Officeworks has been recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative companies in the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies List for 2019 which was announced at a gala ceremony in Sydney.
The annual list is based on a rigorous assessment process managed by Australian innovation consultancy Inventium, in conjunction with a panel of industry experts. Nominees are ranked based on innovation culture, strategy, resources and process that demonstrate a sustainable and repeatable approach to innovation.
Officeworks ranked tenth on the overall list, from more than 1000 nominated organisations across Australia and New Zealand, with the submission based on a voice assistant pilot program which enabled customers to shop with the retailer using voice technology.
Officeworks Managing Director, Sarah Hunter, said: “I’m thrilled that Officeworks has been acknowledged as a business that fosters a culture of innovation. We’re focused on helping make bigger things happen for our customers and growing our business to better meet their needs as their expectations change.
“We have a history of innovation and listening to our customers, being responsive to their needs. This means we’ve always stayed on top in terms of our range and relevance. We put ourselves where we believe they expect us to be, whether that’s online, in store, or with new technologies such as voice.
“As the retail landscape evolves, we remain focused on delivering an experience that is easy and engaging, no matter how customers choose to shop with us,” she said.
After being the first big box retailer in Australia to launch Google Assistant, Officeworks partnered with Google to identify an opportunity to leverage the technology further to make a real difference in its business customers’ lives, the company explained.
Customers can use the Officeworks voice assistant to order by simply saying, “OK Google” followed by the product categories they require, such as paper, water, coffee, toner, etc. Officeworks then sends them their preferred products in the quantity they desire at their preferred delivery time.
The award’s methodology measures a top innovation implemented in the past twelve months. Specifically, the judges consider how valuable the problem is that the innovation is solving, the quality and uniqueness of the solution, and the impact the innovation has made.
