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Billions of investment for AI
Growth Zones
The government is ready to unlock billions of pounds of AI investment and is preparing to announce the first hosts of flagship AI Growth Zones this summer.
Investors and local authorities discussed their proposals with TechUK in London on 30th April 2025 and learnt more about the vision for AI Growth Zones with government ministers.
AI Growth Zones are set to boost local communities by attracting billions in private investment, open up cutting-edge jobs, as well as securing Britain’s position as a global leader in AI.
Earlier this year, Expressions of Interest (EOI) opened and saw 200 responses from local authorities keen to nominate their towns. Potential sites identified across the country through the EOI process include former industrial areas with land and infrastructure ready for redevelopment.
Proposals must demonstrate their access to existing energy connections enough to power two million homes, or set out their plan for how they will achieve this in time for development.
The first site for AI development will be based in Culham, with more to be announced this summer, aiming to start construction by the end of 2025.
Minister for AI Feryal Clark said: “Just like coal and stream powered our past, AI is powering our future. Our AI Growth Zones will transform area across the UK into engines of growth and opportunity — unlocking new jobs and revitalising communities across the UK.
“This is our Plan for Change in action, ensuring the benefits of AI are felt in every region and securing the UK’s place as a world leader in this vital technology.”
DIGITAL GOVERNMENT
LGA and techUK sign agreement to boost digital innovation in local government
The Local Government Association (LGA) and techUK have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen digital innovation in local government.
The new partnership is designed to foster stronger collaboration between local government and the technology industry, with a shared mission to promote the secure, inclusive, and effective use of digital technologies for the benefit of citizens and local communities.
The agreement sets out a 12-month framework for joint working, knowledge sharing, and policy engagement and aims to align industry capabilities with local government needs in support of the UK Government’s six-point plan for a modern digital government.
The two organisations will now work to champion digital innovation and promote the adoption of best practices that enhance local service delivery.
The partnership will prioritise establishing consistent and meaningful engagement between the LGA and techUK through regular communication, including workshops, roundtables, webinars, and joint consultations. techUK will also gain a seat on the LGA’s Local Government Digital Committee.
The two teams will also work together on a project-by-project basis to address shared priorities such as procurement, skills development, cybersecurity and resilience...
RESEARCH
Researchers gain access to more Horizon funding
UK scientists, researchers and businesses have been given access to more Horizon Europe funding to work on the latest innovations in quantum and space technologies, under the new 2025 Horizon Europe Work Programme.
Minister for EU relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds has met with EU commissioner for trade and economic security, interinstitutional relations and transparency, Maroš Šefčovič on his first official visit to the UK under the current government.
During his visit to the UK, Šefčovič and ThomasSymonds met professors at Imperial College London who have benefited from Horizon funding for their projects.
Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “In just under a month, the United Kingdom will host the UK-EU Summit here in London. Today provides an opportunity to take stock of negotiations and the progress made. We are fully aligned in our ambitions to build a safer, more secure, and prosperous future for people across the UK and Europe.
“We will always act in the national interest as we work towards a strong and durable strategic partnership with our European partners, unlocking new opportunities for British citizens and businesses.”
UK science minister Lord Vallance said: “Thanks to this welcome news, the opportunities for British researchers and businesses working in quantum, space, and beyond are only set to grow...
£630m for public buildings to upgrade their energy measures
The government has allocated more than £630 million to public buildings to upgrade their energy, through implementing measures such as heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and double glazing. This funding will mean that community buildings, like council buildings and hospitals, will be able to make energy saving upgrades, which will contribute an estimated £650 million in savings for taxpayers per year on average over the next 12 years.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been awarded over £30 million to install heat pumps at Queens Park Leisure Centre, Birkenhead Central Library and Chase Heys Home for the Elderly, while Worcester City Council will receive £90,000 to upgrade the King George V Community Centre, which is used for employability training and youth activities, with new heat pumps, solar panels and double glazing.
Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “Today we are providing even more support for Britain’s building, from schools to museums and galleries, helping to rebuild vital public services as part of the Plan for Change.
“This investment will see local communities benefit from our sprint to clean power, with warm public buildings, run more affordably.”...
£800,000 to make rail replacement services more accessible TRANSPORT
£800,000 of government funding will be allocated across four selected projects to improve accessibility on rail replacement coaches for disabled people
The confirmed funding will help to roll out audible and visible information for passengers onboard coach services, which are not always standard or available on coach rail replacement services, even though they might be on trains. This means that some passengers, especially those with visual and cognitive impairments, are left without the support they need to travel confidently and independently.
