Staff at Ampersand donned their walking boots for a company hike in the Peak District in October. The event was one of several it organised to raise cash for Forever Manchester, which supports community activity in the city and its environs.

Ampersand, which is based in the city centre, is an independent agency that provides technical services to help high-growth retailers transform their e-commerce strategy.

Using its Ampersand Accelorator, it builds a transactional and integrated e-commerce platform from the ground up. The foundations can include any aspect of product information management, integration and search and merchandising. It also works fast to initiate change in retailers slowed down by legacy systems.

The company deals with all aspects of product information management, search and visual merchandising, content personalisation and systems integration to transform the retail businesses it works with.

Within Ampersand, employee-engagement and focus group data drives change in the work place. Hybrid working is an area where the company listened to what its team wanted and implemented it. The company has also addressed issues such as over-working and planning processes. Ampersand says it is a big advocate of employee-driven change and the past year was no exception.

"As our technology services business grows, so does the momentum to cultivate a rich working environment that supports, engages and enables our people to deliver the technical excellence our customers depend on us for," says Brett Cooper, the managing director.