Ellis Fairbank wins National Computing Awards for Excellence

Ellis Fairbank are delighted to announce that they have been selected as the winner for the 2005 IT Department of the Year at the Computing Awards for Excellence Awards.

At Battersea Arena on 25th November 2005, after a rigorous selection process and some stiff competition from the likes of HBOS and the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lisa Jones, Head of IT at Ellis Fairbank proudly collected the prestigious award from Jack Dee at the ceremony.

ìThis is a great achievement for the team and for Ellis Fairbank. We have worked extremely hard as a team over the last few years and overcome many challenges. My ambition has always been to integrate the team fully into the sales and strategic process and it is wonderful to finally see my ambitions come to fruition and be rewarded in this wayî comments Lisa.

So how have they done it? Quite simply they have, over time, removed the barriers that IT professionals often face when integrating with sales. Historically a paper-based company, the team has introduced full systems and CRM to the business, providing the necessary training and support to each member of staff throughout the transition. Whilst most businesses see a dip in profitability during times of radical change, as testimony to the skill with which implementation has been conducted at Ellis Fairbank, an overall rise in productivity and profitability has been witnessed.

The IT team are not alienated from the rest of the staff - they get onto the sales floor, interact with consultants and understand the pressures faced during the daily lives of sales people. This understanding, coupled with a desire to truly make a difference has enabled them to demonstrate true excellence within the business.

So what next for the team? ìThis award has had an extremely positive effect on the drive and motivation of the teamî comments Lisa ìThe future will present many more challenges for the team moving forward. With offices planned in Strasbourg and Birmingham, as well as a planned flotation of the company in 2007, our work has only just begunî.

Held each year at Battersea Arena, the Computing Awards for Excellence have grown to be recognised at the UKís premier IT awards.

Toby Wolpe, editor in chief of Computing, said: ìThese awards celebrate the best of the best that the IT industry has to offer. The unprecedented number of entries this year reflects the outstanding level of work being done in the IT communityî.

John Barnes, Publishing Director of VNUís Corporate Computing Group, said: ìThis yearís awards were an even bigger success than last year, demonstrating that the technology sector is booming once more. The shift of focus, away from products and onto individuals, has been warmly welcomed and we wish to offer our congratulations to the inaugural recipients of these awards and to all of last nightís winnersî.