The four projects that were awarded funding were selected following an Innovate UK competition, which combined established solutions with newer technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and a new Bluetooth feature, Auracast, to deliver real-time information in various accessible formats.
These projects are expected to be completed by March 2026.
Local transport minister, Simon Lightwood, said: “There are around 16 million disabled people in the UK and many depend on coach services to get around. It’s vital that these services provide clear, accessible information for everyone, particularly on rail replacement journeys where the route and stops can change.
“To help rail replacement coach operators make this transition smoothly, we are providing £800,000 of funding as part of the government’s Plan for Change to explore technology that helps all passengers, regardless of their needs, travel...
More top news stories from www.governmenttechnology.co.uk
AI & data helping to map England’s peatlands:
READ MORE
NHS App cutting 12 million paper letters:
READ MORE
Funding boost for high-tech house upgrades for older people: READ MORE
DfE supports guidelines in AI for education: READ MORE
Funding to encourage girls to study advanced maths and boost access to AI careers:
READ MORE
£157m to connect rural Scotland to gigabit
broadband: READ MORE
Clean energy fund opens for applications: READ MORE
“Humphrey” AI tool reviews responses to consultation AI
The government-developed AI tool Humphrey has been used for the first time to review public responses to a consultation.
The AI tool ‘Consult’ was first used on a live consultation by the Scottish Government when it was seeking views on how to regulate nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.
Consult was built by the UK government as part of the Humphrey suite. It is now set to be used across departments in a bid to cut down the millions of pounds spent on the current process, which often includes outsourcing analysis to contractors.
Consult reviews comments from over 2,000 consultation responses using generative AI and was able to identify key themes that feedback fell into across each of six qualitative questions. The these were checked and refined by experts in the Scottish Government and the AI tool then sorted individual responses into themes and gave officials more time to delve into the detail and evaluate the policy implications of feedback received...
Energy and data security infrastructure news
Carrousel Digital releases their POC app for offline payment, a scheme for data transmission using entangled photons and a 100 per cent efficient fuel cell
100 per cent efficient fuel cell
The efficiency of solid oxide fuel cells, a type of hydrogen fuel cells that converts hydrogen into electricity, can be improved from 60 per cent to 100 per cent by recovering the heat it releases. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operate at 850°C, while a series of endothermic chemical reactions can generate hydrogen out of water at lower temperatures. Heat pumps that consume part of the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell are used to cool down the water released from the fuel cell while providing heat to one of the endothermic reactions, enabling full energy conversion.
Other heat pumps can also be used to provide more energy from the ambient heat to the endothermic reactions temperature: raising the temperature from 20°C to 120°C, for example, costs about 54 per cent of the heat released, while 100 per cent of the pumped heat can be converted to electricity.
Data security
We are trying to address the problem aroused by quantum computers and large super-computers that are threatening existing digital security infrastructure. The weakness of data security infrastructure comes from the fact that computer facilities could break the encryption keys used in our IT systems, for communication and websites security as well as software updates.
Our two main schemes allow, for one secure signatures, for the other one secure data transport. Those schemes are made available through licensing.
The safe signatures scheme shall embed a random number in the e-document to be certified, allowing for its signature with a onetime keys i.e. a secret used only once and that cannot be recomputed, one-time key-encryption being an encryption method proved to be quantum safe.
The safe data transmission scheme uses entangled photon pairs to transport the information, coding many bits on each photon and making sure the photons have not been copied or hijacked during transportation. Contrarily to QKD our scheme transports the data, instead of just distrusting encryption keys.
App for e-cash
We have created two proof of concept apps, one transmitting images secured by our quantum safe signature, and one for transferring prepaid cash from app to app, using NFC. The apps are securing the data transfers by our quantum safe signature scheme and one is implementing an offline payment scheme described in one of our patents called: “Method and system for performing a secure data exchange”. These two apps have been realised for android. We have also patented a geolocation method using fixed antennas and hyperbolic calculations.
Our schemes are fully patented and can be being licensed out. Interested parties should contact us. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
carrouseldigital.com m-cr.fr
From plan to action: how the UK can be a world leader in ai –a techUK perspective
The UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan marks a pivotal step toward making the country a global AI leader. In this article, Sue Daley OBE, director of tech and innovation, techUK explores how governmentindustry collaboration, infrastructure investment, skills development, and widespread AI adoption can turn ambition into impact
The UK Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, published in January of this year, represents a crucial moment in our national approach to artificial intelligence. By accepting the recommendations made by Matt Clifford, the UK Government has signalled its intent to put AI at the heart of its vision for public services reform and economic growth. The success of the AI Opportunities Action Plan will ultimately depend on putting the plan into action and a close partnership with businesses, particularly those working in the technology industry.
techUK, as the technology trade association representing the sector, strongly supports the intentions of the government’s plans and we have set out the actions that we believe are critical to its success.
