We want to be in good company

This year’s Computing Awards for Excellence are designed to recognise organisations that make widespread use of technology to improve the way we live and work.

The Company Awards category seeks to reward contributions to the development and deployment of innovative IT strategies that improve business operations, enhance public services or make a significant impact in the organisation.

We are inviting readers to submit their nominations for these awards. Entries can be submitted by IT vendors nominating customers, from companies/public bodies, or individuals wishing to recognise their own organisation’s efforts. The categories are:

Best IT Strategy
Awarded to the company or public body that demonstrates how the development or implementation of its IT strategy has helped to meet objectives, achieve greater competitiveness or improve public services. The winner will show how IT is fundamental to achieving business goals.

Best Small Business IT Strategy
Awarded to the company or public body with fewer than 500 employees that demonstrates how the development or implementation of its IT strategy has helped to meet objectives, achieve greater competitiveness or improve public services during the past 12 months. The winning organisation will show how IT is fundamental to achieving business goals.

IT Employer
Awarded to the organisation that provides the best employment and career opportunities for IT professionals. The winner will be a private or public sector organisation that values the role of IT and the staff that support it. The judges will look for evidence of equal opportunities and a well-balanced IT workforce that encourages recruitment and retention of women and older employees, as well as offering excellent career development for IT staff.

Entries to the Best IT Strategy and Best Small Business IT Strategy will be judged against the following criteria:

• Excellence: consistently meeting or exceeding challenging objectives to ensure the successful use of IT or to encourage greater use of technology.
• Innovation: used innovative approaches or technologies to enhance the company or organisation’s performance.
• Role model: understands and demonstrates the importance of the role of IT to the organisation or business.
• Success: has achieved significant success through introduction of one or more major IT initiatives in the past year.
• Quality: demonstrates a quality approach through company values and working practices.

IT Employer of the Year will be judged against the following criteria:

• Professionalism: demonstrating and promoting a professional approach to IT and helping employees to gain appropriate professional recognition or accreditation.
• Training and development: supporting continuous development through access to regular training, as well as coaching, career advice and guidance.
• Opportunity: clear routes for promotion and evidence that staff are recognised and rewarded for their performance. Recruitment policies that encourage a diverse and balanced IT workforce.
• Commitment: evidence that the role of IT and the contribution of IT staff are recognised throughout the organisation and at senior levels; that IT is seen as a strategic contributor to the success of the organisation.
• Benefits: competitive or market-leading employment conditions that attract the very best IT talent to the organisation.
• Quality: demonstrates a quality approach through company values and working practices.

Please keep submissions below 750 words, and complete the form at the
Computing awards web site, at: www.computing.co.uk/awards. The final shortlists will be announced in September, in advance of the 16th annual awards ceremony at Battersea Park Events Arena, which takes place in London on 5 November.

Last year’s company awards winners:

Best IT Strategy
Littlewoods Shop Direct Group

When the Littlewoods and Shop Direct groups merged in 2004, the combined company launched a business optimisation programme to integrate both firms under a single platform. The integration has created £200m of ongoing benefit, while cutting IT operating costs by more than £25m per year. Littlewoods Shop Direct Group (LSDG) increased its web business from 21 per cent to 34 per cent between May 2006 and May 2007. LSDG uses Fair Isaacs’ Triad and Blaze Decision products to achieve a competitive edge, and hopes to attract 1.8 million customers every year while increasing retention from 55 to 65 per cent over three years.

Best Small Business IT Strategy
Doctors.net.uk

Doctors.net.uk is the largest online professional network of doctors in the UK, with 144,000 members, representing 90 per cent of the UK’s doctors. The company has introduced advanced Web 2.0 features to provide enhancements, including medical podcasts and an interactive textbook that has been used by 24,000 doctors. Comprehensive profiling of members, and the tracking of the services they have used, allows information to be customised. The provision of online training and services for the NHS has delivered significant savings and allowed doctors to access material.

IT Employer of the Year
Abbey

The IT Employer of the Year award is presented to the organisation that provides the best employment and career opportunities for technology professionals. Abbey proved itself as a company that values the role of IT ­ and the staff that provide and support technology. Other firms in the top 10 included, RM Education, NCC, IBM and Ericsson. Last year’s award suggested the key distinguishing factors between the best companies are a varied and challenging workload, a structured development scheme, a high level of investment in training, and a corporate culture that is supportive of professionalism, professional status and professional standards.

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