Please complete this section below and pages 2-13 if you are nominating your own business.
All fields marked * are a required field.

Please note that information provided in the entry form, is the foundation of knowledge that the judges will take on board before they arrange their visit with your business. During the visit you can extend upon this information.
It is recommended to complete and submit this form on a desktop computer or laptop rather than a tablet, smartphone or other mobile device.

Note: During the judging process, the judges may decide that entrants should be placed in a different category to the one selected. Any changes will be made with the agreement of the entrant via the Awards Coordinator. Entry Form (cont.)

Complete the sections on the following pages within the word allocation indicated.

Allocation 500 words

This information does not form part of the evaluation and scoring. The purpose of this section is to help establish an overview of the business for the judges.

This will include a profile of the business in order for the judges to better understand the business, the key influences, how they operate and the key challenges faced.

It should include a paragraph on what the x-factor of the business is and why you believe that the business should be the Westpac Supreme Business of the Year.

What the judges will be looking for?

• A snapshot of the business, it’s drivers, the vision, it’s challenges and its appeal
• What the main products and/or services are
• A brief history and description of the business, and what it does, how it gets its product/service to the market place
• A statement or example outlining the distinctive character of the organisation e.g. if in the Tourism industry etc
• The structure of the business e.g. employees /or organisational model
• Regulations that relate to the business
• A description of what makes the business unique to the market and an outstanding contributor
• A summary of key business achievements and results.

Allocation 500 words

Excellent businesses encourage their people to develop and use their full potential while contributing to the achievement of the business’s short and long term goals. In this section please describe how the work is organised, how training and education provides the skills and knowledge required and how the employee work environment is measured and improved to ensure satisfied committed employees.

Equally important, the business leaders are responsible for guiding and managing the business. Briefly outline how the leaders set the business direction, performance expectations, and behaviours and how they monitor the performance of the business.

What the judges will be looking for is:

• The vision for the next 3 – 5 years for future growth of the business and it’s relevance to decision making
• Leadership’s involvement in the overall business, innovation, new opportunities, the community and the industry, and to prove the application of inspired leadership within their business
• The existence of training, mentoring, empowerment and review processes
• Flexibility and responsiveness of the organisation to market changes
• Sound human resource practices within the organisation relevant to the industry
• Staff satisfaction, reward structure, well-being, safety and motivation measures
• Strong communication practices and a commitment to training and upskilling.

Allocation 500 words

Planning is the critical process by which the future direction of the business is determined and involves determining the actions, responsibilities and resources that will ensure the business achieves its short and long term goals. Briefly describe how your business establishes its strategy and plans, how it communicates these and monitors the performance against plan.

What the judges will be looking for is:

• The use of planning processes to achieve future business growth and enhance business performance
• The use of strategic business tools such as a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)
• Forward planning in day to day tasks
• Measurement of results and amendments made based on the results achieved
• Communication of the business plan with the team.

Allocation 500 words

Awareness and knowledge of the customer and the market focus is crucial in a business. Knowing your customers, their requirements and expectations, and how to acquire new customers, build relationships, monitor customer perceptions and develop future opportunities are essential.

Demonstrate how well you know the market, how you determine market requirements and expectations, where the business sits in the marketplace and how well this knowledge is used.

Businesses use branding, marketing and design to convey their messages in the marketplace. You need to demonstrate how this is achieved in your business, and to describe the essence and personality or values of the brand that contribute to the business’s success.

What the judges will be looking for is:

• That you know your customer, and how to seek more
• Identifying an opportunity and acting on it
• Market position of the organisation and how it compares to others in similar industries
• The areas of change and improvements that have occurred due to customer feedback?
• How the business uses its brand and integrates it across all aspects of the business. This could include visual (logos etc) values and key messages
• A clear marketing and advertising strategy
• Evidence that the strategy is understood and implemented
• Evidence that there is a strong element of design and innovation within the company

Allocation 500 words

Excellent processes and systems in combination with quality management are the foundation of a performanceoriented business. This incorporates fact based measurement systems using information and data to make decisions, knowledge to support key business activities, and analysis of the financial performance of the business. In this section you are asked to define the key information and data used by the business, how this is analysed and how it is made available to others both inside and outside the business.

