Irish energy utility, ESB (Electricity Supply Board) is the first to receive international recognition after the completion of a programme designed by the Centre for Competitiveness (CforC) and EFQM to help organisations to determine and understand their innovation strategies.
Centre for Competitiveness
Centre for Competitiveness, in partnership with EFQM, launched the Innovation Lens programme in March 2021, with the aim of improving innovative performance within any organisation regardless of size, sector or maturity. EFQM helps organisations perform better by creating data-driven insights backed up by organisational experts, to fit your priorities, your purpose, and your people.
In today’s business climate, which is forever changing and constantly evolving, improving innovation practices can be vital in terms of survival and maintaining effective performance going forward, something which CforC recognised prior to developing this programme.
Mark Fowler, ESB Innovation Capability Manager said: “We’re so proud to be the first company to achieve this prestigious recognition. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to CforC for guiding us through a very rigorous, yet very worthwhile programme. Being the first company to complete the programme is a huge achievement for ESB. To gain EFQM 5* Innovation recognition, we had to meet rigid criteria including having key personnel trained, undertaking internal assessments, and having a team of qualified EFQM assessors conduct a formal review of our innovation activity.”
Denis O’Leary, ESB Corporate Innovation Manager said: “Innovation is key to ESB in delivering on our strategy so developing our innovation practices further enables us to better ourselves as an organisation and in turn, the products and services we offer to our customers. The completion of this highly comprehensive programme puts us in great stead to plan for the future.”
Having successfully completed the programme, CforC Senior Executive, George Wilson, says that ESB’s achievement demonstrates that it’s “a forward-thinking organisation committed to innovation and improvement.”
“Innovation is more than the development of new products, services or solutions,” he explained. “It’s about creating a constant flow of new ideas, responding to new trends or changing market conditions, as well as improving the existing products, services and solutions.
“CforC’s mission is to help companies enhance their innovation, quality and productivity, which is why we decided to team up with EFQM and develop the Innovation Lens programme to give companies the tools they need to develop and perform.
“On behalf of the team at CforC, I would like to congratulate ESB and wish them the very best for what we know will be a very bright and innovative future.”
Russell Longmuir, Chief Executive Officer, EFQM added: “Learning how to improve innovation strategies, practices and performance is very important, especially in this current business climate which is becoming more and more competitive.
“The EFQM Model is internationally recognised as a comprehensive change management framework which helps organisations to understand current and potential performance levels.
“By achieving this accolade, ESB is now in a prime position to further increase customer satisfaction, motivate employees, benchmark performance, improve relationships with key partners and to enhance brand reputation.”
