THE quality category of the Governor's Award is now in its fourth year, but it has not always been successful in attracting entries.
This is surprising as quality is frequently in the news and there can be few managers who have not heard of the ISO 9000 series.
However, as the Director-General of Industry, Denise Yue, pointed out, the concept of quality is still a relatively new thing for manufacturers in Hong Kong.
''It didn't feature in the 1960s and 1970s, and it wasn't until the late 1980s that companies began to realise its importance,'' she said.
''Now, more companies are acquiring ISO 9000 as buyers put a premium on companies certified by third parties.
''I think we will see more companies entering the Governor's Award in the future as they include quality as part of their business strategy.'' Despite the kudos that goes with ISO certification, Ms Yue is certain that there should still be a Governor's Award.
