Design transforms business

Design thinking that’s had a transformational effect on the business performance of its clients has won Designworks the Supreme Award in this year’s Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards.

Other 2010 award winners were Kerridge and Partners, Telecommunications Dispute Resolution, UniServices, Rotorua Chamber of Commerce, EECA, Life Care Consultants and Enable Networks. Respected journalist Rod Oram took out the BDO Individual award.

The Prime Minister Hon John Key was on hand to congratulate the winners on Budget night, 20 May. He was guest of honour at the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards’ gala dinner at the Auckland Town Hall, joining more than 500 business leaders who celebrated the finalists and winners of the 10 award categories vying for the Vero Supreme Award.

The Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards, now in their sixth year, recognise excellence in the field of business support. Established by Bizzone, they are supported by foundation sponsor Vero, BDO and Management magazine. Previous supreme award winners include MYOB and The National Bank.

Sarah Trotman, Managing Director of Bizzone, says she founded the awards to honour organisations and individuals that make real contributions in providing quality products and services, making life easier for business owners. “The beauty of these awards is that they are world class; they provide a unique opportunity for organisations to benchmark their performance alongside other organisations in their sector; give a mark of quality to their organisation as well as learning from others in the sector.”

”All award winners this year are from organisations and people who have made a difference by introducing excellence in products, services or even ideas to support the business owner,” Vero chief executive Roger Bell says. “Agility at being excellent is vital for any business but especially so in harder times; these awards celebrate their endeavours in enabling other businesses and their excellence in providing that support.”

The awards are independently evaluated by the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation using an international set of criteria designed to showcase best practice. “The bar is set high,” says Mike Watson, chief executive of the foundation. “The winners are the organisations that are able to demonstrate sustained results over time. Excellent business support assists New Zealand businesses to build capability and capacity and in doing so become more competitive and sustainable.”

“BDO congratulates the awards winners,” says BDO managing partner Craig Lamberton. “Their commitment to business excellence is evidenced through a very rigorous review process, and their success is now appropriately recognised. They are deserving winners, who play a vital role in driving the success of the New Zealand economy.”

In this highly competitive business environment it is more important than ever for businesses to secure the best possible support services to enable them to deliver products and services of excellent quality for their clients,” says Management magazine publisher Toni Myers. “Choosing the right service providers is a critical element in every company’s performance; these awards help companies identify excellent service providers and award those excellent performers the recognition they deserve.”

As well as being the Vero Supreme Award winner, Designworks was also winner of the BDO Business $5 - $10M T/O Award, beating off finalists Video Pro and Digital Island.

Designworks Managing Director Sven Baker said: “We are fundamentally change agents who deal directly at board and CEO level to understand business imperatives, and then work with clients to identify a market space that they can credibly own, and then how they can gear their business around that space to deliver upon their promise. We are able to do this through a rigorous process which combines leading design thinking with top creative. Put simply – ‘informed intuition’.”

Ultimately, he says, the company provides clients with clarity as to how they can compete. This has resulted in several of its clients growing through the recession, with some exploring new market opportunities, and one whose business model has been completely flipped on its head with great success.

Designworks likes to take a ‘background advisor’ role, working with clients to resolve business issues, to create a new direction and then an implementation plan, often also engaging the services of partner agencies.

Vero Excellence in Business Support Award winners 2010

Vero Supreme Award
Designworks

BDO Business <5M T/O One on One
Kerridge and Partners

BDO Business <5M T/O One to Many
Telecommunication Dispute Resolution

BDO Business $5 - $10M T/O
Designworks

BDO Large Business
UniServices

BDO Not for Profit
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce

BDO Government
EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority)

BDO Education Provider
Life Care Consultants

BDO Regional North Island
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce

BDO Regional South Island
Enable Networks

BDO Individual
Rod Oram