Soft facilities management company SBFM has crowned a winner for the company’s inaugural Dragons’ Den-style competition designed to incentivise workers to present their ideas for innovation within the business. A £1,000 cash prize was awarded to Kayleigh Schietaert, account executive, for her idea to integrate technology to revitalise and improve the stock management process.
Schietaert presented a tech-driven solution to revamp stock ordering and control processes with a focus on standardisation, automation, and quality. Drawing upon her experience from a previous role outside of FM, Kayleigh identified the opportunity for improvement and crafted her proposed solution with determination and energy.
Managing stock across thousands of UK sites poses logistical challenges, but Schietaert’s technology-first solution leverages automation to streamline operations and maintain consistent quality standards. Central to the idea is the introduction of new expected standards for cleaning cupboard organisation, enforced by advanced audit tools and systems. Once implemented, this transformative idea will enhance efficiency, save valuable time for frontline colleagues, deliver significant cost savings, and set a new benchmark in operational excellence.
In addition to winning the £1,000 cash prize, Schietaert will work closely with SBFM’s research and development team to implement the idea, ensuring it stays aligned to her original vision.
The SBFM Den competition saw a high turnout, with more than 28 entries. Five ideas were shortlisted through a process which scored the entries based on their alignment to SBFM’s values (be a good person, play as a team, think differently, make an impact). In 30-minute pitches, the ideas were then presented to the SBFM dragons, comprised of SBFM’s executive board, including Matthew Chapman, CEO, and Colin Shute, Founder. The final pitches were scored on multiple criteria, including reach, impact, and confidence.
Shortlisted entries included interactive client site packs, a revamp to the holiday booking process, AI implementation to aid talent attraction and retention, and the implementation of a chatbot to support frontline workers.
Reflecting on her victory in the competition, Kayleigh Schietaert, account executive at SBFM said: “I’m delighted that I won the competition and that my idea will provide support to our workforce, as well as our clients. The SBFM Den is a great initiative that really gives us a voice as employees, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to introduce positive innovation that I feel passionate about.”
CEO at SBFM, Matt Chapman, said: “We pride ourselves on being people-led and tech-enabled, with innovation at the heart of everything we do. Kayleigh’s idea was so well aligned, and she is a deserved winner. We’re excited to implement her solution and see the positive impact it will have on our operations, and how it will support our frontline colleagues.
“We believe our employees are our greatest source of ideas for driving progress, and we’re committed to giving them a platform to share their insights through initiatives like the SBFM Den. It was inspiring to see the creativity and passion in each entry. I’d like to congratulate Kayleigh and thank everyone who participated for their excellent contributions to driving meaningful change.”
Due to the success of its first event, the SBFM Den will become an annual innovation initiative.
