in Cyprus that has achieved this excellence recognition based on EFQM. In Cyprus there are is a small number of organizations/companies that have achieved the lower level recognition (Committed to Excellence).

Suggestion Scheme System
CYTA’s suggestion scheme system namely idea.click was the result of Cyta's first self assessment. The introduction of the system aimed at creating a culture that would be promoting continuous improvement and search for new ideas out of the most valuable organizational asset, its human resources. The suggestion scheme system was launched in 2002, and until today, has received 6,106 ideas out of which 824 have been applied while 153 are under investigation. The economic benefit of the top 37 ideas has been estimated to €4.078.922. On the other hand, the systems operational cost including promotion, prizes and man-hours has been estimated to €461.322 (since 2002).

Cyta has been a member of IdeasUk since 2003 (its members are companies that have suggestion scheme systems like BT, BUPA, ST Microelectronics etc). IdeasUk has awarded us with gold ideas for four consecutive years and have also won prizes for the posters, promotional & communication plans that we use.