Capital Project Management Award
Does your company deliver capital projects on time and within budget? Many businesses have not. But in capital intensive industries like utilities managing major infrastructure installation, repair and refurbishment projects effectively is a top priority. This award aims to identify best practice through the effective management of a utility capital project that was completed during 2007/08. Entries must make clear the original costs, timescales and other key performance indicators of the project, and provide evidence of the actual achievements against these KPIs at project completion.
Community Initiative of the Year
Most UK utility businesses are active in community programmes, making a valuable contribution to improving the quality of life for many people. Such projects could include involvement in educational or environmental programmes, support for a chosen charity that goes beyond just fund-raising, health education or working with vulnerable groups. This award aims to recognise the significant effort and care that goes into this often unpublicised work, which benefits the recipients far more than the image of the company. Entries will be judged on the basis of the initiative’s effectiveness, its contribution to the community and how it fits in with the company’s overall corporate social responsibility goals.
Environment Award
This award is for the company or a specific project that demonstrates a clear and conscious commitment to good environmental management which goes further than legal or regulatory compliance. The entry should show clear benefits have been achieved from implementation of the policy or project, whether this involves cutting carbon emissions or improving the local environment. The areas entries should address include evidence of: a commitment to continuous environmental improvement; integration of environmental initiatives within the overall business plan; and balanced judgements between improvements in the local environment and increased energy consumption.
Supply Chain Excellence Award
Today’s utilities are supported by numerous partners and suppliers, making the management of the supply chain increasingly important. Working closely with contractors and suppliers, as well as taking full advantage of the latest techniques in logistics, can make dramatic improvements in efficiency, customer service and overall performance. This award is for the utility company that can demonstrate it is properly addressing the key issue of supply chain optimisation and making real progress in adopting the best practices pioneered in other sectors such as the retail and automotive industries.
Training Award
Skills shortages due to an ageing workforce and the problem of recruiting talented young people are set to become one of the utility industries’ greatest challenges. Competition from other industries will make recruiting, training and retaining the best people ever harder, yet this will be crucial to the long term prospects of all utility companies. Entries should demonstrate a sound, thoughtful approach to training that meets the organisation’s skills requirements and provides long term career development for employees. The Training Award is not limited to apprentice-level or engineering training schemes, and is also open to entries describing innovative and effective graduate or management training programmes.
IT Initiative of the Year
The effective use of information technology (IT) by utilities is essential to providing the high service levels customers have come to expect while containing costs. Entries to IT Initiative Award should demonstrate the use of modern – not necessarily cutting edge – IT systems to help the business achieve its aims. A successful IT project cannot be run in isolation from the rest of the organisation but must be focused on improving performance. Entries should describe IT projects completed in 2007/08 that delivered real benefits to the company, including evidence that the project met or exceeded original expectations.
Marketing Initiative of the Year
Utilities operate in commodity or regulated markets, so marketing activity has to be properly thought-through if it is to be successful and cost effective in building and differentiating the brand. Open to all utility companies who can demonstrate the success of a marketing initiative completed or continuing in 2007/08, this award will be judged on strategy, targeting, creativity and results.
Team of the Year
Any utility is only as good as its people and this award is for the team that went the extra mile in 2007/08 to deliver a key objective for the company or one of its stakeholders. Criteria to be used in assessing the winning team will include: demonstrating an innovative, creative but practical strategy in one of the more challenging areas of the utility landscape; use of the organisation’s tangible or intellectual assets to solve a problem; effective use of external resources and skills where appropriate; the management of risk to ensure on-time and on-target delivery; clear demonstration of outstanding commitment and teamwork above the call of duty.
Customer Care Award
Utilities talk a lot about the importance of customer service, and this award is for the company that can walk the walk as well as talk the talk. In all sectors, regulated or competitive, customer service is increasingly important in securing market share and achieving competitive advantage. Entrants for this award need to demonstrate a true understanding of their customers’ needs and delivery of industry-leading customer service. Judges will be looking for evidence of something more than “business as usual” or mere compliance with industry codes of practice.
Utility Company of the Year
This year, the Utility Company of the Year will be selected by the panel of judges, so entries for this category are not required.
