This prestigious award will be presented to the winner of one of the above categories in recognition of all-round and superlative business excellence.
3M Excellence in Innovation Award
Recognises a business that has enhanced its success through innovation – both in thinking of the innovative ideas and implementing them. An innovation can be in a product, service, technology or process, and can relate to a new or existing product, service or process.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe the innovation. (What is the innovation? How is it unique/original? How did you identify the opportunity and introduce the change?)
What have you done to ensure the benefit of this is sustainable? (Have you considered patents, copyrights or other protections? What plans do you have to use this innovation to sustain your growth, or develop new innovations from this?)
How do you measure the value of the innovation? (How do you measure the success of your innovation? What measures prove the innovation contributes to your success and competitive position?)
Describe any risks or challenges you faced in introducing this innovation. (What were the risks? How did you manage them? What did you learn as a consequence?)
Recognises a business that shows a thorough understanding of - and commitment to - marketing in a way that makes it a clear leader in the field of marketing.
Evaluation Criteria
Tell us about your target market/customers. (Who are they? How did you identify them? What need of theirs do you satisfy?)
Tell us about your competitive situation. (How competitive is your market? Who are your main competitors? How do you know about them? What is that makes you unique?)
Describe how you market your business. (This could include an outline of your approach to promotion, how you ensure your product/service gets to customers, how you decide pricing.)
What does your marketing achieve for your business? (You could include the short and long term objectives, achievements or successes, how you measure effectiveness, feedback you receive and how it is gathered.)
Recognises a business that has a clear understanding of its competencies and its objectives, which has planned and is on track for achievable success. The organisation will have been established after 31 March 2008 and been trading for a minimum twelve (12) month period by 31 March 2011. The organisation will display a comprehensive understanding of their intended market/business and will have thoroughly planned to ensure success.
Evaluation Criteria
Explain the background to your business venture (How you identified the opportunity, why and how you felt it would succeed. What planning did you do prior to launching the venture?)
What commercial considerations did you have to make in setting up your business? What documentation supports your business? (Do you have partners? What legal documents do you have? Is it a limited liability company? What IP protection is involved?)
How are you ensuring that your business is ‘structured’ to support growth? (What processes, systems, people, policies etc are in place?)
Describe the main risks or challenges you faced in starting up your business and how you handled them.
Recognises a business that manages and develops its people and demonstrates its commitment to people through its work practices and philosophies.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe and demonstrate the company-wide philosophy, culture and approach to People Management. (Describe your approach to employee management. Describe the work environment you have created.)
Explain the programmes, processes and policies you have in place to support Employees (e.g. training, performance management, career planning, family friendly policies and other initiatives.)
How do you know that this approach delivers value for the business and its stakeholders? (Include performance measures, feedback from team, customers and others.)
Auckland Chamber of Commerce Best Emerging Business Award
Recognises a business that has achieved significant business growth during the last one to three years as a result of effective planning and delivery. The business must have been trading for a minimum three (3) year period at 31 March 2011.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe your business growth. (Growth in staff numbers? Profit? Sales volumes? Other measure?)
Demonstrate the significance of the growth you have experienced.
How did you achieve this level of growth? What obstacles, risks or challenges did you overcome and how?
Describe what you are doing to ensure the business is sustainable. How you will make sure it either consolidates its position and/or keeps growing?
Ministry of Science and Innovation Excellence in Design, Research and Development Award
Recognises a business that values design, research and development who, through investment in these areas, has created a new or improved product, process or service that has added significant value to the business.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe the new or improved product, process or service and the process of investment in design, research and development required to achieve it. (Explain how it adds value to the business).
What challenges did you have to overcome and how did you achieve this?
What external resources have you used to assist the design, research and development process? Describe your relationship (if any) with University, CRI or other research groups.
Demonstrate how the company has placed a high priority in on-going design, research and development. How is the process managed? How will your R&D asimpact the business into the future?
