Innovation & Excellence Awards 2025

It is with great pride that we announce our shortlisted entries for the World Commerce & Contracting 2025 Innovation & Excellence Awards for our APAC regional entries.

These highly regarded awards showcase the very best from our international contracting and commercial management community. The World Commerce & Contracting 2025 Innovation & Excellence Awards Highlight and honor the remarkable efforts and advancements made by professionals and teams in commercial and contract management.

Congratulations to everyone included, this year's candidates have demonstrated remarkable vision and exemplary practice. Through their innovative approaches and commitment to excellence, they are actively reshaping how organizations approach commercial and contract management. Their achievements serve as powerful case studies that demonstrate the strategic value that outstanding commercial and contracting functions deliver to organizations.

Company: Shell Malaysia Trading SDN BHD

Submission Title: Shell Asia App - Digital Platform Service Negotiation

Summary

Incredible journey of a Digital Platform Service contract negotiations to transform our digital platform from Multi-stack tech (21 suppliers/components) to Integrated SaaS (3 suppliers/components). From only 5 markets to 7 markets in Asia on a single integrated platform. Cost Improvement achieved is USD14M with a better contract stretched to a 10 years contract rather than 5 years to meet full potential of asset life cycle.

Company: National University Hospital (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Submission Title: Redefining Negotiation in Singapore Public Healthcare: Unlocking Value Through Early Supplier Involvement

Summary

The National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore has transformed negotiation with a new Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) framework. By focusing on contract planning and engaging suppliers early before Request for Proposal (RFP) publication, NUH has elevated the quality and value of proposals received while maintaining the procurement fairness and transparency required in public healthcare sector. The result? This strategic approach has not only delivered significant cost benefits, but also improved supplier relationships. This transformation has set a new standard for negotiation in public healthcare — showcasing true excellence in negotiation is through creativity, collaboration, and shared value creation with suppliers.

Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers

Submission Title: Contractual Claims Assessment Tool

Summary

PwC NewLaw's Generative AI enabled Claims Process Tool (CPT) is a cutting-edge digital solution that automates and enhances the construction claims process. The CPT analyzes large volumes of unstructured data to determine and communicate reasoned outcomes for various claim types, such as Extensions of Time, Delay Costs, and Variations. The CPT reduces the time and cost of claims management by up to 90% and 73% respectively, while improving accuracy and transparency. The tool is a comprehensive and future-proof solution that can handle any project and sector, driving business success and innovation in the construction industry.

Company: Persistent Systems Limited

Submission Title: Increasing Efficiency by Implementing Contract Governance and Process Transformation

Summary

The implementation of contract governance and process transformation has revolutionized our contract management process, enhancing efficiency and reducing risks. By implementing a tailored Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tool, we have streamlined workflows and improved visibility across 230+ contractual attributes. Our approach includes a comprehensive contract handover process, a robust Risk Management Plan (RMP), and an integrated Account Health Card (AHC) for real-time risk monitoring. These initiatives have resulted in 100% visibility of obligations, reduced turnaround times, and a better compliance rate for obligations. This transformation has significantly improved collaboration, delivery efficiency, and overall contract governance.

Project: ContractAssIst

Submission Title: ContractAssIst - Enabling enterprises to achieve greater efficiency and to optimize costs

Summary

Many enterprises struggle with managing high volumes of contracts, leading to inefficiencies and lost productivity. ContractAssIst leverages Microsoft's technology ecosystem, including Azure AI, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Microsoft Teams, to deliver advanced contract management capabilities. It provides real-time collaboration tools, AI-enabled decision support, and natural language processing for enhanced contract analysis. With features like real-time version tracking, instant notifications, and approval summaries, ContractAssIst reduces communication overhead by up to 95% and saves 20–25 minutes per user daily. This holistic solution ensures compliance, optimizes operations, and drives data-led decision-making for better business outcomes.

Company: Accident Compensation Corporation of New Zealand (ACC)

Submission Title: Refresh of Mailhouse Services - Lean Agile Procurement

Summary

The Refresh of Mailhouse Services project at ACC utilised a Lean Agile Procurement (LAP) process to address fragmented services, high costs, and inefficiencies. By consolidating services under one Master Services Agreement and shifting to a digital-first approach, ACC achieved significant cost savings, efficiency improvements, and enhanced data security and privacy. The initiative also reduced the environmental impact and received positive feedback from stakeholders and suppliers for its collaborative and innovative approach. The LAP process enabled ACC to complete the procurement timeline significantly faster than traditional methods, delivering exceptional value to all stakeholders involved.

Company: Greater Wellington Regional Council

Submission Title: Te Hunga Whaikaha Total Mobility, Transport Services for the Wellington Region (THWTM)

Summary

Te Hunga Whaikaha Total Mobility procurement project exemplifies how procurement can drive operational excellence while delivering significant social value. Greater Wellington Regional Council has successfully leveraged procurement as a strategic tool to enhance service outcomes, benefiting over 16,000 permanently disabled people by ensuring access to safe, reliable, and appropriate transport.

Key operational improvements:
• Supplier enablement and capacity building
• Enhanced market engagement
• Operational efficiency and transparency
• Social procurement with commercial viability

This project has laid the foundation for continuous improvement, strengthening operator relationships to generate a more inclusive and accessible service for disabled people in our community.

