eWORK 2000 - European Telework Week

New Ways to Work 2000European Telework7.8 eWork Awards 2000The European eWork week greatly extends the outreach and awareness activities for new methods of workthroughout Europe and into the new accession states, building on the formula of local events, and mediacoverage of these events and best practice drawn from local communities. The best practice element has beenhighlighted in the European Telework Awards which were launched in 1997. Over 150 examples fromindustry and administrations around Europe have been submitted as candidates for the awards and areacknowledged to bring significant benefits to the participants. In 2000 the award categories have beenredefined to reflect the current trends towards wider definitions of eWork and in the context of theCommission’s eEurope action plan.1. Best Example of Business TransformationAward Categories in 2000This category is for those so-called “traditional” organisations, public and commercial, where newmethods of work, enabled both by a better structuring of processes and workflows and by the growing use ofinformation and communication technology (ICT), are significantly improving performance.Criteria to be considered: breadth of uptake, quality of communications and access to information, clarity ofobjectives and measured achievements (e.g. reduction of infrastructure costs, improved customer service,retention of staff).2. Best Example of Start-up EnterpriseCandidates in this category are newly established enterprises using various forms of flexible businesspractice and organisation, in particular through internal (e-work) and external (e-commerce) electronicnetworking, in order to reduce both their investment and operational costs and their time-to-market.Criteria to be considered: integration of technology use in business process, clarity of objectives and measuredachievements (e.g. width of markets and networks in which the enterprise operates).3. Best Example of Framework AgreementFramework agreements are generally needed in e-working organisations, in order to supplement inadequatelabour laws. Therefore, candidates in this category are required to also provide an outline of relevantlegislation in their country, to allow for a fair evaluation of their case.- 137 -