The Industry's Elite Cross-Industry Awards Program. Showcasing the most outstanding Business Transformation, AI & OpEx Achievements
BTOES AWARDS 2026
The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards 2026 will be held in conjunction with the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence World Summit.
The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence World Summit proudly hosts the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards. These prestigious awards celebrate and showcase the world’s most outstanding achievements in Business Transformation, AI, Agentic AI, and Operational Excellence.
Our focus is on recognizing organizations that demonstrate tangible, measurable results through successful implementation in these key areas. We welcome entries from all organizations, both private and public sector, worldwide, that have undertaken impactful programs in Business Transformation, AI, Agentic AI, and Operational Excellence.
Eligibility for the awards is broad, with no restrictions based on project size or scope. Each submission will be evaluated based on the effectiveness of the implementation and its alignment with the organization’s strategic goals.
Participants are encouraged to submit entries across multiple categories if relevant, and there is no limit to the number of submissions per category.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to gain global recognition for the exceptional work you and your team are doing to drive transformation, innovation, and operational excellence.
Please take the time to review the entry guidelines for this elite awards program and discover how you can showcase your projects on this global stage.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER & THEN APPLY ONLINE NOW
Registration involves a fee for each category you plan to enter. After registering, you can submit your Main Entry Document for each entry. You have the flexibility to edit and refine your submissions until the final deadline of 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on July 10, 2026.
Participants can submit entries across multiple categories if relevant, and there is no limit to the number of submissions per category.
July 10, 2026 – Awards Entries Close
August 7, 2026 – Awards Shortlist Announced
October 7, 2026 – Awards Ceremony & Winners Announced
Early Bird Price: $295 for award registration before February 28, 2026. Registration represents payment for the categories you intend to enter.
However, you can submit, edit, adjust, and refine your submissions right up to the deadline of July 10, 2026.
Please note, the full price will show on the registration site, when you select the category by clicking on the orange + button, the early bird discount will appear after the Subtotal.
Standard Price: $395 for registrations submitted after February 28, 2025.
You can submit, edit, adjust, and refine your submissions right up to the deadline of July 10, 2026.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER & THEN APPLY ONLINE NOW
We eagerly anticipate your participation in the BTOES Awards 2026.
For any additional support or inquiries, please contact us at awards@proqis.com.
The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards were established to globally showcase the most outstanding achievements in Business Transformation, AI, Agentic AI, and Operational Excellence.
The focus of this elite awards program is to demonstrate to the global business community the real, measurable results that organizations achieve through the successful implementation of AI-driven innovation, transformation, and operational excellence initiatives.
The Awards will be held in conjunction with the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence World Summit (BTOES).
The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards are open to all organizations — both private and public sector — across the globe that have implemented AI, Agentic AI, or Operational Excellence programs to deliver exceptional business results.
Best Achievement in Business Transformation
Recognizing enterprise-wide transformation programs that deliver measurable strategic, cultural, and financial impact.
Best Achievement in Operational Excellence to Deliver Value Creation & Innovation
Celebrating organizations that have achieved breakthrough innovation or significant new value through world-class operational excellence.
Best Achievement in Enterprise AI Deployment
Honoring organizations that have successfully integrated AI to enhance performance, decision-making, and overall business outcomes.
Best Achievement in Customer Experience Transformation
Recognizing excellence in designing and executing transformation programs that significantly elevate customer experience and loyalty.
Best Operational Excellence Program
Awarded to organizations demonstrating sustained operational excellence driving agility, efficiency, and competitive advantage.
Best Achievement in Cultural Transformation & Sustainability
Showcasing organizations that have built high-performing, purpose-driven cultures aligned with sustainability and long-term success.
Best Achievement in Intelligent Automation (AI, RPA, Low-Code, Hyperautomation, ML, Cognitive)
Celebrating the intelligent use of automation and AI to transform operations, improve productivity, and deliver measurable results.
Best Achievement in Workforce & Talent Transformation
Recognizing organizations that have redefined leadership, culture, and capability-building to future-proof their workforce.
Best Achievement in Supply Chain Excellence (Sustainability, Resilience & Risk Management)
Honoring organizations that have achieved outstanding results in building agile, sustainable, and risk-resilient supply chains.
Best Achievement in Process Intelligence (BPM, Process Mining & Continuous Improvement)
Celebrating organizations using process intelligence and continuous improvement to drive data-driven operational excellence.
Best Achievement in IT & Cloud Modernization for Operational Excellence
Recognizing transformational programs leveraging IT modernization and cloud innovation to enable speed, scalability, and performance.
