Judging Criteria Glossary
Each award is allocated specific judging criteria and many awards share similar criteria. In the interests of clarity, these criteria are defined in detail here. These are the guidelines the judges will refer to when they make their decisions. When completing your nomination, encapsulate as many key points under each criterion which are appropriate to your nomination. Listing is in alphabetical order.
- Achievements
- Benchmarking and Certification
- Benefit to Community
- Challenges
- Communications Program
- Customer Care & Satisfaction
- Decisiveness
- Employee Participation
- Financial Results*
- Innovation
- Integrity
- Inventory Turn
- Leadership
- Net Job Growth
- Operational Excellence
- Peer Recognition
- Product Quality
- Regulatory Track Record
- Results (Non-Financial)
- Safety
- Scope
- Strategic Vision
- Technologically Proven
-
Benchmarking and Certification
"Benchmarking and certification - program development, industry acceptance and usage."
For Benchmarking in general, explain how you compare business processes and performance metrics to industry best practices from other companies or against industry associations references, and government.
If relevant please support your application with data on changes in results and advancements towards targets, related to ESG criteria.
In order to give the judges a fuller picture of where the company stands we encourage nominees to include both metrics comparing their performance with industry peers and how they compare with industry association/regulatory standards.
In terms of nominees developing or improving performance metrics used by the metals industry and related to ESG, please state progress, adoption, measurement criteria and any third party and government verification related to this.
The article in the following link may help you understand the criteria section better: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/performance/benchmarking
-
Benefit to Community
-
Definition of a target community (generalized charity-giving will not be accepted)
- Size of community
- Measured improvements in the quality of life of the defined community
- Improvements achieved relative to the size of the nominated company or organization
- Start and end date of the project(s)
- Examples of successes projected and achieved
Specific to Corporate Social Responsibility, this criterion will be judged on:
-
-
Challenges
-
Employing creative ways to find new product or solutions
- Overcoming political, social and environmental challenges responsibly
- In the case of CSR, response to critical needs
- Dealing with increasing capex costs amidst weaker commodity prices
- Overcoming the impact of severe weather on operations
- Overcoming lack of access to product or materials due to infrastructure
- Shortage of storage, supply or access to markets
- Technical complexity
- Technical innovation (overcoming "it can't be done")
- The complexity of the access to finance, where appropriate
- How did you overcome the challenges? What solutions were implemented toward crisis management?
-
-
Communications Program
-
Internal and external communication
- Public relations outreach
- Innovative marketing strategies
- Creative marketing tactics, including TV, radio, social media, and direct marketing
-
-
Customer Care & Satisfaction
- Evidence of an embedded, progressive strategy to improve the customer's experience
- Customer satisfaction levels, testimonials accepted
- Value for money
- Industry Relationships with proven products and services
- Quantified research on brand perception
Will be judged on:
-
Decisiveness
-
Making effective decisions faster than competitors
- Committing resources and manpower to a decision
- Continuing to meet targets, invest and retain key people during down cycles
- Ability to see the end-goal, making difficult decisions with resolve
-
-
Employee Participation
-
Percentage of employees actively involved in the program
- Person-hours devoted to the program
- Autonomy of employees in setting program goals, managing program
-
-
Financial Results*
-
A detailed summary of revenue and net operating income (profits) for the different divisions of a business and the business as a whole over five years
- Growth figures and forward growth projections
- Customer growth figures where appropriate
- Volumes traded and market share where relevant
- Figures for debt, credit-rating, market capitalization, and capital assets
- For projects specifically, sound financing
- A copy of the latest financial or annual report (URL is acceptable)
All financial results must be in US dollars to be considered.
The below items can be displayed as percentages or hard data. Judges would like to see:*All currency amounts and financial statistics MUST be stated in US dollars.
All financial results must be in US dollars to be considered. -
-
Innovation
-
Creativity: Does the entry represent a clear departure from previously established methods or processes? Or is it simply an adaptation of an existing approach?
- Is the innovation cost-effective and sustainable? Does it reduce emissions?
- Is the innovation likely to establish itself as standard industry practice within five years?
