Three operations, three outstanding projects and one shared ambition: recognising innovation, encouraging collaboration and creating opportunities for ideas to make a difference across the Healthcare Operations cluster.
Launched in February 2026, the Best Project Award is an annual initiative within the Healthcare Operations Cluster, created to recognise, reward and showcase outstanding projects delivered across its businesses. Bringing together employees from three operations, the initiative involves HealthActiv and MedActiv in Mauritius, teams from our International Operations division, and colleagues from Harley’s in East Africa. It provides a platform for teams across these businesses to present projects that demonstrate innovation, tangible impact and excellence in execution.
At its core, the concept goes beyond recognising individual achievements. It encourages teams to share their expertise, exchange ideas and showcase initiatives with the potential to create value beyond their own business operations. By promoting cross-operational knowledge-sharing and collaboration, it also supports a wider culture of continuous improvement and innovation across the cluster.
The competition was structured around three key phases, taking participating teams from the initial submission of their ideas through to the final stage.
Phase 1 | Project Registration & Validation: The journey began with project registration, inviting employees to form teams of at least eight members and submit their proposed initiatives. Each project required approval from the General Manager of each operation before progressing to the next stage.
Phase 2 | Intra-Operations Competitions: With the projects approved, participating teams entered a development and preparation phase. Dedicated Learning & Development sessions were organised to provide participants with the guidance and support needed to develop their ideas, strengthen their projects and prepare for the intra-operation competitions. Each operation then held its own selection round to identify the project that would go on to represent its teams at the Grand Final.
Phase 3 | The Grand Final: The final stage brought together the three winning teams, representing Mauritius, International and East Africa Operations. Each finalist presented its project and competed for the overall title to be the ultimate winner and the opportunity to see its initiative considered for wider implementation across the Cluster.
The journey was built around a shared ambition: Create, compete, win & raise the bar together. The three finalists brought forward different perspectives on innovation, addressing opportunities across healthcare technology, inventory management and regional distribution.
Mauritius Operations | Beat As One: Lead by HealthActiv’s Healthcare Technologies team, Beat As One focuses on introducing Abbott’s remote monitoring system for patients fitted with high-voltage cardiac devices in Mauritius. Through the myMerlin mobile application and the Merlin.net online platform, the initiative enables remote monitoring of patients, supporting proactive follow-up and the earlier identification of potential clinical events. It also aims to reduce unnecessary hospital visits and contribute to more efficient cardiac care.
East Africa Operations | MASA 360: MASA 360 (Mapigo Ya Akiba, Santé des Stocks) is an inventory intelligence solution developed to improve stock management across branches. By bringing historical sales information and predictive data analytics together in live dashboards, the project provides greater visibility over stock levels and rotation. Its approach aims to help prevent stockouts, minimise expiry-related waste and support faster, more informed operational decisions. Beyond improving inventory management, MASA 360 seeks to strengthen customer satisfaction, support a competitive advantage and ensure more reliable service delivery across locations.
International Operations | Project Kilimanjaro: Project Kilimanjaro focuses on establishing an integrated distribution hub for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products serving the Indian Ocean region and Africa. Built around a dual-hub model operating through the Mauritius Freeport Zone and the Kenya Special Economic Zone, the project aims to streamline distribution activities, address fragmented ordering processes and optimise supply chain costs. The initiative also seeks to reduce the overall carbon footprint while creating opportunities for new revenue streams through improved margins and greater operational efficiencies.
Following the presentations and final evaluation, MASA 360 from East Africa Operations emerged as the ultimate winner of the competition, followed by Project Kilimanjaro from International Operations in second place and Beat As One from Mauritius Operations in third place.
While the Grand Final marked the culmination of this first edition, the ambition extends beyond the podium. The winning project represents an opportunity to explore how successful initiatives can be adapted and implemented across different operations, allowing valuable ideas to reach further and create a wider impact. Ultimately, this initiative is about more than competing for an award. It is about giving employees the opportunity to take ownership of their ideas, develop their potential, share knowledge and contribute to the collective progress of the cluster.
