Six UK consultancy firms win Best Business Awards
Six consulting firms have in recent months been recognised by Awards Intelligence for excellent performance: Barnett Waddingham, BCR Associates, Elixirr, Kloud, Moorhouse and Newton Europe. The consultancies have received a ‘Best Business Award’ and have the privilege to for the 12 months that lie ahead market themselves as a “leader” in their respective field.
Every quarter Awards Intelligence, a provider of business awards support services, organises the ‘Best Business Awards’ competition. The ceremony aims to highlight and reward excellence across the private and public sectors and attracts a wide range of entries from across all sectors, from large international PLCs and public sector organisations to dynamic and innovative SMEs. Awards are handed out in nineteen categories – 6 in the public sector and 13 in the private sector – across 30 different sectors.
Among the 100+ winners of the most recent ‘Best Business Awards’ competitions* are six consulting firms: Barnett Waddingham, BCR Associates, Elixirr, Kloud, Moorhouse and Newton Europe.
Barnett Waddingham, a pensions expert with roughly 500 actuaries, administrators and consultants at seven offices across the UK, has been recognised in the ‘Best Employer’ category. The firm has “all the bases covered when it comes to nurturing employees”, according to the jury. “Its employee programmes are just as professional as its business services and meticulously planned and executed. It has thought of just about everything including staff engagement, continuous professional training, employee assistance programmes and reward and recognition. As a result everyone now works together as a team towards the same objectives."
Profit improvement consultant BCR Associates won an award in the ‘Best Service’ category, for its no-obligation review services of overhead costs, a proposition which stands out in the market, says the jury, and is dubbed a “must-have service for any company”. The offerings works as follows: companies get a free audit of their business overheads – utilities, insurance, vehicles, finance and phones etc – and if BCR Associates can find a more suitable contract which is also cheaper, the client gets 100% of all the savings. Over the past year, BCR Associates has achieved total savings of roughly £1,4 million says the Exeter-based consultancy, with average running costs slashed by 27%.
Elixirr has been named an award winner in the ‘Best Small to Medium Sized Business’ category, recognised for its “exceptional growth”, with the firm’s turnover rising by 700% in only five years. “In the past 18 months alone to July 2014, it has won more than 30 clients across a spread of industries and the number of staff has risen to 70 people from 45. The company thrives on being creative and it is one of the few consultancies to offer collaborative solutions with other suppliers. Elixirr has a bright new approach that has shaken up the consultancy market." The jury in addition highlights Elixirr’s focus on “bespoke quality service” on its ability to recruit high-profile staff. In recent months Elixirr for instance recruited Karina van den Oever from A.T. Kearney, while senior advisors Katie Gillett and Emily Farrimond joined from Accenture.
London-based Elixirr has also picked up an award for its product offerings in the procurement market. The jury: “Rather than getting involved with a long list of vendors, using ELIX-IRR's collaborative solution clients can engage with a few selected vendors to jointly come up with a solution to a problem. Saving money, time, effort and creating new innovative results, the collaborative solution has already produced impressive savings for clients.”
Workday specialist Kloud, acquired by Aon Hewitt earlier this year, is recognised for its strong growth, an average of 25% per annum over the past years, and its good employership. “Kloud has got being a good employer just about right with its flexible working environment, its informal management and its impressive training programme. The staff survey shows that no member of staff has had a bad day in the office and the retention rate of 95% says it all. Rather than recruiting staff in a formal way, most people are taken on through recommendations from the existing team. Consequently, Kloud has built up a team of like-minded people who embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.”
Business transformation consultancy Moorhouse managed to scoop an award in the ‘Best Small to Medium Sized Business’ category. The jury noting: “Moorhouse specialises in working with client organisations to support the delivery of complex change initiatives. Over the past 18 months, the tables have been turned as Moorhouse has experienced major change itself as Directors achieved a management buy out. The company could not have provided a better example of how to successfully manage change as Moorhouse has bucked the trend in business consultancy to achieve phenomenal 30% growth”. The firm was also acclaimed for the high-quality of its research.
Richard Jones, partner at Moorhouse, says his firm is “proud of the recognition”, adding that it is a “fantastic achievement and demonstrates not only our ability to execute strategies on behalf of our clients, but that Moorhouse practices what it preaches.”
Newton Europe, a specialist operational consultancy, won an award in the ‘Best Employer’ category. "What really impressed the judges is the way Newton Europe has gone about doing just everything it can to retain ambitious and talented young graduates. It employs the cream from the top universities and realising that its people are its future, it is vital to the company that these young recruits stay with the company. To keep them interested and challenged, it has implemented a number of schemes including fast-track promotions, mentoring and social events. Looking after its staff is a strategy that has paid off and since its launch in 2001, Newton has achieved year-on-year growth of 35%," comments the Chairman of the Judges.
* Awards are handed out every quarter. Moorhouse was an award winner in the latest edition, with the other five consultancies recognised in previous editions held in 2014.