Statutes
"International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year" (IFOY)

Preamble

The IFOY AWARD (International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year) is an independent organisation.

Its mission is to identify and recognise the year's best intralogistics products and solutions as well as engage in activities in order to assess outstanding technical and strategic achievements in intralogistics as well as generate stimuli for innovation.

The IFOY organisation has set itself the goal of establishing the IFOY AWARD as the definitive award for outstanding achievements and can draw on an international expert jury made up of well-known trade journalists who also represent the leading logistics media in the various markets. The IFOY organisation assesses solutions and equipment objectively and based on transparent criteria and specialist expertise.

The IFOY Award documents the performance capability and innovative drive of the intralogistics sector, helping to boost competitiveness and raise the profile of the entire sector in the public arena. Consequently, the nomination and selection process for the IFOY Award makes high demands in terms of the safety, technology, sustainability, cost efficiency, design and ergonomics of equipment and solutions.

IFOY is a registered trade mark.

 

1. Relevant bodies

1.1. Sponsor

IFOY is sponsored by the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Sector Association (VDMA e.V.).

The sponsor is not involved in the selection process or in the day-to-day business of the organisation.

The opinion of the sponsor must be heard on important questions relating to strategy and policy and must be taken into account where possible. These questions include:

• Changes in categories/Introduction of new categories
• Major changes in the selection process or the assessment criteria
• New projects and concepts that have far-reaching implications for IFOY
• Appointment of new jury members
• Amendments to the Statutes

The sponsor is required to respond/decide in a timely manner, at the latest 20 workdays following such request. 

The sponsor is informed in advance of the names of the winners.

1.2. Jury

The jury is made up of international trade journalists. They select the IFOY AWARD winners once a year and represent the organisation in the public sphere. All jury members are committed to the principles of IFOY; they support and promote the objectives of the organisation and make use of the options at their disposal to report on all activities of IFOY while maintaining their journalistic independence. The members of the jury are obliged to represent the award in an appropriate manner. In addition, they are required to report on the selection phases and ensure adequate reporting and a commentary on the winners following the official announcement of the latter.

The responsibilities of the jury include the following:

• Nominations for the IFOY AWARD and selection of the winners
• Representation of the IFOY AWARD in the public sphere
• Generation of public interest
• Ongoing development of the IFOY AWARD 
• Proposal of new jury members and filling of vacant jury seats following the withdrawal of jury members

1.2.1. Jury membership and appointment

The members of the jury should represent the leading international print media reporting on the topic of logistics. The number of jury members in each country is determined by the importance of the market for intralogistics in the country in question. Each country is generally represented by one jury member, with a maximum of five jury members permitted for one country.

A publishing company may only be represented on the jury by one person/vote per country.

The members of the jury must be independent and must not have any direct economic relationship with a manufacturer or dealer. Jury membership is dependent on journalistic activity in the logistics field and is reserved for the most highly reputed and leading publications and/or journalists.

The jury, specialist advisory committee and sponsor may propose new jury members. Publishing companies may also apply for jury membership. Applications are to be informal and sent to the head office of the IFOY organisation by e-mail.

The jury decides on the acceptance of new jury members by a simple majority of votes cast. The jury is obliged to fill vacant jury seats at the earliest possible date and to apply the highest standards when choosing experts to fill these vacancies.

The sponsor has the right to veto the appointment of new jury members.

The founding members of the jury are appointed and formally invited to sit on the jury by the Executive Jury Chairperson.

1.2.2. Proxy provisions

All jury members have the right to name a proxy from their editorial office to represent and support them in the exercise of all rights and obligations. The proxy must be an editor or journalist.

The proxy exercises the right to vote.

The proxy is named for the duration of a term of office. The proxy must be renamed every year and the Executive Jury Chairperson informed of the name of the proxy. If a member of the jury names a proxy for official IFOY occasions, the Executive Jury Chairperson must be informed in advance with appropriate notice.

1.2.3. External advisors

Each jury member has the right to put together a group of specialists and advisors to provide assistance during the selection process. These individuals must not have any direct dependent relationship with a manufacturer or dealer, and the Executive Jury Chairperson must be informed of their names in advance with appropriate notice. In the case of doubt, the Executive Jury Chairperson decides on the admissibility of advisors.