Building the foundations for AI success
The emphasis on upgrading the UK’s compute and data infrastructure in the Action Plan is particularly welcome. The commitment to set out a long-term plan for the UK’s AI infrastructure needs, backed by a 10-year investment commitment, demonstrates the seriousness with which the government is approaching this challenge. Similarly, the plans to increase compute capacity, expand data centre availability, and create AI Growth Zones represent significant steps forward. However, to make progress at the pace required, industry involvement from the outset is critical. Close collaboration between government and industry will be essential to ensuring that the UK has an effective compute strategy. To that end, the tech sector stands E
F ready to contribute its expertise to help maximise the impact of available resources.
The UK must leverage current resources to their maximum potential by removing barriers to access through initiatives such as AI Research Resource Federation Demonstrator (AIRRFED), a UK initiative launched in March 2024 to streamline access to national AI and highperformance computing resources.
The concept of AI Growth Zones has generated considerable excitement from both industry and local authorities. Secretary of State Peter Kyle’s wish to see physical infrastructure work begin before the end of 2025 is a welcome signal of the government’s commitment. To contribute to the lifespan and long-term success of AI Growth Zones, both local and national governments should consider how it can grow a thriving business cluster once the necessary infrastructure has been built. This will require taking into account the skills and training needs of local people and employers.
Accelerating AI adoption across the economy
If we are to see the true benefits of AI deployment, such as higher productivity,
If we are to see the true benefits of AI deployment, then widespread AI adoption across both the public and private sectors is vital
GDP growth, and greater public services transformation, then widespread AI adoption across both the public and private sectors is vital. The “scan, pilot, scale” approach outlined in the AI Action Plan is a welcome move that can help to achieve this.
Too often, promising technology projects are stranded at the pilot stage and fail to scale.
For this to change, strong leadership from the government to drive adoption by all public sector departments, bodies, and agencies is needed. Given industry’s view of what is not only possible but achievable, particularly in scaling up AI pilots and trials, the tech sector is keen to work with the government to help shape the development of its plans and to create incentives for greater AI adoption in the public sector.
For private sector AI adoption, business leaders must be supported to fully realise the opportunities and tangible value that AI can bring to their organisations. Businesses must be listened to and their concerns understood, for them to overcome adoption barriers. This is where the role of the proposed AI Champions could be impactful, but only if designed and aligned with what private sector users need right now.
Unlocking the potential of data
The value of data is undeniable. According to the UK Data-Driven Market Report, published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in March 2024, data-driven companies generated an estimated £343 billion in annual turnover (6 per cent of UK turnover) in
2023 and contributed £84.9 billion (3.8 per cent of GVA) to the UK economy. (The UK Driven Market, 2024.)
The AI Action Plan introduces a more strategic approach to data, aiming to improve data quality and accessibility – which are both important drivers for the development of AI technologies. The UK Government has announced that it will establish a National Data Library, featuring five high-impact datasets, guidelines for AI training, and incentives for collecting clean, well-structured data. Other initiatives include identifying high-value datasets and aligning public data collection with strategic goals to drive innovation.
Additionally, the government plans to couple compute access with proprietary data to attract researchers. As a result, it will explore the possibility of establishing a copyright-cleared British media asset training set using resources like the BBC and National Archives.
Developing skills and talent for the future workforce
None of this is possible if we don’t have the people with the right skills in the right places. We are not going to develop AI skills by reinventing the wheel, but by leveraging the vast but sometimes fragmented learning resources that are often free, and supporting more people to take up these opportunities. Businesses already offer a wide variety of online and in-person training, from basic digital skills right through to courses on the latest technological developments. We need to find a way to bring these initiatives together and increase the confidence people have investing their time in training opportunities.
We have long maintained that the government should create a second iteration of the Skills Toolkit launched in Spring 2020, enabling people across all areas of society to understand digital job opportunities and access training. Why not build on the great signposting tool that government already has? Many techUK members have courses that have been spotlighted but now the content needs to move beyond basic digital skills towards more advanced, stackable qualifications that lead to workplace-ready capabilities.