- In the case of an individual, judges will look at the management style of the candidate: Does s/he propel their business through inventiveness?
- Does the individual encourage new ideas and risk-taking in their organization?
- How has the candidate demonstrated an ability to implement change in a given time period?
- For Deal of the Year, what creativity was used to close the deal?
A project, technology, business process, or transaction will be judged "innovative" by using the following:
-
-
Integrity
-
Overall ethical standards
- Commitment to a chosen path
- Communication and commitment to stated values
- Demonstration of stated values into actual behavior
- Environmental, regulatory, and social responsibility
- Meeting pledges on employment targets and/or social programs for indigenous workers
Whether for a company or an individual, judges will evaluate integrity on:
-
-
Inventory Turn
Companies should provide data illustrating the number of times inventory is sold within the judging period that substantially exceeded the industry standard and/or those of their peer companies.
-
Leadership
-
Ability to persuade others to "buy into" a change or a new initiative
- Ability to work with diverse teams and sets of skills
- Ability to inspire emotional commitment and respect for the person
- Commitment to serving and helping employees
- Seen by competitors as a well-established leader and role model
- Demonstrating a visible presence and vocalizing clear communication to employees and the industry as a whole on the company's stance around global issues
Combining many of the characteristics of Strategic Vision and Decisiveness, this criterion is defined by:
-
-
Net Job Growth
-
Permanent, sustainable positions; are they global and/or domestic?
- Not outsourced or imported in the country(ies) of operation
- In the case of technology, include efficiencies that have impacted net jobs
- Those jobs which are sourced to the local community of operation
Judges want to know how many "real jobs" were created or saved. Jobs that are:
-
-
Operational Excellence
-
Crisis Management: devising and implementing necessary protocols to deal with severe conditions, including pandemic and economic duress
- Safety: commitment to and record of safety for employees, environment, and local communities
- Data integrity: protection of customer information and data security
- Protection of virtual and physical systems from cyberattacks, including control systems and infrastructure
- Technical excellence and timely completion of projects
- The overall quality of project management
- Evidence of sustainable corporate growth
- Meeting of financial, business, construction, and other targets
- An account and details, where appropriate, of a company's risk management
Judges will look for, where appropriate:
-
-
Peer Recognition
-
Visibility and presence within the industry
- Industry awards
- Published articles, papers, and media interviews
Judges will be influenced by the extent to which the candidate is well-known and admired in their chosen area of business, and the extent to which they are seen as a role model for others.
-
-
Product Quality
- Low percentage of load rejections
- Consistency of product with contract specifications
- Just in time delivery
- In the case of Metals Service Provider, product relevance
Judges want to see a record of reliability based on:
-
Regulatory Track Record
Specific to Financial Metals Service Provider, judges want to see steps taken to comply with regulatory mandates in all applicable jurisdictions. This should include the absence of any publically cited regulatory breaches by any regulator in any jurisdiction during the past two calendar years.
-
Results (Non-Financial)
-
Quantified results from a specific program, technology or solution
- Positive impact on customers or the industry
-
-
Safety
- Employee safety
- Community safety
- Environmental safety
- For services and technology, financial security, data integrity, cybersecurity and risk
Judges will evaluate a company's commitment to:
-
Scope
-
The need for this project; infrastructure, demand, growth
- Complexity: number of interlocking sub-projects
- Estimated completion time
- Geographical scope (single site/multi-site/multinational)
- Impact on employees
- Impact on communities (especially in Corporate Social Responsibility)
- Impact on the industries
- Ability to develop infrastructure solutions (rail, port, power)
Scope of projects will be judged on:
-
-
Strategic Vision
-
Evidence of a long-term, coherent set of aspired goals
- Evidence of a planned series of steps leading to the achievement of the vision
- Evidence of real transformation due to a result of the "vision"
- In the case of a person, demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate the vision and inspire others
In judging the "vision" of a person, company, or project, judges will seek:
-
-
Technologically Proven
-
Results from extensive stress tests and any other testing
- Superior outcomes in energy efficiency compared to competing products, designs, and installations
- Reliable performance and practical application
-
-
Achievements
-
Achievements
This criterion is specific to the Lifetime Achievement Award category. Judges will expect to review a summary of notable business, academic or other achievements from the candidate nominated.