Best Achievement in Agentic AI Innovation
Honoring pioneering use of Agentic AI systems to enhance decision-making, creativity, and enterprise transformation.
Each entry submitted to the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards 2026 should represent a single project that demonstrates measurable results, innovation, and excellence in execution.
Projects should primarily pertain to the period 2022–2026, though they do not need to have started or concluded entirely within this timeframe. All submissions must demonstrate tangible results achieved during this period.
Document Length:
The entry document should not exceed four pages (A4 size). This ensures submissions remain focused and relevant, as judges favor concise, high-impact entries over lengthy narratives.
Synopsis:
Begin with a 250-word executive summary outlining the project’s objectives, innovations, and measurable results. This provides judges with a clear overview of your entry and sets the context for evaluation.
Content:
Outline your project’s strategic objectives, scope, implementation process, and timeline. Describe the challenge faced, innovative approaches used, and organizational development achieved.
Impact and Results:
Demonstrate your project’s impact, customer benefits, and value generation. Include quantifiable results (percentages or raw data) and emphasize both financial outcomes and strategic relevance.
Complete the online entry form with detailed information about your project.
You may submit multiple entries per category, and the same project can be entered into multiple relevant categories.
Ensure your project documentation is complete, clearly presented, and compliant with all page and content requirements.
If your entry is shortlisted, we will feature a 50-word summary of each of your entries in the Awards Book of the Night.
This publication is distributed to all attendees at the Awards Ceremony, presented at the BTOES World Summit, and shared post-event with over 1.8 million BTOES Insights subscribers worldwide.
Please provide a 50-word summary for each entry as part of your submission. This is your opportunity to capture the essence and results of your project for a global audience of senior business leaders.
Your document should address all areas that form the foundation of the judging process. Judges will assess each entry based on strategic alignment, implementation excellence, measurable impact, and innovation.
The judging panel will evaluate all entries according to the following key criteria:
Strategic Relevance: How well does the project align with and advance the organization’s strategic objectives?
Value Generation: How significant is the measurable value created by the project?
Customer Benefit: How effectively has the project improved outcomes or experiences for customers?
Implementation: How strong and disciplined was the execution and delivery?
Leadership Engagement: To what extent were senior leaders involved and supportive?
Organizational Learning: How has the organization developed or evolved as a result?
Creative Use of Tools: How innovative and effective was the application of tools, technologies, or methodologies?
Each submission will be scored on a 1–10 scale under the following dimensions:
Strategic Relevance
1–3: Minimal role in organizational strategy
4–6: Moderate role in organizational strategy
7–10: Central role in organizational strategy
Value Generation
1–3: Limited impact
4–6: Notable impact
7–10: Exceptional impact
Customer Benefit
1–3: Limited evidence of benefit
4–6: Moderate evidence of benefit
7–10: Clear, significant benefit
Implementation
1–3: Basic implementation
4–6: Competent implementation
7–10: Exemplary implementation
Organizational Learning
1–3: Minimal development
4–6: Moderate development
7–10: Significant development
Creative Use of Tools
1–3: Limited innovation
4–6: Moderate innovation
7–10: High level of innovation
Your Main Entry Document is your central pitch — your chance to communicate the story, strategy, and results of your project in a concise, compelling format. Follow these best practices to maximize your score and impact.
250-Word Synopsis: Begin with a clear, concise overview to guide judges through the key achievements of your project.
Document Length & Focus: Limit your entry to four A4 pages. Judges value precision and brevity.
Attention to Detail: Follow all category-specific guidelines carefully — small omissions can impact scoring.
Effective Writing: Work with your Communications Department or a skilled writer to ensure clarity, polish, and professionalism.
Consider Your Audience: Treat your document like a 10-minute pitch. Capture attention early and make it easy to follow.
Conciseness is Key: Avoid unnecessary content. Be clear, relevant, and results-driven.
Results-Focused: Emphasize measurable achievements such as cost reductions, productivity gains, innovation impact, or customer value.
External Review: Have your entry reviewed by someone outside your team to ensure clarity and objectivity.
Clear Structure: Use logical sections, bullet points, and visuals such as charts or infographics to enhance readability.
Remember, your entry is not a formality — it’s your opportunity to showcase innovation, leadership, and excellence. Make every word count.
While these may seem simple, they are essential for producing a winning submission:
Thoroughly Review Guidelines: Ensure you cover all required information — missing elements can cost points.
Understand Category Requirements: Tailor each entry to the specific category focus.
Choose Your Best Work: Select projects that demonstrate the greatest impact and alignment with your strengths.
