Responding to times of austerity, IT departments have become increasingly innovative. This year, in recognition of this, the Innovation Category will be split into three sub-categories:
- Business and Public Sector
- Technology
- Mobile
A project nominated for an award in this category should have shown outstanding Innovation in its use of technology, services or processes. In doing so the project may have changed accepted local or industry practices, produced or used new development methods or used common technology in a particularly innovative way.
The size and complexity of the project is not a major factor in the judges' deliberations; the pure innovation of the project must make it stand out from the rest.
Judging Criteria (in each sub-category)
- Demonstration of innovation in the project in its particular sub-category.
- Sheer brilliance in identifying an opportunity to innovate within their organisation.
|
Previous Innovation in an IT Project Award Winners
|
|
|
7th Awards
|
|
|
Whitbread - Premier Inn Automated Check In
Checking in at hotels can involve a frustratingly long wait particularly for business travellers at the end of the day. The Premier Inn Automated Check-In was the first successful implementation of kiosks specifically designed for the hotel industry; automating the reception process and fully integrating it with the back office systems.
Using experiences drawn from Airline and Rail operators the project delivered a system that has proved very popular with customers by acheiving a drastic reduction in check in times and improved the customer interactions by releasing staff from behind the desk.
The project also delivered to the bottom line in terms of increased ancillary sales and more Up selling as well as facilitating workforce restructuring.
Judges Comments
"This innovation integrated many IT systems to improve customer experience, change established practices and deliver benefits too."
|
|
|
6th Awards
|
|
|
Sabic - Ship Communications
The ship communications project uses a simple we based solution that enables ship-to-shore documentation to be filled in on-line, improves Health and Safety issues regarding loading and unloading procedures by having jetty regulations and mooring drawings available for viewing or downloading.
Over 1,200 ships enter and exit the Teesside jetties every year and actual mooring time, which costs £300 - £700 per hour, has been reduced by 45 mins per vessel. The development costs of the project were paid back in 5 days.
Judges Comments
"A good example of IT being really embedded in business challenges"
|
|
|
5th Awards
|
|
|
Virgin Atlantic - Limo Drive Through
The Virgin Limo Drive Through project used a combination of very different technologies to provide unique levels of service to Upper Class passengers enabling them to move from chauffeur driven limo to lounge in under 10 minutes.
It involves IT systems from the booking of drivers to the completion of passenger check-in. Developing the new IT systems and construction of the new buildings left just a 3 week window for intergration testing. Despite these challenges the new service was successfully launched and has built up to a considerable volume.
Judges Comments
"Innovative IT delivering a business critical differentiator and one that is right out there in front of the customers."
"This project appears to have had a real impact on increased sales and optimised staffing levels and as such delivered not only the customer satisfaction (100%!) tick, but the true business value tick."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Innovation
