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Off-the-shelf products or bespoke software development – which would you choose?
Andy Roberts discusses why you don’t need to pit bespoke development against off-the-shelf tools when you’re choosing software.
Headforwards is the technology partner you need to navigate the future.
Our high performing Agile teams deliver software, application, data engineering and strategic consultancy services to a global client base. We are the trusted technology partner to clients in sectors spanning local authority, insurance, financial services, global communications and health.
Since our inception more than 12 years ago, we have delivered high value solutions to over 120 different clients, amassing significant expertise and knowledge in both strategy and delivery.
Headforwards was founded in 2011 by Toby Parkins and Craig Girvan, with the ambition of challenging the existing ‘on the bench’ model for outsource software. Both believed that clients were short-changed by this model and instead they focused on three core principles:
Craig was a former Development Team Lead with Tesco Direct, leading teams working on the non-food retail website and Tesco.com, Tesco’s online grocery website and supply chain. Toby ran a Cornwall-based website development company called UK NetWeb. Both Toby and Craig were Agile evangelists, and embedded a culture and practice of Agile in Headforwards.
With the needs of clients evolving in the rapidly changing digital and technology landscape, Headforwards have developed its services to better meet client needs.
In July 2022, former AXA-Health Chief Information Officer, Pete Reed joined Headforwards as the lead Advisory Partner in the new Advisory and Consultancy division.
In addition to software engineering, Headforwards now have specialist expertise across application and data engineering. And we have evolved how we deliver, offering quick-start projects and flexible scaling models to meet the needs of our clients.
FibreHub is our own building, housing our Head Office. But more than that it is a hub and collaboration space where tech, software and digital businesses can work, meet and connect in Cornwall.
Opened in 2021, FibreHub was the brainchild of Toby Parkins, who believed that for a new tech revolution to take place in Cornwall, young people needed to be able to see physical evidence that there was cool stuff going on that they could be part of.
Clients are always welcome to FibreHub for an in-person visit, or if you’re exploring office-space in the area you can find out more on our website, fibrehub.uk
One of the biggest challenges for tech businesses right now is access to the right skills. Through FibreHub, with links to educational institutions and a hub of tech and digital sector businesses, we have the opportunity to take a leading approach to tech education and work towards solving the sector’s issue with talent development.
Headforwards is a software business. But first and foremost, it’s a people business. We believe great teams deliver great software, so we build dedicated teams, often in partnership with our clients that are the ideal fit both for their business requirements and our culture.
We employ more than 100 people, with 70% of our team based in Cornwall and 30% working remotely. We believe diverse teams deliver better software, so we proactively seek to build teams of people from different backgrounds, cultures, sectors and experiences.
Employee wellbeing truly matters to us and we place a lot of emphasis on ensuring our people are happy and well looked after. In 2022, we celebrated five 5-year and eight 10-year anniversaries.
Learn about how we recruit Headforwards™ is a Registered Trade Mark of Headforwards Solutions Ltd.
Registered Address: FibreHub, Trevenson Lane, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3GF, UK
Registered in England and Wales: 07576641 | VAT Registration Number: GB111315770