20 Transformational Innovations Changing the Future of Work
Celebrating the 20 finalists from this year’s Innovation & Transformation awards. Trailblazers who are redefining workforce planning, customer experience, and operational excellence. From AI to culture change, these organisations are proving that bold thinking drives real-world results.
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Creating time for meaningful conversations at Water Plus
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Creating time for meaningful conversations at Water Plus
At the heart of the Innovation & Centre of Excellence is an internal talent growth programme driving improvement through automation and robotics. This isn’t about replacing people, this is about releasing mundane tasks that shouldn’t take a human to do, so the humans can add real value to customers.
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Crowd sourcing innovation making it easier for all passengers at Northern Rail
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Crowd sourcing innovation making it easier for all passengers at Northern Rail
Focussed on “doing the right thing” making travel and access to travel by train easier for people who may have previously faced challenges. From dementia friendly signage, sign language, accessible toilets and using VR to help customers and front-line colleagues.
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Driving employee engagement and customer satisfaction at Ocado
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Driving employee engagement and customer satisfaction at Ocado
Focussing on people development to drive employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Holistic approach to development, covering all levels to raise standards. Demonstrating a people focus strategy and culture to bring the very best out in everyone.
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Transforming customer journeys with the CI Squad at FIS
2023 Innovation & Transformation Awards: Transforming customer journeys with the CI Squad at FIS
Using a continuous improvement framework to understand and fix the root cause of issues. Partnering with operational and specialist teams to plan, deliver and sustain improvements. Listening to customers and colleagues to understand what needs to change and making over 100 improvements in the first year.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: ACCA Quality Team
The ACCA Quality Team have transformed quality for their teams both domestically and internationally. By adopting a nuanced grading system and decentralised management, they tackled operational and cultural differences head-on. They not only harnessed technology for enhanced data analysis but also improved operational efficiency and integration across geographical locations. The outcome was a marked improvement in customer experience, demonstrating adaptability and innovation in educational quality assurance amidst modern challenges, with a strong emphasis on teamwork.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Alana Pollard at The Open University
Alana at The Open University led the development of a Knowledge Management System (KMS) training programme, employing a learner-centric approach to overcome the inefficiencies of existing virtual training. Innovating with modular e-learning, interactive simulations, and instructional videos, she made the learning experience more engaging and relevant for content writers. Her work significantly enhanced role relevancy and the application of knowledge, showcasing the power of targeted educational design.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Alexandra Jordan at Zopa
In the digital era, efficient knowledge management is essential for innovation and operational efficiency. Alexandra revolutionised the knowledge system at Zopa with “Zoracle,” a user-friendly hub for guides, videos, and updates, transforming scattered information into an accessible format. This strategic overhaul improved operational efficiency, enhanced employee performance, and fostered a culture of knowledge sharing. Zoracle’s success underscores the vital role of digital tools in organisational change, setting a benchmark in knowledge management.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Alice Fletcher at HGS
Alice spearheaded a transformative quality management initiative at Hindustan Global Solutions (HGS), significantly impacting its extensive global operations. By introducing Quality Central, a system meticulously designed to refine quality management processes, Alice not only streamlined operations but also nurtured a culture of continuous improvement. This strategic move revolutionised performance tracking significantly reduced administrative burdens, and marked a substantial leap towards operational excellence and strategic focus.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Claire Donson at The AA
Claire’s journey at The AA illustrates the impact of resilience, collaboration, and education on driving organisational change. Facing initial challenges in report writing and confidence, her commitment to personal development and stakeholder engagement led to significant improvements. Through tailored communication and workshops, she enhanced cross-departmental relationships and customer outcomes, shifting towards a more inclusive culture. Her story highlights the transformative power of individual efforts in fostering a supportive, collaborative workplace environment.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Ellie Robinson at Novuna
Ellie’s work at Novuna Consumer Finance exemplifies the transformative effect of centring both customers and colleagues in operational strategies. Her focus on empathetic, customer-centric training has significantly boosted performance, engagement, and service quality. Ellie’s efforts in simplifying processes and enhancing colleague capabilities have led to notable improvements, including reduced response times and increased stakeholder engagement. Her work underscores the value of empathy, strategic communication, and continuous improvement in operational training and development.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Firstsource WFM Academy