The advisors undertake to maintain confidentiality, do not have voting rights and may not take part in the sessions of the jury. The advisors are not informed of the winners in advance.

1.2.4. Honorary membership

The jury may confer lifelong honorary jury membership on former jury members and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to IFOY. The title "honorary member of the IFOY jury" does not carry voting rights or entitle the holder to take part in jury sessions.

 Honorary membership is conferred by a simple majority of votes cast.

1.2.5. Executive Jury Chairperson

The Executive Jury Chairperson is a full member of the jury.

In addition, he or she manages all activities and business operations of the IFOY organisation. He or she acts as a link between jury and specialist advisory committee as well as the contact for cooperation partners.

The Executive Jury Chairperson has one vote and is appointed permanent.

The duties of the Executive Jury Chairperson include all organisational and representative tasks as well as the communication activities of the IFOY organisation.

These include:

• Operational control and management of all activities of the IFOY organisation
• Staging of the selection process and performance of all related communication and organisational tasks
• Chairing of jury sessions
• Contact for cooperation partners
• Operation of the website
• Management of internal and external communication (provision of information to relevant bodies, press and PR activities) 
• Formulation of the official reasons for the selection of the winners
• Formal invitation of new jury members
• Monitoring of compliance with the Statutes
• Budget management
• Ongoing development of the IFOY Award

1.2.6. Duration of jury membership and exclusion

The jury membership of a jury member/publishing company is tied to the function of the jury member for an unlimited period. It expires automatically when the jury member no longer performs his or her profession. The jury seat is then re-assigned.

An extraordinary exclusion of a jury member is only possible upon special request (written form to the Executive Jury Chairperson). The procedure is based on 6.1.

Jury members can be expelled if they:

• neglect their voting duties or fail to exercise their right to vote more than once
• violate the confidentiality obligation
• neglect their duties and no longer support the objectives of IFOY
• disregard the Statues of IFOY
• violates the Code of Conduct

1.3. Specialist advisory committee

The job of the specialist advisory committee is to advise the IFOY organisation on technical and content-related matters. The members of the committee represent the international manufacturers, associations and organisations.
The specialist advisory committee appoints new members at its own discretion.
The specialist advisory committee is not involved in the selection process or in the day-to-day business of the organisation. Its specialised expertise and opinion are explicitly welcome, however, and may be requested by the Executive Jury Chairperson in the name of the jury.

The specialist advisory committee is not informed in advance of the winners of the IFOY Award.

1.3.1. Permanent "elder statesman" member of the jury

The specialist advisory committee has the right to appoint a permanent member to the jury.

This individual must not have any direct dependent relationship with a manufacturer or dealer. He or she has access to all selection documents of the jury as well as the right to take part in all jury sessions and may be consulted on technical matters in an advisory capacity.

The permanent member has no voting rights.
The permanent member is informed of the winners in advance.
The permanent member is subject to the same confidentiality rules as the other jury members.

 

2. Selection procedure

2.1. Entries

For each entered truck, a standard form (www.IFOY.org) must be completed, a processing fee paid to the IFOY organisation and a test truck made available at the manufacturer's own cost. The amount of the processing fee is shown in the updated price list on the IFOY website.
Entries and nominations for the IFOY Award are subject to the following conditions:The trucks must be available on the European market.

• The trucks must be newly developed trucks or must possess significant technical improvements compared to the predecessor models.
• Further developments and special models with significant innovations are admissible.
• Studies, prototypes, blueprints or minor optical facelifts are not sufficient.
• At the time of celebration the truck must be in production; it must be possible to order the truck.
• The updated entry formalities are listed at www.IFOY.org. In the case of doubt, the Executive Jury Chairperson decides on the admissibility of an entry.
• The entered system solutions must already have been implemented.

2.2. Categories

The IFOY AWARD is awarded in up to 13 categories. The current list of categories is published annually. The categories serve as orientation for applicants. They are intended to cover the entire range of intralogistics products and solutions. The final naming of the annual categories as well as the final placement of applicants is decided by the jury on the basis of proposals from the IFOY organization and the testers.