Company: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety

Submission Title: Putting Queenslanders First During Disasters

Summary

We faced growing challenges of responding to natural disasters with the urgency and agility required to support vulnerable Queenslanders. A solution was needed that balanced speed and compliance while being intuitive enough for users across different levels of procurement expertise. The challenge extended beyond revising documents; it required a transformative approach to enable seamless collaboration, streamline decision-making, and empower both internal staff and external resources to act swiftly and effectively during crises. the EPP framework was reviewed and enables seamless collaboration, streamline decision-making and empowered both internal staff and external resources to act swiftly and effectively during crises.

Company: Wiwynn Corporation

Submission Title: Wiwynn CLM Journey

Summary

Wiwynn, a leading cloud IT infrastructure provider, demonstrated its strong capabilities in innovation and operational excellence by implementing Contracts 365 to modernize its contract management process. Transitioning from reliance on its parent company’s system, Wiwynn adopted an independent, cloud-based solution integrated with Microsoft 365. This upgrade significantly improved efficiency, reducing contract request times to under 30 seconds. With a user-friendly interface and automation, Wiwynn’s legal team managed increased contract volumes without adding resources, showcasing the company’s ability to adapt to growing demands. This transformation highlights Wiwynn’s commitment to agility, efficiency, and leveraging advanced technology to maintain its industry leadership.

Company: Lenovo

Submission Title: Lenovo SSG Legal and Global Contracts Team (AP)

Summary

The contracting team at Lenovo is made up of over 70 legal and contracts professionals providing global coverage for all Lenovo vendor and sales contracts including products, solutions and services contracts in addition to supporting the Global Supply Chain. The team implemented the One Lenovo Contracting Initiative focussed on optimizing and improving the contracting process across Lenovo to drive revenue growth and contribute to the overall success of the sales function and Lenovo as a whole.

Company: National University Hospital (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Submission Title: Transforming Contract Management to a Strategic Function

Summary

Faced with rising cost pressures and inconsistent contract practices, NUH embarked on a transformative journey to elevate contract management to a strategic function. By introducing contract lifecycle management and a playbook, upskilling contract managers, changing mindsets about contracts, the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore achieved SGD 50 million in cost containment within just nine months. More than cost-cutting, this transformation redefined commercial excellence—driving long-term value, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing risk management. NUH’s approach demonstrates contract strategy and management can be a powerful enabler of financial sustainability and why C-suite should focus more attention in this area.

Company: Essential Energy

Submission Title: Essential Energy's Contract Management Capability Uplift

Summary

Essential Energy operates one of Australia's largest electricity distribution networks, covering 95% of New South Wales and parts of southern Queensland. We are committed to delivering safe and reliable power, supporting the energy transition, and promoting electrical safety awareness. Our Contract Management Capability Program (CMCP) aims to transform contract management within the Assets & Operations division, enhancing skills, reducing risks, and increasing value creation. The CMCP has established a Contract Management Office and developed comprehensive frameworks and tools, resulting in higher contract value creation, more skilled and engaged employees, lower transaction costs, and improved contract performance and safety.

Company: CHANGE Co., Ltd

Submission Title: Sales Mastery and Global Impact: Leveraging Kyosuke Nagai's Sales Techniques

Summary

At CHANGE Co., Ltd., I, Kyosuke Nagai, led a transformative initiative to revitalize B2B sales across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. By embedding empathy, relationship-building, and adaptability into sales strategies, we addressed outdated techniques and evolving customer behavior. Through tailored workshops and pilot programs, we empowered teams to forge deeper client connections. The results were exceptional: a 40%+ increase in sales, a 50%+ rise in repeat business, and a cultural shift toward customer-centricity. This success underscores the enduring power of empathy and innovation in driving sustainable growth and meaningful client relationships.

Company: State Labor Inspectorate Service of Azerbaijan

Submission Title: Excellence in Technological Innovation

Summary

The Labour & Employment Subsystem (EMAS) is a groundbreaking digital platform developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of Azerbaijan. EMAS streamlines labor relations by replacing paper-based processes with electronic employment contracts, automated compliance monitoring, and real-time job market integration. It enhances transparency, reduces bureaucracy, and strengthens social protection. Since its launch, over 4 million employment contracts have been registered, reducing paperwork by 90 percent and increasing formal employment. By leveraging digital innovation, EMAS supports sustainable economic growth, promotes fair labor practices, and sets a benchmark for modern labor market management in the region.

Company: Telstra Limited

Submission Title: Telstra’s Contract Uploader system uses automation and AI to capture signed contracts into CLM within 30 minutes (previously up to 30 days)

Summary

Telstra's Customer Contract & Commercial team, working with internal development teams, have developed an in-house “Contract Uploader” system fuelled by AI technologies. The new in-house system uploads contracts into Telstra’s Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system within 30 minutes of receiving a customer’s e-signature and uses AI to instantly extract metadata.

Previously, contract uploads were handled manually taking up to 30 days and sometimes led to inaccurate metadata. Since activating Contract Uploader, it has processed over 200 contracts in 3 months and is expected to handle over 1,000 contracts annually, with no human intervention and precise metadata extraction.

Company: Chevron Australia

Submission Title: Spend Competitiveness - Visibility Creates Transparency & Trust

Summary

Challenge: In today's volatile market, understanding contract rate competitiveness is crucial.

Approach: A tool was developed to provide transparent insights by inputting all contract price books and price adjustment mechanisms, measuring rates against current market indices. The solution ensures simplicity and high data quality.

Outcome: A Power BI Dashboard was created, identifying spend competitiveness at contract and PSL levels. It measures against relevant market indices, facilitating real-time discussions with executive management on proactive third-party spend management. The dashboard supports targeted negotiations with suppliers, focusing on specific market movements, building trust and transparency with business partners and third-party contractors.