NSCA today announced the winners of the 2020 Excellence in Business awards in six categories: customer experience, talent development, differentiating strategies, employee engagement, business performance and strategic transformation. [related]
Here’s a rundown of this year’s honorees:
- Customer Experience: AV Solutions, Baton Rouge, LA
- Talent Development: Hillman AV Inc., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Differentiating Strategies:CEC (Communications Engineering Company), Cedar Rapids, IA
- Employee Engagement: HB Communications, North Haven, CT
- Business Performance: Corbett Technology Solutions, Inc. (CTSI), Chantilly, VA
- Strategic Transformation: Constant Technologies, Inc., North Kingstown, RI
“Each year we learn of more integrators that are creating and using innovative and creative strategies to transform their business,” says NSCA director of business resources Mike Abernathy in the association announcement.
“The business of systems integration is moving and changing at a fast past. These are great examples how leaders need to continue to pivot in order to transform and grow their firms,” he says.
The 2020 NSCA Excellence in Business award winners will be recognized at the 22nd annual NSCA Business & Leadership Conference Feb. 26-28 in Irving, Texas. Representatives from each company will discuss their unique strategies during a panel discussion.
You’ve already read the secrets of success in CI company profiles on a couple of this year’s winners—HB Communications and Constant Technologies—and, if history is any indicator, chances are you’ll be hearing more from at least one of this year’s honorees in a future profile too.
Highlighting the 2020 NSCA Excellence in Business Award Winners
Here’s a closer look at each of this year’s NSCA Excellence in Business award winners:
- AV Solutions, winner in the Customer Experience category, already enjoyed a 95% customer satisfaction rating, but it recently launched a strategy to sustain that status. The company implemented three key processes designed to keep the business and customer-facing employees aligned on constantly improving client experiences.
“Being recognized for our stellar customer experience is a direct reflection of the values lived by our team members daily,” says AV Solutions CXO Matt Slack. “We take a lot of pride in doing what’s right for our clients and we are honored to represent our industry in what we believe is critical for any business’ success.”
- To improve employee retention and align with the company’s overall goals, Hillman AV Inc., winner in the Talent Development category, launched an apprenticeship-style field technician training program with built-in milestones. While the program benefits individuals’ career development, the company has also seen it foster a team-oriented environment.
“We are humbled to receive this award,” says president/owner Jarrod Hillman. “It’s encouraging to receive positive feedback from the industry that we are doing something special. Our team works hard to create a culture of growth and development.”
- CEC, winner in the Differentiating Strategies category, restructured its sales organization to better serve the needs of a refined list of customers. CEC is in the midst of launching its Managed Systems Program, which offers integration solutions as a CEC service with built-in refresh cycles.
“This new sales strategy not only provides our customers with a better experience, but also prepares us for long-term, sustained growth,” said CEC VP of sales Tyler Ebnet in a company announcement. “Our dedication to customer-focused selling also helps us create new services and solutions to better support the way our clients work, including our new Managed Systems Program.”
- Employee Engagement category winner HB Communications took an honest look at its company culture and recognized areas where improvement was needed if it truly wanted to retain great employees and attract talent to bring the organization to the next level. Led by a new HR director, the integration firm implemented several changes and measured the results.
As part of a recent company evolution, HB Communications focused on improving employee engagement with a series of targeted programs, including a peer-to-peer recognition program, a robust wellness program, training courses, appreciation events and communication initiatives, says Erin Roesler, director of human resources for HB Communications and HB Live.
“These programs foster a collaborative and innovative workplace while also reinforcing that our most valued asset will always be our employees,” she says.
- Business Performance category winner CTSI has implemented subscription services with customers subscribing to technology for a monthly fee in an Experience-as-a-service (XaaS) model.
- Strategic Transformation category winner Constant Technologies Inc. has established itself as a provider of integrated solutions for mission-critical, 24/7 operations centers. The definition of “mission-critical,” however, has evolved to take on many forms. The integration firm has transformed its business model to address the needs of a growing client list that extends far beyond operation centers.
