December 2, 2005—CoreNet Global, the professional association for corporate real estate (CRE) executives worldwide, recently announced the four winners of its annual H. Bruce Russell Global Innovators Awards. The award program, now in its eighth year, showcases solutions, best practices, and innovations in CRE and workplace management, says CoreNet.
The four winners—Harvard University, The Hartford, Johnson Controls Inc., and Royal Bank of Scotland—were chosen from a group of ten finalists, which also included: Cisco Systems, Key Corp/Johnson Controls, Sprint, Clancy & Theys Construction, Cushman & Wakefield/Marks & Spencer, and Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
Harvard University received an award for its Best Value Procurement System. Through its Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS), the university fostered a win-win environment based on performance and competition among vendors. PIPS also features an information-rich, free market system for bidding, along with vendor quality control, a contractor performance database, and reduced risk of cost overruns, noted CoreNet.
The Hartford was honored for its Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA). Hartford partnered with Aetna, Massachusetts Mutual Life, ING Group, Saint Francis Hospital, and Webster Financial Corp in 2003 to form NINA and work with the neighborhood groups to affect change and boost community reinvestment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford, Connecticut.
Johnson Controls Inc. received an award for its “Solutions Navigator” assessment tool, used to assess customer needs and opportunities for improvement. It evaluates how facilities and infrastructure can better support an organization and stakeholders, now and long-term.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), also a finalist last year, was recognized for its “Embedded Culture of Innovation” initiative. RBS continued its journey toward embedding a culture of innovation against a fast-growth scenario where profits rose 15% last year. The initiative spans eight key areas of work and focus: Front of House; Supplier Engagement; Workplace; Academic Partnership; Innovation Culture; Process Improvement; Sustainability; and Technology.