-
-
Benchmarking and Certification
-
Benchmarking and Certification
"Benchmarking and certification - program development, industry acceptance and usage."
For Benchmarking in general, explain how you compare business processes and performance metrics to industry best practices from other companies or against industry associations references, and government.
If relevant please support your application with data on changes in results and advancements towards targets, related to ESG criteria.
In order to give the judges a fuller picture of where the company stands we encourage nominees to include both metrics comparing their performance with industry peers and how they compare with industry association/regulatory standards.
In terms of nominees developing or improving performance metrics used by the metals industry and related to ESG, please state progress, adoption, measurement criteria and any third party and government verification related to this.
The article in the following link may help you understand the criteria section better: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/performance/benchmarking
-
-
Benefit to Community
-
Benefit to Community
-
Definition of a target community (generalized charity-giving will not be accepted)
- Size of community
- Measured improvements in the quality of life of the defined community
- Improvements achieved relative to the size of the nominated company or organization
- Start and end date of the project(s)
- Examples of successes projected and achieved
Specific to Corporate Social Responsibility, this criterion will be judged on:
-
-
-
Challenges
-
Challenges
-
Employing creative ways to find new product or solutions
- Overcoming political, social and environmental challenges responsibly
- In the case of CSR, response to critical needs
- Dealing with increasing capex costs amidst weaker commodity prices
- Overcoming the impact of severe weather on operations
- Overcoming lack of access to product or materials due to infrastructure
- Shortage of storage, supply or access to markets
- Technical complexity
- Technical innovation (overcoming "it can't be done")
- The complexity of the access to finance, where appropriate
- How did you overcome the challenges? What solutions were implemented toward crisis management?
-
-
-
Communications Program
-
Communications Program
-
Internal and external communication
- Public relations outreach
- Innovative marketing strategies
- Creative marketing tactics, including TV, radio, social media, and direct marketing
-
-
-
Customer Care & Satisfaction
-
Customer Care & Satisfaction
- Evidence of an embedded, progressive strategy to improve the customer's experience
- Customer satisfaction levels, testimonials accepted
- Value for money
- Industry Relationships with proven products and services
- Quantified research on brand perception
Will be judged on:
-
-
Decisiveness
-
Decisiveness
-
Making effective decisions faster than competitors
- Committing resources and manpower to a decision
- Continuing to meet targets, invest and retain key people during down cycles
- Ability to see the end-goal, making difficult decisions with resolve
-
-
-
Employee Participation
-
Employee Participation
-
Percentage of employees actively involved in the program
- Person-hours devoted to the program
- Autonomy of employees in setting program goals, managing program
-
-
-
Financial Results*
-
Financial Results*
-
A detailed summary of revenue and net operating income (profits) for the different divisions of a business and the business as a whole over five years
- Growth figures and forward growth projections
- Customer growth figures where appropriate
- Volumes traded and market share where relevant
- Figures for debt, credit-rating, market capitalization, and capital assets
- For projects specifically, sound financing
- A copy of the latest financial or annual report (URL is acceptable)
All financial results must be in US dollars to be considered.
The below items can be displayed as percentages or hard data. Judges would like to see:*All currency amounts and financial statistics MUST be stated in US dollars.
All financial results must be in US dollars to be considered. -
-
-
Innovation
-
Innovation
-
Creativity: Does the entry represent a clear departure from previously established methods or processes? Or is it simply an adaptation of an existing approach?
- Is the innovation cost-effective and sustainable? Does it reduce emissions?
- Is the innovation likely to establish itself as standard industry practice within five years?
- In the case of an individual, judges will look at the management style of the candidate: Does s/he propel their business through inventiveness?
- Does the individual encourage new ideas and risk-taking in their organization?
- How has the candidate demonstrated an ability to implement change in a given time period?
- For Deal of the Year, what creativity was used to close the deal?
