Name:

Colin Levy

Position:

Office Manager

Number of properties and location:

CWH is an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation) set up in 2002 to manage the housing stock consisting of 21,431 residential units (12,281 tenants & 9,150 lessees) on behalf of Westminster City Council.

Why did you join PfH?

At CWH we are always looking for efficiencies and PfH was seen to offer generous discounts with the advantage of a central billing system.

What benefits has PfH created for your organisation?

Foremost, PfH introduced us to Office Depot, who provide a cost effective and professional service. Most of our stationery now arrives the following day and my team have built up good working relationships with both the Office Depot office staff and their ever helpful delivery driver.

How has central billing helped to streamline your purchasing?

Central billing has resulted in a massive reduction in the quantity of invoices received, and a reduction on the man hours needed for invoice processing, leading to further savings.

Was central billing difficult to set up?

It was a very straightforward process - we just set up a direct debit with Central Billing.

What savings do you expect to make annually?

It is hard to provide an exact figure, but the main catalogue provides up to 50% discount and the central catalogue between 60 to 70% discount.

How will your residents and their neighbourhoods benefit from this reinvestment?

All the savings are passed on to our residents by reducing the fee that CWH charges to Westminster City Council's Housing Revenue Account.

What do you expect PfH to achieve for the sector in the longer term?

We strongly support the aims of PfH and will use their services in as many areas as we can.

What would you say to other housing organisations that are considering becoming a PfH member?

Although it looks too good to be true it isn't. We are enjoying the economies of scale through purchasing on such a huge scale - why not come and join us?