To support businesses to offer training, the delivery of a reformed Growth and Skills Levy that prioritises flexibility will be crucial. Employers need to be able to address their workforce skill needs by allowing them to choose the eligible provision most appropriate
To realise this vision, close partnership between government and industry is essential
to them. Equally, people will need to have confidence that these new skills are worth learning, spending time and energy outside of work to upskill and retrain. Skills England should ensure that courses on digital skills and AI funded by the Levy are tied to independently verified accreditation frameworks so that both employers and learners alike know they are getting value for money.
Charting a path forward
The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out an ambitious vision for the UK’s AI future. To realise this vision, close partnership between government and industry is essential. techUK and our members stand ready to support the UK Government in delivering on these commitments.
With the right approach to implementation, the UK can indeed maintain and build on its status as a global AI leader through AIdriven job creation, economic growth, and improvements to the lives and living standards of citizens across all nations and regions. As the representative of the UK’s vibrant tech sector, techUK can play a vital role in this journey, doing our part to help turn this ambitious plan into transformative action. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.techuk.org
Sue Daley OBE, director of tech and innovation, techUK
Nos Communicare Ltd: enabling connected government
Reduce the telecommunications hassle with a holistic, tailored approach for all
At Nos Communicare Ltd, we understand that modern public services demand reliable, secure, and future-ready telecommunications infrastructure. Based in the UK, we specialise in providing public sector organisations with endto-end connectivity and telecoms solutions that support operational excellence and digital transformation.
With over a decade of experience delivering telecoms and network services, we know how to design and implement systems that are robust, scalable and aligned with the unique compliance and procurement needs of the public sector. Whether you are looking to upgrade legacy systems, unify communications across departments, or deploy new connectivity in remote locations, we can help.
Our comprehensive service offering includes:
Connectivity services: leased lines, SIP trunks, MPLS, broadband, MS Teams direct connect call plans, telecoms systems like Hosted VoIP and UC platforms, and on-premise PBX installations and support.
Structured cabling: complete copper and fibre cabling installations for new builds, upgrades or expansions.
What sets us apart is our commitment to independence, flexibility and 24/7/365 support. We are vendor-neutral, meaning we integrate best-in-class technology from leading manufacturers based on what is most suitable for your environment—not tied to any single supplier. This ensures our solutions are both cost-effective and strategically aligned.
Our clients include local authorities, transport operators, education institutions, and healthcare providers. We’re proud to support organisations that serve the public every day— and we understand the importance of reliability, resilience and service continuity. All our work is delivered in line with recognised standards and frameworks, and we maintain a strong commitment to cybersecurity and data integrity.
We provide full lifecycle support—from initial consultation and design, through to implementation, testing, training, and ongoing maintenance. Our UK-based support team ensures you have responsive, expert help when you need it, giving you peace of mind long after installation.
To find out how Nos Communicare Ltd can support your organisation’s communications strategy, infrastructure modernisation or digital goals, visit our website below. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.noscommunicare.com
Outcome-driven public sector communication tools
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From local council teams and government pension providers to NHS practices and housing associations, embracing CFH innovation across digital and physical channels could benefit you in more ways than you might imagine. Think reduced communication costs, time savings, brandnew service efficiencies across teams and even data-driven insights for outbound and inbound communications.
saved an estimated £1.84 million while improving efficiencies across 77 departments.
“CFHsolutionsareperfectforsendingboth individualandbulkmailings,throughaneasy-tomanageprocess”- Operations manager, school admissions team
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Leicester City Council achieve £200,000 postal savings using CFH Docmail
Across the entire organisation, Leicester City Council streamlined their postal communications with Docmail Hybrid Mail, achieving over £200,000 in annual savings. By enabling around 7,000 separate users to send mail directly from their PCs, the council immediately enhanced resident engagement.
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Through physical and digital formats, CFH Managed allows you to achieve the results you require on every channel - overseen by our expert teams.
Service transformation sees 2+ million documents sent by Surrey County Council Surrey County Council’s adoption of CFH Managed allowed over 1,100 users across departments to print and post remotely with minimal fuss. From the transport and parking teams to children’s services, pensions and more, the council have
Our CFH Inbound mail solution positions us as your dedicated mailroom partner, receiving, sorting and distributing inbound documents through a seamless workflow.
Simple inbound solution remains key for Wiltshire Pension Fund
Managing communications for over 85,000 scheme members, Wiltshire Pension Fund adopted CFH Inbound as their digital mailroom solution. Previously handling inbound documents manually, the team needed a more efficient and secure solution to suit hybrid working. CFH Inbound streamlines their process by digitising incoming mail.
