Makro awards innovative employees

This year's award winners are the result of the group's partnership with the Business Results Group, which was tasked with developing creative thinking, problem solving and decision-making capabilities within the organisation. In 2010, 120 senior and middle managers completed four of Dr Edward de Bono's 'Thinking System' courses and a similar intervention is scheduled for 2011.

Winners

• Innovation and Creativity - Phineas Manamela, GM of Builders Warehouse, Gleneagles, was awarded a Glass Medal. Although his store had improved foot count, the average basket size was being adversely affected. Manamela applied one of the Lateral Thinking Tools and came up with the 'must have for every trolley' idea, which translated into a 'special offer' promotion on charcoal that resulted in a 3000% increase in just over a week or eight tons of charcoal.
  
• Organisational Value - Dhari Moodley, senior audit manager for Massmart's Internal Audit Services, demonstrated a unique procedure to investigate and advise management on essential corporate governance issues. His innovative cost effective solution not only uncovered critical executive information but was done at an initial saving of R2,9-million with a potential saving for the entire group of R57,7-million.
  
• Quality Value - Suna-Joy Pretorius, of Makro Centurion, received the Steel Medal Award with her attentive solution for customers, reducing the amount of time spent in queues and utilising the time spent in-store, advising and educating them in relation to their requirements.
  
• Brand Perception Value - Bongani Mdakane received the Brass Medal Award for extending the group's offer to a broader unique community. His creative 'Knock 'n Drop' campaign went beyond traditional marketing channels, reaching neighbouring townships and ultimately resulting in increased turnover within his store.
  
• Human and People Value - Thomas Malada of Makro Strubens Valley received the Gold Medal Award. He recognised that black owned businesses in his area lacked agility and business acumen, which triggered his decision to form a partnership with The Centre for Small Business Development at the University of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller. Faced with aggressive competitors, the store is able to add value, facilitating a channel for its customers to receive essential business management skills. Within the first three months of this intervention, the store has acquired 150 new small business clients.

Overall value achiever

Malada was nominated as the Innovation Awards' overall winner. Over and above his ability to demonstrate value for people and meet the criteria of the Gold Value Medal for People, he demonstrated value in most of the Six Value areas - fulfilling the criteria for the Wood Medal by creating value for the broader community/environment; fulfilling the criteria for the Organisational Silver Medal by increasing turnover as a result of growing a loyal client base; and fulfilling the Brass Medal criteria by demonstrating support for his community.

As a direct result of the small business development innovation, its customers are reaping the rewards and racking up an award or two in the process. In December 2010, Malerato from Molobi Enterprise (operating in Soweto) received an award from the MEC of Economics and Development for Business Achiever of the Year. Malerato is supported by The Gauteng Business Propeller and the Makro Malada scheme.

Innovation is big business

"Massmart is made up of thousands of competent people making hundreds of decisions every single day. It's for this reason that the group looked for the best way to empower these people to come up with and act on innovative ideas constantly," says Pattison. Innovation is big business when paired with sustainable value, adding up to 100,000 decisions a day which works out to a staggering 36,500,000 great decisions a year.