ABSL DIAMONDS

Winners 2026

Two companies received awards in the Business and Technology Innovation category. The first award went to Johnson & Johnson Global Services for its global transformation project HR2Pay, designed to prevent errors in HR data affecting payroll before they enter the payroll system. Initially piloted in EMEA and subsequently rolled out globally, this prevention-focused approach significantly improved the Right First Time (RFT) metric, which measures the proportion of transactionscompleted correctly without the need for corrections or further intervention without the need for corrections or further intervention. At the same time, the number of corrections has fallen by more than 60%, while issue resolution time has decreased by 45%. HR2Pay already saves more than 40,000 hours of work annually across HR and payroll operations, delivering significant productivity value across the organization. The project improves payroll accuracy and reliability while establishing a scalable digital operating model supporting approximately 140,000 employees worldwide.

The second Diamond Award in this category went to Atlas Copco Services for its Global ICO Faster Payment Program, which is fundamentally transforming the way intercompany transactions are settled across the group. The program replaces the traditional model, largely based on month-end settlement and manual coordination, with a more frequent, data-led and increasingly automated process. The program aims to achieve much more than simply accelerating payments. It represents a comprehensive transformation of intercompany financial flow management, helping to reduce the time receivables and payables remain outstanding, lower the group’s FX exposure, and improve transparency and control over the entire process. The solution combines financial management, treasury, process standardisation and automation, while taking into account the different regulatory, liquidity and system requirements across countries. The results demonstrate the program’s significant impact. The monthly volume of accelerated intercompany payments increased from SEK 487 million to SEK 2.067 billion, while the group’s total FX exposure fell from SEK 16.5 billion in April 2025 to SEK 7.4 billion in June 2026. The program has thus established a scalable model that combines faster settlement, foreign exchange risk management without additional hedging costs, automation and centralized governance, laying the foundation for further expansion of automated intercompany processes across the group.

The Employee Engagement and Employer Branding Excellence category also had two winners. KBC Global Services Czech Branch impressed the jury with a combination of two projects that together strengthen its corporate culture and employer brand. The first, Domain Uncovered, gives employees an insight into the work of other teams and areas of expertise. Through workplace visits, practical demonstrations and meetings with experts, it helps break down barriers between teams, strengthens collaboration and fosters a better understanding of how different parts of the company operate and complement one another. The second project, an employer branding campaign entitled A Better Place, A Better Life, raised awareness of KBC Global Services as an attractive employer. Built around authentic employee stories, the campaign showcased the real work and expertise within the company. In its first four months, it reached more than 1.6 million people online, generated over 6 million impressions on social media and increased job applications by 16%. Both KBC projects demonstrate that a strong employer brand is built from within. When employees understand their colleagues’ work, they feel more connected to the company and become its most credible ambassadors to the outside world.

The jury also presented a Diamond Award to Aptar Global Business Services CZ for its From Voice To Ownership project. The initiative was launched in response to an employee survey that revealed shortcomings in communication, mutual trust and the connection between employees and management. It also highlighted a lack of visible action taken in response to employee feedback. The company therefore decided to give employees a more active role in deciding what should change and how. Employees became involved in developing new initiatives, took ownership of specific projects and were empowered to actively shape their workplace. They were also given opportunities to develop skills beyond their core responsibilities. Over the course of one year, the proportion of employees who perceived improvements nearly tripled. The sense of belonging and the overall employee engagement index also increased, while voluntary employee turnover fell from 10,59% to 6,73%.

The Learning & Development category also saw two companies receive awards. The first Diamond Award went to SAP for its Let’sAI project, which originated in the Czech Republic as an employee-led initiative and is now being rolled out to SAP offices worldwide in the form of an AI roadshow. The program combines continuous AI learning with two-day AI Days events, offering training ranging from AI fundamentals and practical applications of AI tools to their safe and responsible use. More than 30 volunteers have been involved in organizing and delivering the initiative, and over 60 training sessions have taken place since October 2025. The AI Days events alone have attracted more than 750 employees, and the concept has already expanded to Manila and Buenos Aires. SAP plans to hold these events regularly at more than 50 locations worldwide. The expert jury particularly praised the scale of the initiative, the high level of employee engagement and the successful transformation of a locally developed learning model into a global program.

The second Diamond went to Envista for its Prague-based initiative Dentellect, which equips employees with practical skills in artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics. The programme offers a 24-week learning journey combining training sessions, workshops, self-directed learning and work on real business projects. The first cohort brought together 145 employees and delivered more than 16 data analytics and visualisation solutions, over 10 AI agent-based solutions and at least eight automated workflows. The project thus connects skills development with their immediate application in the business.

In the Customer and Operational Excellence category, the jury presented the Diamond Award to Aptar Global Business Services CZ for its One R2R Transformation project, which centralized financial processes from 22 entities across the EMEA region into the company’s centre in České Budějovice. The project was successfully implemented within 15 months and completed on schedule. It introduced process standardization and automation, reduced the average cost per employee involved in these processes by 10%, and cut both operating costs and headcount in local teams by approximately 14%. At the same time, the monthly financial closing process was shortened from seven to five days, while maintaining stable operations. A success rate of over 90%, based on stakeholder feedback, confirms that the project delivered not only significant cost savings but also greater efficiency, standardization and a successfully managed transformation.

In the Innovative Workplace category, the Diamond Award went to Kenvue for the transformation of its office environment into a workplace that better supports the organization’s culture, values, and evolving ways of working. Rather than relocating, the company chose to modernize and reimagine its existing space with a strong focus on sustainability, maximizing the reuse of infrastructure and materials while reducing waste. The redesign incorporated refurbished and repurposed furnishings, recycled materials, and locally sourced elements throughout the workplace. The new environment was designed to create a more welcoming and engaging employee experience. Biophilic design plays a central role, with approximately 3,000 plants integrated throughout the space alongside enhanced access to natural light, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere. Since opening, the workplace has been well received by employees and has supported increased utilization of the office environment. The space reflects a thoughtful balance of sustainability, functionality, and employee experience, demonstrating how an existing workplace can be transformed to meet changing organizational and workforce needs.

The winner in the ESG Strategy category is Atlas Copco Services with its Global Sustain Reporting project, which is transforming the way ESG data is reported. What was originally a fragmented process managed independently by individual company locations has been turned into a standardised process with clear rules, quality controls and a full audit trail. The solution covers key areas of environmental data, including energy and water consumption, transportation, fleet management, business travel and waste. It also incorporates targeted automation of invoice processing, business travel data and system-based reporting, reducing manual work while improving data consistency, transparency and scalability. Launched at the Brno and Prague centres, the initiative has harmonised reporting methodologies, made data available earlier and, through automation, saved approximately 50 hours of manual work per quarter. The result is the Sustain HUB model, a unified solution that can be gradually rolled out to other Atlas Copco centres worldwide. The jury recognised the project’s practical impact, enhanced transparency and, in particular, its potential for global implementation.

Johnson & Johnson Global Services was named Business Service Center of the Year 2026. As one of the pioneers of the business services industry in Czechia, the company has played an important role in its development over many years. The award recognises not only its long-standing presence in the Czech market, but above all its ability to innovate, adapt to change, develop talent and deliver high-value services globally.