Recognises a business that shows consistent dedication to superlative service and demonstrates its commitment through its service policy, staff training and/or other specific means.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe and demonstrate the company-wide philosophy, culture and commitment to the customer.
How do you know you are delivering high quality service?
How do you ensure that the whole team is able to deliver a high standard of service? (What level of employee training has been given?)
Demonstrate how this commitment to service delivery contributes to business success.
Massey University Excellence in Sustainability Award
Recognises a business that displays sustainable development in economic growth, social progress, ecological balance and cultural sensitivity, working towards a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe your success in economic growth. (How have you grown - staff numbers, profit, revenue? What is the history of your growth over 3 years?)
Describe your commitment to social progress. (What plans or programmes have you implemented or supported?)
Describe your commitment to ecological balance. (What plans or programmes have you implemented or supported?)
Describe your cultural sensitivity. (What programmes do you have in place to recognise individual cultural needs? How are these implemented and communicated to your team?)
North Shore Times Excellence in Not for Profit Award
Recognises excellence in the business management/development of a not for profit organization that is committed to enhancing the life of the North Shore/Rodney community.” The winner will be an enterprise that demonstrates effective business management as it ‘goes beyond the call of duty’ in the way it visibly deliver services. A clear distinction needs to be made between any relevant national organisation and a local branch/arm of that organisation.
Evaluation Criteria
INNOVATION: Describe how your organisation differentiates itself from other not for profit groups (How do you identify community needs? Tell us about your creative solutions to meet these needs? How does your effective business management enable this innovation?)
IMPACT: Demonstrate the effectiveness of your programme(s). (Give evidence of KPIs achieved, outcomes and successes of the programme which show it addressed the community needs identified)
SUSTAINABILITY: Demonstrate your sustainability. (Describe your developed capacity and implementation of ongoing work which strengthens your organisation. Show success is so compelling that it is likely to attract future support and funding)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Describe your community engagement. (How do you work alongside diverse communities (including business community)? Identify partnerships/collaboration with other organisations and stakeholders.)
This award recognises a business creatively using technology to advantage in achieving success. The technology (or technologies), not limited to IT, will be fundamental to their business operation and will provide a competitive advantage through its application and leverage.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe how the technology is used. (What is it? How is it unique/original? How do you use it? How does it benefit you or others?)
What have you done to ensure the benefit of this is sustainable? (How did you identify it? Do you have a license for it? If it is yours then have you considered patents or other protections? What plans do you have to continue growing your business using this technology.)
How do you measure the value of the technology? (What measures reflect its performance? How do you know it contributes to your success?)
Describe any risks or challenges you faced in introducing this technology (What were they? How did you manage them? What did you learn?)
Recognises a business that demonstrates how heath and safety policies and practices are integrated into your business activities.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe what processes you have established to identify and manage actual and potential hazards in your workplace. (e.g. hazard register with reporting system linked to safety plan).
How are health and safety practices integrated into your business operations? (e.g. health and safety component in induction programme).
Describe the demonstrable benefits to your business of the health and safety practices you have in place. (e.g. reduced injury and absenteeism rates).
How do you as an employer demonstrate a commitment to health and safety practices for employees? (e.g. consultative approach offering opportunities for employees to be involved in - or have their interests represented in - workplace health and safety practices).
Recognises a business that successfully works within, and captures the benefits of, the global market demonstrating outstanding export achievements, sustainable growth and results.
Evaluation criteria
Describe your business strategies for exporting. (How do you determine and capture the export opportunities for your business? What role does the export market play in your overall business aspirations?)
What are the unique obstacles, risks or challenges you face? And how have you managed these? (Have you had to overcome any trade barriers, cultural challenges or other risks? Demonstrate your understanding of the off-shore markets/ industries that you deal with)
Describe the management systems and processes that support growth in your export earnings. (Include your performance management and measures, including your actual export earnings history.)
What are the key factors that have supported your success?