Adhere to Material Limits: Do not exceed four pages. Brevity and compliance reflect professionalism.
Professional Writing Assistance: Use internal communications experts to refine tone and structure.
Objective Feedback: Have an external reviewer assess clarity and impact.
Treat It as a Pitch: Engage the judges early — think of this as your 10-minute presentation on paper.
Highlight Results: Present clear, factual outcomes (cost savings, revenue growth, productivity, etc.).
Cross-Reference Supporting Materials: Ensure any charts, graphs, or visuals are relevant and linked to the main document.
Proofreading: Eliminate spelling or grammar errors to maintain credibility.
Select the Correct Category: Submit under the most relevant category to maximize chances of success.
Follow All Rules: Compliance with entry requirements is essential; non-conformance may lead to disqualification.
By following these best practices, your entry will stand out for its clarity, coherence, and impact.
Avoid these recurring issues that often weaken otherwise strong submissions:
Poor presentation of facts or unclear structure.
Too much irrelevant material diluting key messages.
Links that do not lead to the correct supporting information.
Excessive data with insufficient narrative explanation.
Lack of conciseness or focus.
No mention of customer benefit or measurable impact.
Submissions exceeding page limits (automatic rule violation).
Weak selection of supporting materials.
Entrants may supply supporting materials to provide further insight. These materials must be no longer than two pages of A4. Typically they may include examples of internal documentation, organograms, internal and expert reports.
Entries do not need to have supporting materials, but if you do include them do cross reference them within your main entry document so that the judges are actively encouraged to read them.
We used to allow more pagination for supporting materials but the judges found that generally there was too much material supplied that was not directly pertinent to the entry and thus were less than enthusiastic about reading through it.
Support documents can be supplied in confidence, please mark this on the supporting document, and they will be destroyed after view.
The Platinum Award is the most prestigious distinction presented at the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards. It is not open for direct entry; rather, it is reserved for the single most exceptional project among all category winners, as determined by our panel of judges.
Judges’ Choice:
The Platinum Award is selected exclusively by the judges from among the most outstanding entries across all categories.
Criteria for Selection:
The award is presented to the project that, in the judges’ opinion, represents the pinnacle of business transformation, innovation, and operational excellence.
Nomination Process:
After individual category winners are chosen, the judges each nominate one or two projects they believe exemplify the highest overall achievement.
Final Decision:
These top nominations are reviewed and debated in detail. The judging panel then votes to determine the ultimate recipient of the Platinum Award.
The Platinum Award is the grand finale of the ceremony — the most anticipated moment of the evening. As every category winner remains in contention until the final announcement, the excitement builds to a crescendo before the ultimate accolade is revealed and celebrated.
The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards are judged by an independent panel of esteemed experts representing the highest standards of excellence in business transformation, AI, and operational performance.
The panel is led by a Chairman of the Judges, a highly respected authority in Operational Excellence, ensuring the integrity, impartiality, and rigor of the judging process.
To serve as a member of the judging panel, individuals must meet the following criteria:
Hold a leadership-level position or equivalent within their organization.
Represent an organization recognized as a leader in Operational Excellence or Business Transformation within its sector, as assessed by our Advisory Board and supported by research findings.
Agree to and comply with a strict code of confidentiality, maintaining the integrity and discretion of all judging proceedings.
If you are interested in being considered for the judging panel, please click here to apply.
Judging is conducted by an independent panel of appointed judges, each of whom is bound by a confidentiality agreement prohibiting them from discussing or disclosing any information from entries outside the judging process.
We operate under a strict non-conflict judging policy to ensure impartiality and fairness:
A judge will not evaluate entries from any organization operating within their own industry sector, avoiding any potential bias.
Any judge who may have a conflict of interest with a specific entry will be recused from evaluating that submission.
Sponsoring organizations have no involvement in, or access to, the judging process during shortlisting or winner selection and will only be aware of information in the public domain.
This transparent, ethical framework guarantees that all awards are determined solely on the merit, innovation, and measurable impact of each submission.
The Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards are governed by strict terms and conditions to ensure fairness, transparency, and confidentiality for all participants. By submitting an entry, you agree to abide by the rules outlined below.
Confidentiality Commitment:
All submissions are treated with the utmost confidentiality. Supporting materials may be supplied in confidence, and it is the responsibility of the submitting organization to advise the Awards Team of any confidentiality restrictions.
Secure Handling:
Entries are securely stored, accessed only by authorized judges, and destroyed after the judging process. Confidential information will not be disclosed or published without prior consent.
