Estate agency Andrews has appointed Will Newell as its new head of IT as a demonstration of its commitment to leading the field in its use of technology.
Will, pictured, takes up the role having previously led all IT services at Gloucester City Council. He is based at Andrews’ group headquarters in Keynsham.
Will’s appointment comes as the business makes significant in-roads into a visionary use of technology which is says is not matched by anyone else in the sector. 
Will explains: “It is important that our customers can engage with us in any way they wish, at a time that is convenient to them. As a result we’ve adopted an ‘omni-channel’ approach which is more often seen in the retail sector.
“This has meant some very inventive use of technology and, as there simply wasn’t a complete system available on the open marketplace, our in-house development team has created a bespoke system to meet the needs of both our clients, and the teams based across our wide branch network.”
As part of the strategic review of its IT systems, the Andrews team has reviewed how things have traditionally been done in the sector – more often than not, in person – and mapped that against how it works with online and phone points of engagement.
This has necessitated providing everyone, regardless of location, access to the same information at the same time. As part of this process, a new phone system, which is integrated with the backend system, has been deployed to ensure flexibility for the workforce while delivering best service to the customer base.
Cloud technology, which allows access to documents and data regardless of location or access point, is also proving pivotal to this shift.
Earlier this year, Andrews’ website won Bronze at the national Letting Agency of the Year Awards for the way in which it enables customers to make offers and book viewings and valuations which are then directly put into the branch diary – something unique to Andrews.
Andrews chief executive Michael Robson said: “By recognising that we wanted our IT system to be bespoke, we have demonstrated a commitment to both our staff and customers.
“This has been a significant investment and so we needed to be sure that at the helm, leading an effective roll out of the new systems, was someone familiar with a branch network model and an appreciation of the importance of customer service.
“Will undoubtedly met that criteria and his breadth of knowledge and experience will no doubt see further advancements in this area of our service over the coming months.”
Will added: “I’ve always enjoyed working in complex organisations where there is a lot going on, not least of all because it allows someone in my role to demonstrate that IT isn’t a back-office function but something that sits at the heart of the business and which enables it to move forward.
“Having joined at this exciting time I’m very much looking forward to delivering further progress in the way our IT system operates.”
Further reflecting the importance of IT to Andrews, Simon Creegan Davies has been promoted from infrastructure manager to senior IT manager. The group’s IT function now has 15 staff across three teams with Will Newell at the head.