2.3. Assessment criteria

2.3.1. Counter Balanced Trucks and Warehouse Trucks

The jury assesses the trucks based on the following criteria:

• Innovation/Technology
• Design/Ergonomics/Handling
• Safety
• Cost efficiency
• Sustainability/Environment

2.3.2.Automated Guided Vehicles

The basis for assessment is the innovative character of the automation technology in the context of the application options

2.3.3. Intralogistics Solutions

The jury assesses the submitted solutions based on the following criteria:

• Novel character/Innovation
• Customer benefit
• Sustainability
• Marketability of the solution

2.4. Selection procedure

The winners of the IFOY Award are selected once a year. Voting takes place via the Internet in a closed voting area to which only the jury members and the permanent jury member from the specialist advisory committee have access. The IFOY organisation provides the jury members with exposés on the entered and approved trucks/products.
The selection process is a two-stage process.

1. Nomination
2. Selection

2.4.1. Nomination

In the first selection phase, the jury generally nominates up to five trucks/concepts from all the submitted entries in each category once a year, and the nominations are then made public. The nominated trucks must pay a "starting fee". The amount of this fee is shown in the updated price list on the IFOY website.

2.4.2. Selection

Drawing on their technical expertise and knowledge of the market, the jury members assess all the nominated trucks. The results of the IFOY test are among the primary criteria. The rating process may also incorporate insights gained from practical experience or the expertise of an advisory body.

The jury selects the winner of the IFOY AWARD in each category from the nominated entries in a timely manner. The nominated entries are rated via the Internet using a rating form to which only the members of the jury have access.

The jury members are informed of the results of the selection process in timely manner prior to the official award ceremony.

 

3. Confidentiality

All jury members and the permanent member of the specialist advisory committee on the jury undertake to maintain confidentiality regarding all matters related to the selection process.

The members of the jury undertake not to pass on to third parties the documents and Internet gateways to which they have access.
The jury members, the permanent member of the specialist advisory committee on the jury and the sponsor undertake to keep the name of the winners confidential until the winners are officially announced.

 

4. Independence, funding

IFOY is economically independent.
The funding requirements of the IFOY organisation are covered by the sponsor and by the proceeds from entry fees and nomination fees.

 

5. Submission of entries, fees, utilisation and publication rights

Entries for the IFOY Award are to be submitted in writing. The updated entry formalities are listed at www.IFOY.org.
Entries and nominations are subject to a fee.
All fees are shown in the updated price list of the IFOY organisation (www.IFOY.org).

Manufacturers have the right to make unlimited use of all logos, images and texts of the organisation in their reporting and for promotional purposes while respecting the relevant copyrights.
The jury members have the right to make unlimited use free of charge of all logos, images and texts of the organisation in their reporting and for promotional purposes.

 

6. Code of Conduct

The IFOY committees and testers are committed to presenting the efficiency and innovative power of the intralogistics sector and want to contribute to the competitiveness and image improvement of the entire sector in public. It is their task to provide professional guidance for intralogistics decisions. In addition they accompany the IFOY editorially and content-wise. The following rules are to be observed:

• The members of the committees and testers behave neutrally and give their assessments/votes to the best of their knowledge and in good conscience and on the basis of specialist expertise.
• It is not permitted to link the vote or a test with economic objectives or objectives other than those laid down in the statutes of the IFOY AWARD.
• All nominees and winners are treated equally. Individual companies, for example, may not be arbitrarily highlighted or disadvantaged.
• Any potential conflicts of interest must be reported immediately to the IFOY organisation.
• Any benefits that may influence the voting process will not be accepted.

6.1. Extraordinary Exclusion

A violation of the Code of Conduct can lead to an extraordinary exclusion from an IFOY body.
An extraordinary exclusion of a member from an IFOY committee is only possible on special request (written form to the Executive Jury Chairperson). The Sponsor, the Executive Chairperson of the Jury, a group of at least five jurors and the IFOY Advisory Board through its Chairperson are entitled to do so.
In the case of an exclusion procedure, the Advisory Board and the Jury send parity representatives to a committee before which the parties are to be heard. The committee is constituted as follows:

• 2 representatives from the advisory board
• 2 representatives from the jury
• Elder Statesman
• Executive Jury Chairperson
• The members of the Committee may, by simple majority, decide on an extraordinary exclusion.

 

7. Other provisions

No legal right exists to acceptance of entries. There is no right of appeal.

 

Ismaning, June 2019