About New Covent Garden Market

Located just two miles from central London, New Covent Garden Market is the capital’s longstanding wholesale destination for fresh produce and flowers. Drawing on more than 350 years of tradition serving traders, restaurants, caterers, and florists, it is now evolving into a modern food and plant quarter, offering new food-grade warehouse spaces from 1,000 to 10,000 sq. ft.

As part of this broader transformation, New Covent Garden Market has also been modernizing its digital operations to better manage its properties and finances. We spoke with Giles Roddy, Head of Business Operations, IT, and Engagement, about how SOFT4Spaces has supported this evolution.

What prompted you to start searching for a new property management system?

We had been using a legacy system, Qube, which started as a server-based platform and later moved to the cloud. While Qube worked well for property management and offered accounting packages, it wasn’t as strong on the financial side, especially when it came to reporting and transaction processing.

We realized we needed a more comprehensive solution that brought property management, finance, and risk compliance together in a single system. After speaking with several software integrators, we were introduced to SOFT4Spaces. We were impressed with what we saw and decided to move forward. The project to full deployment took around six months, and we officially went live on April 1, 2022.

What reasons determined your selection of the SOFT4Spaces solution?

SOFT4Spaces was recommended to us by a local partner, and it quickly became clear that it met all our requirements. We’ve since come to appreciate just how much out-of-the-box capability the software offers.

In what ways does SOFT4Spaces make your daily operations more efficient?

We’re still exploring how to use workflows more efficiently, so there’s more potential to streamline processes further. The system is very stable, and maintaining that stability is my priority as we plan the next steps. The key thing is that our day-to-day operations run smoothly while we prepare to take fuller advantage of the system’s capabilities.

How would you assess the cooperation with the SOFT4Spaces team?

The SOFT4Spaces team is brilliant. Their response time and ability to adapt are excellent. I always tell people that if you’re going to work with them, the most important thing is to build a strong relationship. If something isn’t clear, speak to them directly.

For the first year after deployment, I’d recommend taking a service package. It keeps everything on track and ensures that if issues come up, the team can respond quickly.

I also suggest using the system as close to out-of-the-box as possible. Avoid customization unless something really can’t be done natively. And even then, ask the team first. In my experience, they can often find a solution within the system.

One of the things I value most is consistency. I speak to the same people each time - people who know the system inside and out. It feels like having a partner who truly understands your setup, rather than having to explain things to someone new every time.

We’ve made a few mistakes along the way, but communication is absolutely critical: making sure property, finance, facilities management, and systems teams stay aligned whenever changes are planned. And if you’re unsure how to do something, ask the SOFT4Spaces team - they’re always willing to help.

What has surprised you most about working with the SOFT4Spaces team or using the system?

What has really stood out is how much I enjoy working with the SOFT4Spaces team. I’ve worked with Lithuanian teams before, and collaborating with this team feels like a natural continuation of that experience - professional and genuinely enjoyable.

The SOFT4Spaces team is brilliant. Their response time and ability to adapt are excellent. I always tell people that if you’re going to work with them, the most important thing is to build a strong relationship. If something isn’t clear, speak to them directly.

Giles Roddy
Head of Operations