Effective process management is a basic prerequisite for increasing the quality and performance of educational organizations. The aim of the paper is to point out the potential for the application of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model 2020 to improve and perfect the processes in a Slovakian vocational school towards sustainability. We used the latest version of the EFQM Model and applied the questionnaire method to conduct a self-assessment. A study of the documentation was also carried out to get more insight into the processes of the school. The application of the EFQM Model 2020 pointed out weaknesses in areas such as those titled Organizational Culture, Driving Performance & Transformation, and Stakeholder Perceptions—namely, the perceptions of employees and partners. Improvements were primarily recommended in the fields of culture management to support changes, motivational processes to support creativity and innovation, human resource planning processes, employee training and development, performance indicators and performance management, and employees’ and partners’ perception measurement to enhance sustainable value for the students and key stakeholders. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of quality and performance management of Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers.

Very important in SMEs is to monitor cost of quality and economic indicators for valuation of cost effectiveness. The main goal of this article is to create classification on cost quality categories in SMEs and to analyze economic quality indicators and their trend during long period. In this article authors use economical and statistical indicators for costs of quality. We use common model PAF, that include prevention costs, evaluation costs, internal failure costs, external failure costs. Total costs, individual simple cost index, cost ratio and cost structure were used. We analyzed data from 50 small enterprises with 10-40 employees with their yearly turnover max 3 mil €. The research sample of enterprises was focused on industrial areas of business such as engineering, metallurgy, automotive industry. We analyzed the quality costs in SMEs by the average value of quality cost in all surveyed enterprises. Results of this research brought labeling of cost of quality in SMEs by model the PAF for 10 categories for various enterprises, what is very important for comparing of results of QMS in SMEs. Based on the reference indicators of the total costs of quality in SMEs we can conclude their drop. Reducing the costs of quality was reflected in particular in reducing the costs of internal and external errors. In assessing the economic efficiency in SMEs plays an important role the overall cost that were increasing in reporting period. Very important result is that the cost of quality did not influenced overall cost. This fact is positive for competitiveness in SMEs because it shows a quality of production and product. Reducing of cost of quality brought improving of product quality; reduced customer’s complaints brought financial savings. The economic efficiency indicator shows a value above e > 1. It means that, despite rising cost enterprises generate revenues that are significantly higher than the input factors of production. Cost effectiveness helps to improve TQM performance.

The fundamental problems with component production in the automotive industry are the low quality of the components, the high number of failures, and the subsequent number of complaints. The quality of automotive components is a prerequisite for automated production in a SMART Factory 4.0 in the context of Industry 4.0. Managing complaints is a critical area in the automotive manufacturing industry. The primary goal of this article is to indicate the significance of a CRM system and the importance of complaints management in automotive manufacturing, which improves the quality of the process of producing components while improving the quality of the inputs—the quality of materials, the quality of the human factor, and the quality of the services provided in connection with the components. (1) A Slovak company was selected as the subject of this research, which focuses on the production of automotive parts. (2) The methods of research focused on using economic analysis and instruments of quality management such as the QRQC method, FMEA method, the Ishikawa diagram, and the Pareto analysis and Lorenz curve. This article presents the results of complaints about automotive components: locksets in vehicles. (3) This research shows the basic cause of the problem: a bent pin after riveting in the process of producing the components. In the frame of this research, we suggested corrective measures to eliminate the actual causes of failure in the production of the components. The RPN index reached a level below the limit of 150 (the critical level of the customers’ requirements) after implementing the corrective measures. The total costs of complaints in this year were calculated to be EUR 13.575 and the costs will be reduced gradually after changes are implemented in the production process. (4) A new complaints information system and a new training center are beneficial for solving problems in the production of automotive components. The implementation of a CRM system and other systems are prerequisites for solving customer complaints.

The article summarizes the arguments within the scientific discussion about performance management in mining companies and their significance for obtaining competitiveness in the market of mining companies in the direction of sustainable development and economic growth. The main goal of the paper is to evaluate the performance indicators of mining processes after the implementation of strategic innovation—a new layout of the mining area focused on a combination of stationary and mobile mining equipment and their influence on the environment in a selected mining company in Slovakia in area of mining of limestone. Methods of research were focused on using economic indicators for the valuation of the efficiency and functionality of the mining processes. We used Pareto analysis for evaluation that points to critical mining processes and their significance in the financial area with orientation to costs, revenues. This research was used economic analysis with direction to efficiency, an indicator of cost and profit. Those indicators create a base for effective business in the mining area. The research empirically confirms that the new innovation of layout of mining place brings improvement of mining processes and indicators point to effective (over limit 0.70) and functional (over limit 0.90) mining processes in the year 2020. Pareto analysis showed the best processes (mining, expedition, transport, sorting) for financial benefits, the volume of production, demand, the satisfaction of customers, the cover needs of industries but at the same they are processes with high costs. Strategic innovation brought improvement too in the area of the environment. The results of the research can be useful for other mining companies in performance management and achievement mining market position.

In some studies, only financial aspects are emphasized, but we also see cases of assessing the financial health of municipalities through socio-economic indicators. Public organizations worldwide have had to increase their financial performance by adopting management practices. Nonetheless, financial performance might be mostly predicted by contingencies that are not within direct managerial control. The purpose of this paper is to identify clusters of municipalities on the basis of agglomerate cluster analysis, the results of which will point to the financial situation of the municipalities in the selected region. The main aim of this contribution is to identify the location of the municipalities of the chosen self-governing region of Slovakia using the clustering method by selected financial indicators. Individual clusters have similar properties and they differ from the characteristics of businesses in other clusters. The results show that organizational and environmental contingencies affect financial performance, but a significant amount of variation in financial performance is unexplained—indicating that management creates better financial health in the municipality and creates a clearer budget for the management, employees, and residents of the municipality.

This article summarizes the arguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of using mining machines and their life cycle. The main goal of the article is to investigate the impact of a combination of mobile and stationary mining machines and their optimal distribution in the mining process to increase the efficiency of mining and processing of raw materials. The following methods of research were focused on the use of technical indicators for the valuation efficiency of the mining process: a simulation method was used for the distribution of mining machines, comparison analysis was used for the real and past state of mining machines, and a decision tree was used as managerial instrument for optimal alternatives of mining machines. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that optimal distribution of mining machines and machine parks is very important for mining companies. The benefit of this research for the mining company was the new location of the machines and the combination of stationary production lines and mobile equipment. The optimal layout of the machines reduced the number of conveyor belts and improved the transfer of limestone processing to mobile devices, saving time, which was reflected in transport costs. The results can be useful for other mining companies seeking to create an optimal machine park.