A project, technology, business process, or transaction will be judged "innovative" by using the following:
-
-
-
Integrity
-
Integrity
-
Overall ethical standards
- Commitment to a chosen path
- Communication and commitment to stated values
- Demonstration of stated values into actual behavior
- Environmental, regulatory, and social responsibility
- Meeting pledges on employment targets and/or social programs for indigenous workers
Whether for a company or an individual, judges will evaluate integrity on:
-
-
-
Inventory Turn
-
Inventory Turn
Companies should provide data illustrating the number of times inventory is sold within the judging period that substantially exceeded the industry standard and/or those of their peer companies.
-
-
Leadership
-
Leadership
-
Ability to persuade others to "buy into" a change or a new initiative
- Ability to work with diverse teams and sets of skills
- Ability to inspire emotional commitment and respect for the person
- Commitment to serving and helping employees
- Seen by competitors as a well-established leader and role model
- Demonstrating a visible presence and vocalizing clear communication to employees and the industry as a whole on the company's stance around global issues
Combining many of the characteristics of Strategic Vision and Decisiveness, this criterion is defined by:
-
-
-
Net Job Growth
-
Net Job Growth
-
Permanent, sustainable positions; are they global and/or domestic?
- Not outsourced or imported in the country(ies) of operation
- In the case of technology, include efficiencies that have impacted net jobs
- Those jobs which are sourced to the local community of operation
Judges want to know how many "real jobs" were created or saved. Jobs that are:
-
-
-
Operational Excellence
-
Operational Excellence
-
Crisis Management: devising and implementing necessary protocols to deal with severe conditions, including pandemic and economic duress
- Safety: commitment to and record of safety for employees, environment, and local communities
- Data integrity: protection of customer information and data security
- Protection of virtual and physical systems from cyberattacks, including control systems and infrastructure
- Technical excellence and timely completion of projects
- The overall quality of project management
- Evidence of sustainable corporate growth
- Meeting of financial, business, construction, and other targets
- An account and details, where appropriate, of a company's risk management
Judges will look for, where appropriate:
-
-
-
Peer Recognition
-
Peer Recognition
-
Visibility and presence within the industry
- Industry awards
- Published articles, papers, and media interviews
Judges will be influenced by the extent to which the candidate is well-known and admired in their chosen area of business, and the extent to which they are seen as a role model for others.
-
-
-
Product Quality
-
Product Quality
- Low percentage of load rejections
- Consistency of product with contract specifications
- Just in time delivery
- In the case of Metals Service Provider, product relevance
Judges want to see a record of reliability based on:
-
-
Regulatory Track Record
-
Regulatory Track Record
Specific to Financial Metals Service Provider, judges want to see steps taken to comply with regulatory mandates in all applicable jurisdictions. This should include the absence of any publically cited regulatory breaches by any regulator in any jurisdiction during the past two calendar years.
-
-
Results (Non-Financial)
-
Results (Non-Financial)
-
Quantified results from a specific program, technology or solution
- Positive impact on customers or the industry
-
-
-
Safety
-
Safety
- Employee safety
- Community safety
- Environmental safety
- For services and technology, financial security, data integrity, cybersecurity and risk
Judges will evaluate a company's commitment to:
-
-
Scope
-
Scope
-
The need for this project; infrastructure, demand, growth
- Complexity: number of interlocking sub-projects
- Estimated completion time
- Geographical scope (single site/multi-site/multinational)
- Impact on employees
- Impact on communities (especially in Corporate Social Responsibility)
- Impact on the industries
- Ability to develop infrastructure solutions (rail, port, power)
Scope of projects will be judged on:
-
-
-
Strategic Vision
-
Strategic Vision
-
Evidence of a long-term, coherent set of aspired goals
- Evidence of a planned series of steps leading to the achievement of the vision
- Evidence of real transformation due to a result of the "vision"
- In the case of a person, demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate the vision and inspire others
In judging the "vision" of a person, company, or project, judges will seek:
-
-
-
Technologically Proven
-
Technologically Proven
-
Results from extensive stress tests and any other testing
- Superior outcomes in energy efficiency compared to competing products, designs, and installations
- Reliable performance and practical application
-
-