You are here: Home: Employer insights: CHP Consulting: About the organisation
CHP Consulting is primarily a software company, specialising in providing tools to the asset management and finance sectors. Consulting is still a major aspect of its business though; as well as software systems such as its flagship ALFA v5, the company provides a number of key IT services such as business process consultancy, application service provider services and user interface design. This means that it helps other companies use information technology to their advantage.
Founded in 1990, CHP launched its ALFA platform in 1992, and has since delivered the system to more than 40 asset and motor finance clients with combined assets under management of some $100bn. It has around 200 employees in the 15 countries in which it does business.
CHP Consulting's ALFA Systems enterprise software is designed for asset management companies to better handle their business processes. It does this by providing administration for every stage of a contract, from proposal quotation to end of lease.
This product is CHP’s key growth driver, along with its other core services such as project management (in which it claims to have a 100% delivery record), training (including materials and interactive tutorials) and fraud detection.
The company also works alongside a number of implementation and integration partners to deliver products and services related to:
CHP has four main categories of client: banks, manufacturers (particularly carmakers), specialist asset managers and leasing companies. As far as banks and manufacturers are concerned, it’s mainly the loan businesses that CHP deals with, and clients include Alliance & Leicester, Bank of America, Hewlett Packard Financial Services Company, Toyota Financial Services and Yorkshire Bank. CHP’s asset management clients include fleet managers such as Leasedrive and Lombard Vehicle Management, while the biggest of its leasing clients is HSBC Rail.
CHP is a member of several European asset finance associations, including:
It is also a member of various trade associations in North America and Asia-Pacific, including the Canadian Finance & Leasing Association, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, Australian Computer Society Professional Partnership Program and Australasian Fleet Managers Association.
Graduates at CHP Consulting will receive a starting salary of £35,000. Salaries for more senior roles are reportedly in the range of £38,000 to £44,000 for a consultant, £56,000 to £60,000 for a senior consultant and £62,000 to £66,000 for a manager.
CHP Consulting says it balances work with fun, regularly holding company meetings followed by activities such as go-karting and speedboat rides. All staff members are invited to a conference at a high-end hotel every year, to discuss past and future strategy but also to enjoy fine dining and relaxation.
The average age of employees is 29.
Further celebrations are held whenever company milestones are met, and employees are rewarded with overseas trips and leisure pursuits – though some of these may be a bit hair raising, having included skydiving in recent years. The interest in adrenalin-fuelled pastimes may be partly due to the relative youth of the company; the average age of its employees is 29.
It’s not all fun and games though – it is work after all. Employees are required to dress in a business-appropriate manner when in the office, and the company’s standard working hours of 9.00 am to 6.00 pm are slightly longer than some may be used to.
While overtime is not deemed to be ‘the norm’, it may crop up at some times, but this is fairly standard for the industry (and indeed most industries). Reports from employees indicate that they rarely work additional hours, and that the company does not have a long-hours culture.
The Best Companies Guide survey 2010 found that 84% of CHP’s employees disagreed with the statement that they were under so much work pressure that they were unable to concentrate, so stress levels appear to be fairly manageable for most.
The survey also suggested that managerial support is strong, with 89% of staff saying they felt that they had an open and honest dialogue with their manager.
As is fairly typical of the IT sector, the gender balance at CHP Consulting is skewed heavily towards men, with a reported 83% of employees being male (and therefore only 17% female). Female employees have also raised concerns about the male-dominated nature of the company, and its impact on them. However, the company is working to attract more women, and recently sponsored the 2011 'IT's not just for the boys!' event for female undergrads.
Employer insights are written by independent experts with job candidates in mind, helping you research and understand employers.
Copyright of all material written for Employer insights lies solely with GTI Media.
Register for how to get hired advice straight into your inbox
©2012 GTI Media Ltd. Registered in England No. 2347472.
Registered office: The Fountain Building, Howbery Park, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BA UK