What the judges will be looking for is:

• If the business actively collects information to enable informed decisions to be made and how well this is done
• An information storage system within the business
• How institutional knowledge is managed within the organisation
• How well you know what information is required, collected and used to improve the business
• A system to gauge the effectiveness of marketing material
• Design, implementation, management and improvement of processes for achieving better performance and quality
• Quality management actively practiced and managed to ensure that quality is maintained and improved
• Quality management systems and processes for dealing with faulty products and/or services
• Flexibility to respond to new growth opportunities while still honouring quality commitments to existing clients.

Allocation 500 words

The financial health of a business is a good indicator of how well the business has performed. An understanding of cash flows, revenue streams and debt management is important in any business. You should be able to describe the business’s financial performance to clearly demonstrate any trends over time, and as a possible indication of future performance.

As a minimum, entrants must provide a signed statement* from their accountant confirming the financial stability, profitability and going concern status of the business. Entrants are at liberty to provide additional supporting financial data and information as they consider necessary in support of their application.

What the judges will be looking for is: 

• Description of financial and operational reporting systems and how it is used in the management of the business. 
• Key performance indicators (with trends) specific to the business 
• That there is clear financial strategy and a strong understanding of the financial position of the business
• Good quality budgeting
• Measurement and management of key performance indicators (KPI’s)
• Business performance levels compared year to year, and to those of competitors
• Sector benchmark information if relevant.

* a statement template is available here. Please note that you will need to complete this and mail it.

Allocation 250 words

Every business uses original thinking in the search for excellence and continual improvement. Innovation and effective productivity is essential to the growth and development of any company. You will need to explain how the business has enhanced its success and growth through Innovation – both in thinking and developing of innovative ideas, the research and development and implementation.

Innovation can be in any aspect of the business such as a product, service, technology or process, and can relate to a new product/service or process or to an existing one.

What the judges will be looking for is an understanding of: 

• The use and implementation of innovation and knowledge to enhance business excellence and organisational performance
• An environment that encourages and rewards innovative employees
• The use of a strong element of design and innovation within the company.
• How innovation and staff are used for knowledge generation
• Application of innovation and technology to underpin future business growth
• Results gained from recent improvements or innovations.

Allocation 250 words

Being a good corporate citizen is becoming more and more important. A sustainable business considers economic profitability, social well being and environmental impacts as being equally important.
Is the business committed to playing its part in the community?

What the judges will be looking for is evidence of:

• Communication with and support of community stakeholders
• How the organisation supports the industry/organisation sector(s) in which they operate
• The organisation’s support for staff involvement in social, community or environmental initiatives
• The business’s public and community responsibility.

Allocation 250 words

Workplace Health & Safety is an integral part of any workspace and can include everything from the cultural environment to the wellbeing of each staff member. You will need to describe the company’s approach and practices to workplace safety, the education and training of staff and ongoing monitoring.

What the judges will be looking for is an understanding that there is:

• A statement that emphasises management commitment to effective health and safety management, and there is evidence this happens in practice
• A regular assessment of health and safety performance
• A policy and demonstrated examples that allows employee representation
• Training in workplace health and safety provided for management and staff
• Plans which are revised annually, monitored and part of the manager’s annual appraisal.

Allocation 500 words

Customer relations and satisfaction are the most important element of our business. How we deliver good customer service, how we listen to our customers, how the culture is articulated through the organisation or business is fundamental to our success.

What the judges will be looking for is:

• You know who your customers are and understand their needs
• Measures are in place to monitor customer service performance
• Measures are made of customer satisfaction, dissatisfaction and loyalty
• The business improves customer service in response to customers concerns
• There is a staff understanding of how to build relationships to acquire customers, increase loyalty and gain positive referrals
• There is a strong customer service philosophy and culture within the organisation e.g. policy, staff incentives
• There is an understanding by senior staff of the impact of good customer service on revenue and profit
• A process is in place that ensures prompt resolution of customer complaints
• There is evidence of customer benefits or a loyalty scheme.

Allocation 500 words

Social wellness starts in the places we live, work and play. It has become increasingly important for business to demonstrate social responsibility in terms of employees’ health, by developing sustainable wellness practices and cultures within the workplace.

The judges will be seeking evidence that: 

• Your organisation promotes nutrition policies, physical activity and social responsibility
• You encourage staff to be smoke free
• You encourage staff to consume alcohol responsibly

And any other ways in which you look to improve the wellbeing of your employees and, indirectly, their families.

Additional support documents

You can submit 2 additional documents to support your entry.
Only PDF, DOC and DOCX files with a size limited to 5MB.