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Behind every great automation program is a story: a challenge that needed solving, a bold idea, and a team determined to make a difference.
The SS&C Blue Prism Customer Excellence Awards celebrate these stories - highlighting the creativity, collaboration and measurable impact our customers achieve with intelligent automation.
If you're planning to submit an entry this year, you may be wondering what judges look for in a winning submission. We asked several members of our judging panel to share their insights and practical tips to help you stand out.
Insights From the Judging Panel
What qualities make an entry stand out to you immediately?
Hussam Gaoro, CoE Manager Intelligent Automation, BDC
“I immediately look for entries that show they understand the difference between automating tasks and actually improving a process. A winning entry usually tells me three things very quickly: what was broken or painful, why automation was the right lever, and how people actually use it today. Bonus points when I can see that the team thought beyond the digital worker and considered process design, exceptions, and human experience. If I can picture the solution running in the real world and not just in a demo, I’m already hooked.
Johny Jain, Sr. Solution Architect (Enterprise Automation) | Kimberly-Clark
“Entries that demonstrate enterprise-wide automation adoption, adherence to best practices, mature support and orchestration models, effective monitoring, continuous innovation and optimization, and a strong focus on reusability stand out to me immediately.“
Andy Dyer, Automation Manager, Devon and Cornwall Police
“For me it’s all about clarity and honesty. I want to know, straight away, what the real problem was and why it mattered to people — not just the tech. I love a short “before / after” that shows how day-to-day life changed: who was doing the work before, what they were spending their time on, and how that shifted afterwards. Give me a flavour of adoption too, a quick line about who in the business actually uses the solution and how it’s helped them. Those human details make a submission feel real and memorable.”
How important is storytelling in crafting a compelling submission?
Lindsay Dickin, Senior IPA Developer, ATB Financial
“Storytelling is essential when putting together your submission because it will pull us (the judges) into your world. I always love to hear the “why” behind an initiative and really understand what is driving the work. This helps me understand the purpose of what someone is doing and will help make your submission a lot more memorable.”
Andy Dyer, Automation Manager, Devon and Cornwall Police
“It’s massive. A good story turns a technical project into something a judge can connect with. I like a tight structure: the pain, what pushed you to act, what you built, and what changed because of it, both the measurable bits and the little wins people talk about. If you don't have solid metrics, don’t panic: use process times, anecdotal feedback, or a short quote from a user. That emotional context is what sticks in my head after I’veread lots of entries.”
How can entrants best convey their outcomes with limited metrics or data restrictions?
Ankit Bass, Associate Director, S&P Global
“Entrants can convey outcomes by clearly articulating the problem context, objectives, and qualitative impact. Where metrics are restricted, they should use percentage improvements, TATs, benchmarks, or anonymized comparisons, human hrs saved, unit cases processed. Strong narratives, stakeholder testimonials, governance evidence, and before/after process maturity indicators can effectively demonstrate value without disclosing sensitive data.”
Scott Robson, Engineering Manager - Process Automation, The Very Group
“A strong entry starts with a clearly defined problem and a plainEnglish explanation of how your solution addressed it. Avoid jargon and assume judges may come from different sectors. If hard numbers are limited, emphasise functional outcomes over statistics: what changed, who benefited, and how the process or experience improved. Relative indicators (for example, an x% increase in throughput or a y% reduction in manual touchpoints) are helpful, but don’t rely on them alone. Highlight tangible benefits, showcase real stakeholder feedback or quotes, and use clear storytelling to bring the impact to life for a broad audience.
Lastly, storytelling will be a valuable tool to convey what has been achieved in a way which makes it more universally understood.”
Lindsay Dickin, Senior IPA Developer, ATB Financial
“It can feel like a challenge to convey your impact without the metrics you know would really tell your story. I would encourage entrants who are facing this to really focus on the "before and after" and use your qualitative wins to highlight your outcomes - tie it back to why you were working on the project/initiative. If your project is still maturing, clearly define your intended benchmarks and describe how you are doing relative to those goals. Lastly, don't underestimate the power of storytelling - this can bridge the gap where tangible metrics are missing!”
When reviewing entries, how do you balance innovation against measurable outcomes?
Hussam Gaoro, CoE Manager Intelligent Automation, BDC
“For me, innovation in intelligent automation is not about using the newest feature first, it is about using the right capability in a smart way. I look for creativity in how teams combine technology, process insight, even if the outcome is not a massive cost saving. At the same time, I want to see proof that the solution actually delivers value, whether that is time saved, risk reduced, better customer experience, or happier employees. The best entries show innovation that lands, not innovation that stays theoretical.”
Johny Jain, Sr. Solution Architect (Enterprise Automation) | Kimberly-Clark
“Innovation is important, but what truly stands out to me is successful execution, solutions that are well adopted by users and deliver measurable, real-world value.”
Scott Robson, Engineering Manager - Process Automation, The Very Group
“Measurable outcomes are the business's currency, and innovation is ‘our’ aim to ensure we can not only deliver well now, but also increase our capability to offer more to the business in future. A winning entry will need to show that it has successfully addressed the expected outcomes in a way which would not have been possible with traditional automation techniques. If a solution has weighed too heavily on the innovation without meeting all of the expected outcomes of the requirements, there is a risk that you could take a credibility hit with stakeholders and you could lose the right to try again in future, which costs everyone – both provider and customer - future value. I'll be looking for an entry which fully satisfies a business need and shows creativity, not just innovating for the sake of it, and hopefully something I've not seen or thought of before. I’m& here to learn as well as judge!”
If you could give one piece of advice to first time entrants, what would it be?
Hussam Gaoro, CoE Manager Intelligent Automation, BDC
“Do not oversell perfection. Some of the strongest automation stories come from teams who tried something, learned from it, and improved along the way. If your solution is small, niche, or very specific, that is perfectly fine. Explain the thinking behind it, the tradeoffs you made, and what you would do differently next time. Judges who work in intelligent automation know that real progress is messy, and honest stories tend to stand out more than polished but unrealistic ones.”
The Customer Excellence Awards are about more than recognition they're about celebrating the creativity collaboration and determination behind every automation journey.
If your team has achieved something remarkable, now is the perfect time to share your story. Take inspiration from the judges advice above and start shaping your submission today. We can't wait to see the incredible achievements you bring forward this year.
