Westbury Homes
The country's seventh largest housebuilder is both producing some 4500 homes a year and innovating for the future, and the success of its business strategy is reflected in its strong performance across the categories. The company was shortlisted in five categories: training/people development, customer satisfaction, change, options and choices and building efficiency, winning the last category for its Space4 manufacturing facility. At the same time business performance goes from strength to strength with 2001 financial results recording pre-tax profit up 19%, operating margin up from 12.8% to 14.6%, and a 12% uplift in selling price. The company's output extends from the traditional vernacular of its new housetypes, designed by Peterjohn Smyth, one of the creative forces behind Poundbury, to major modern urban schemes like the 600-unit Century Wharf in Cardiff Bay.Training/people development: The company has its own training programme with more than 20 in-house courses and a development centre to help employees with senior management potential plan their progress.
Customer satisfaction: Tools include the Westbury customer satisfaction index and quality action teams to eliminate recurring problems. New customer brochures have been introduced to explain the allocation of responsibilities between customer and housebuilder.
Change: Westbury has launched its Space4 initiative and entered the financial services market with the launch of Incresco.
Options and choices: Under the brand of Westbury Direct, the company offers home-related products and services to existing and new customers.
Building efficiency: The Space4 factory in Castle Bromwich resulted from six years of collaborative research with Warwick University Manufacturing Group. More than £1m has been invested in the research project called Housebuilding as a Manufacturing Process, or Hobman.
The country's seventh largest housebuilder is both producing some 4500 homes a year and innovating for the future, and the success of its business strategy is reflected in its strong performance across the categories. The company was shortlisted in five categories: training/people development, customer satisfaction, change, options and choices and building efficiency, winning the last category for its Space4 manufacturing facility. At the same time business performance goes from strength to strength with 2001 financial results recording pre-tax profit up 19%, operating margin up from 12.8% to 14.6%, and a 12% uplift in selling price. The company's output extends from the traditional vernacular of its new housetypes, designed by Peterjohn Smyth, one of the creative forces behind Poundbury, to major modern urban schemes like the 600-unit Century Wharf in Cardiff Bay.
What makes Westbury a winner?
Source
Building Homes
