Since 1997, Impol has been using self-evaluation of business quality as one of its important tools for dealing with changes and introduction of improvements, as it offers an equilibrated review of the situation within every field of our operations. Conducting improvement projects in the process increases our success and efficiency, and thus helps maintaining our competency.

The method of self-evaluation has enabled Impol to introduce a number of new tools for improving our business operations: poles among employees, key field and annual dialogues, we have started to understand processes, introduced a system of environment management and the health and security programme, and we have initiated protection of the company’s intellectual property. In 2001, we thoroughly modernized our long-term strategy, implemented it to the entire organizational structure and upgraded it with the system of equilibrated indexes in 2002. In this period, Impol’s operations were successful and the company itself accomplished its objectives despite conjunctive oscillations and higher market competency.

Last year and for the second consecutive time, Impol was placed among four finalists for the Award of the Republic of Slovenia for business excellence, which points to the high level of excellence in our business operations. The award was given to Eta, while Impol Prevent and Petrol were among those finalists, who were granted diplomas. In the last two years, Impol rather successfully accomplished the accelerated investment cycle in implementing new technologies and process of taking over company Seval. In the beginning of last year, when the world was flooded with negative economic movements, it was unrealistic to expect top-level trends in the company’s business results. This year’s report and application for the Award of the Republic of Slovenia for business excellence will be prepared by September 1st.

"The role of self-evaluation was evolving together with our recognitions and I believe that in 2001 it got to the point, which enables integral quality within the company," Tomaž Smolar, project manager said. Last year, we prepared new self-evaluation material following EFQM’ (European Foundation for Quality Management) modernized model from 1999. The material contains up to 75 pages, cover and a glossary of abbreviations. The number of sub-criteria has thus increased from 24 to 32. Novelty is evaluation matrix Radar that evaluators used in their evaluation processes.

In order to increase efficiency of self-evaluation, we once again invited mag. Peter Mlakar, who took part in individual phases of preparing materials and self-evaluations. "I want to emphasise that last year’s application for the Award of the Republic of Slovenia for business excellence acted as good basis for implementing improvements despite slightly worse business results. What is of greatest importance is that the potential of entire company has increased, while we were able to decrease a number of risks," Tomaž Smolar added.