Firstsource’s WFM Academy addresses the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling in a tech-evolving corporate world. Through bespoke, technologydriven learning programmes, it aims to bridge the global skill gap, enhancing workforce capabilities. This initiative has successfully uplifted employee skill levels by 16%, demonstrating its effectiveness in aligning with business strategies and fostering a culture of continuous learning. The Academy sets a benchmark in corporate learning, ensuring organisational adaptability and long-term success.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: HGS Quality Team
HGS introduced ‘Quality Central’ to revolutionise its quality management across diverse sectors. Facing challenges from manual, siloed processes, the quality team’s deployment of this centralised platform marked a significant shift. Through strategic design, stakeholder engagement, and client-specific implementation, the initiative led to enhanced performance metrics, improved customer satisfaction, and streamlined reporting. This transformation underscores the power of technological integration and strategic planning in optimising organisational efficiency.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Jess Baldock at DAS
In the customer service and QA sector, Jess Baldock’s journey with DAS has become a source of inspiration. Jess embarked on a transformative path, shifting the QA role from policing to nurturing, focussing on relationship-building, approachability, and tailored feedback. Through her innovative strategies, Jess overcame significant hurdles, leading to remarkable improvements in team morale, agent performance, and the overall perception of the QA function. Her story offers valuable lessons for enhancing employee engagement and redefining quality assurance processes.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Linda Redfearn at Novuna
In an era demanding rapid and accurate information sharing for customer service excellence, Linda’s story shines as a beacon of innovation in knowledge management. Working as a Procedures Specialist, she transformed her organisation’s approach to managing, accessing, and utilising knowledge. With a focus on a user-friendly, centralised knowledge base, her journey from identifying inefficiencies to implementing strategic solutions showcases remarkable improvements in operational efficiency, engagement, and training quality, serving as an inspiring example for others.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Mel Coley at The AA
Mel’s story at The AA is a compelling narrative of strategic improvements and impactful changes in quality assurance. Highlighting empathy and collaboration, her focus on both customer and business outcomes led to notable enhancements in operational efficiency and team morale. Challenging traditional views and fostering continuous improvement, Claire’s customer-centric approach and commitment to team engagement have driven significant operational advancements, embodying a transformative journey in fostering a supportive, quality-driven culture.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Susan Drape-Comyn at The AA
Sue Drape-Comyn, a quality management innovator, revolutionised her team with coaching, mentoring, and empowerment. Prioritising personal development and team mobility, her approach enhanced organisational efficiency and team performance. This strategy resulted in high engagement scores, low absence rates, and outstanding compliance reviews, showcasing the power of genuine empowerment and succession planning. Sue’s leadership exemplifies how effective management can lead to significant organisational and individual growth.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: The AA CTC Team
The AA significantly improved its service by implementing end-to-end outcomes testing. This approach not only deepened understanding of the customer journey but also heightened regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. Key to success was engaging stakeholders early, fostering collaboration, and driving procedural changes that benefitted both customers and the business. This shift not only enhanced customer experience but also transformed the quality assurance team’s role, promoting a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: The Open University Knowledge Management Team
The Open University, spearheaded by Liz Vosper, has advanced its knowledge management system, addressing initial challenges such as inadequate web content management skills. Their journey, characterised by innovation, collaboration, and a focus on accessibility, has significantly enhanced system efficiency. Implementing e-learning for content writers and improving accessibility standards, they’ve set a new benchmark in the field, showcasing their commitment to continuous improvement and user-centric design.
2024 Improvement & Quality Awards: Utility Warehouse Operational Change & Improvement and Knowledge Management Teams
Utility Warehouse, a leading UK multi-service provider of energy, telecom, and insurance, embarked on a transformative journey to overhaul its operations. Spearheaded by their Operational Change department, the initiative saw the evolution of their Albert Evolve knowledge platform and the introduction of the Live Interactive Support Agent (LISA). Aimed at enhancing customer service efficiency, this transformation included rebranding, content optimisation, and extensive employee training, resulting in significant time and cost savings, improved platform engagement, and positive feedback from staff.