Publication Rights:
The Awards reserve the right to publish non-confidential details from winners and shortlisted entries. Any confidential material included in your submission must be clearly marked as such.
Intellectual Property Rights:
All intellectual property contained within entries remains the property of the submitting organization. However, by submitting an entry, you grant the Awards permission to reference or reproduce materials for award-related communications and publicity purposes.
Use of Entrant Information:
Information provided by entrants will be used solely for the administration and promotion of the Awards program and will not be shared beyond what is necessary for judging, communication, or event organization.
Attendance at the Awards Ceremony:
All shortlisted organizations are required to attend the Awards Ceremony on October 7, 2026. Attendance is compulsory; please only submit an entry if your organization is able to attend.
Award Winners Panel:
All category winners are invited to participate in the Award Winners Panels with Q&A sessions during the morning of the summit following the ceremony. Participants will not be expected to reveal confidential information during these discussions.
Marketing Consent:
Finalists and winners consent to their organization’s name being used in marketing and communications related to the Awards, either by BTOES directly or by approved third-party media covering the event.
Finalists have the option to produce a Poster Board Presentation (size 40" x 40") in an infographic format illustrating their project or program story.
These poster boards, displayed during the BTOES World Summit, offer an excellent opportunity to visually showcase achievements to attendees, peers, sponsors, and delegates.
Poster boards are optional, not mandatory, and should adhere to your organization’s confidentiality policies. They are, however, strongly recommended as they provide valuable visibility and engagement during the event.
All entries must be submitted by the published deadline. Late submissions or deadline extensions will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and are subject to approval.
Once the deadline has passed, amendments to entries are not permitted except under exceptional cases approved by the Awards Team.
Entries may be withdrawn prior to judging under specific conditions. Details are available upon request. Entry fees are non-refundable, regardless of timing or reason for withdrawal.
Entries are judged based on the criteria defined in the official Entry Guidelines.
The judging panel operates under a strict non-conflict and confidentiality code, ensuring impartial and fair evaluation.
Entries that do not comply with the official guidelines or ethical standards will be disqualified without refund.
The Awards are open to all organizations meeting the specified project and operational criteria.
Any industry-specific exclusions or eligibility requirements will be communicated clearly within the entry guidelines.
Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from their submissions. The Awards’ liability in connection with participation is limited to the extent permitted by applicable law.
The Awards organizers reserve the right to modify these Terms & Conditions at any time. Participants will be notified of any material changes prior to their implementation.
Any disputes related to the Awards will be governed and resolved in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Awards program is based.
For any questions or clarifications regarding these Terms & Conditions, please contact the Awards Team at awards@proqis.com.
By submitting and paying for your entry, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms & Conditions. You also confirm that all information included in your submission is accurate and truthful.
Has your organization delivered exceptional results through Operational Excellence, AI Transformation, or Business Transformation?
Have your teams executed breakthrough initiatives that created measurable, lasting business impact?
Do you want your success to be recognized globally among the most progressive organizations in the world?
If you and your team have achieved something extraordinary, now is the time to share it with the world. Apply today and gain the recognition you truly deserve.
CLICK HERE – HOW TO ENTER THE AWARDS
Winning or even being shortlisted for a Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Award provides powerful recognition and long-term advantages for both your organization and your career.
Showcase your success to the international business community and your executive leadership. Demonstrate the tangible results achieved through the effective deployment of Operational Excellence and AI-driven transformation.
Winning positions your company as a leader in innovation, performance, and culture—an organization that sets the benchmark for excellence in execution.
Award winners and finalists receive global exposure throughout the year via BTOES Insights, reaching an audience of over 350,000 senior executives and 1.8 million subscribers worldwide.
Top talent gravitates toward the most admired and forward-thinking organizations. Being recognized as an award-winning company significantly enhances your appeal to high-performing professionals.
Being a finalist or winner showcases your leadership, innovation, and results-driven mindset—helping you gain visibility and recognition from your organization’s senior leadership and positioning you for future promotions.
Award recognition provides proof of success that resonates with executives, shareholders, and boards. Winning entries often see greater internal investment and support for scaling their initiatives.
Demonstrating excellence in transformation, efficiency, and innovation sends a strong signal to potential partners and clients. Recognition as a category winner enhances your credibility and opens doors to new partnerships and contracts.
Take this opportunity to share your organization’s success story on a global stage and join the ranks of world-class leaders shaping the future of business transformation.
Finalists have the option to create and display a poster presentation showcasing their award entry. View a selection of Award Finalist Poster Presentations from previous programs.