“CFHInboundisagreatalternativetomanually scanningandstoringdocuments.Itreally simplifiesourprocessandmeansonelesstimeconsumingtaskforourteam” - Pension fund operations manager M
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To find out how CFH can support you with your print and post requirements, with our leading hybrid mail platform visit: cfh.com/govtech
How AI can tackle damp and mould before it appears
Sam Dugmore, systems development and support manager at Wolverhampton Homes, explains how AI has helped Wolverhampton Homes to spot properties at greatest risk of damp and mould to help keep residents safe
One of the most persistent challenges facing housing providers today is responding quickly to issues such as damp and mould. These aren’t new problems for social landlords, but expectations are changing around how and when they are addressed.
Awaab’s Law has led to new guidance from the Housing Ombudsman, which means housing teams must be more responsive to residents’ concerns about the state of their homes. This includes the directive to reduce damp and mould risk to better protect people’s health. These new developments could see tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) start to prove their worth in the housing sector. By helping housing providers to understand where the risk of damp and mould is highest, AI can support smarter decisions on where, when and how to act to deliver safer homes, faster repairs and better outcomes for residents.
At Wolverhampton Homes, we’ve been exploring how AI can be used to help us anticipate issues with damp and mould before they emerge. This has been a game changer for us, as AI has allowed us to predict damp and mould with up to 98 per cent accuracy in about two-thirds of the 21,000 homes we used to test the technology.
Since then, we’ve improved the way we manage damp and mould risk and gained some great insights into what’s causing these problems in the first place. This has helped us reshape the way we plan and deliver our housing services.
A smarter way to spot the signs
As the demand for social housing keeps growing, the traditional ways of identifying damp and mould such as regular inspections or monitoring residents’ complaints, won’t be E
F enough to help landlords stay one step ahead of developing problems. We are working to prevent issues in the first place and AI has been a key part of this.
In a pilot project with NEC Housing , we’ve used AI technology to cross-reference data such as the age of housing stock ventilation levels and repair histories, with local geographical and weather information to build a risk index for damp and mould in our homes. For example, a 1960s flat in a humid area with historical damp and mould issues would likely be flagged as a high risk, even if no recent complaint has come in. This insight has allowed us to schedule inspections and maintenance in homes on the at-risk list before issues arise, which prevents more serious damage or significant repairs that are often disruptive for residents.
Faster responses, better data
We noticed that when the information going into the AI tool was out of date or incomplete, the accuracy of the predictions fell from 98 per cent to 70 per cent. To help close that gap, our housing officers and customer services colleagues now treat accurate record-keeping as a key part of their roles. If a housing officer spots condensation or learns that a resident has developed breathing issues while out on a visit, they can add this new information to our
housing system straight away. This also updates the property’s risk score for damp and mould in real time, which can automatically move a home up the priority list.
Planning for the long term
Beyond just handling day-to-day repairs, AI will help us to make more informed, longterm investment decisions on our properties. By analysing data across all our properties, we could see patterns we might otherwise have missed such as certain types of homes or specific areas within the city that have persisting mould problems.
Using this model we have been able to predict (with a high degree of accuracy) and identify high priority cases within our stock. This data will in future support Wolverhampton Homes in managing our programmes of work and carrying out any required upgrades and retrofit to our properties, allowing us to look more closely at the design of homes as a result. Instead of relying on occasional surveys or anecdotal evidence from our housing officers,
Beyond just handling day-today repairs, AI will help us to make more informed, longterm investment decisions on our properties
we now have a clearer view of where investment is needed backed by data.
Putting residents first
The real value of AI isn’t just in operational efficiency. It’s in the impact on residents’ lives. Residents are now getting their issues resolved faster, face fewer repeat problems, and experience less disruption. When homes are in good repair, they contribute to good health, especially for children, older adults, and people with respiratory conditions and other vulnerabilities. Plus, if we notice changes in residents’ behaviour, such as a resident that suddenly starts using less heating, we can reach out to see if they’re struggling with rising costs and may be able to offer some financial support if needed. The preventative measures we’ve been able to put in place have enabled us to play our part in protecting our residents’ health and wellbeing.
Making it work: challenges and lessons
The introduction of AI across the social housing sector may not be without its hurdles. Any data fed into the tool will need to be cleaned and kept up to date. Colleagues may have to adapt to new ways of working too, but our trial has shown that the outcomes can be worth it. We’ve managed these challenges through a phased rollout of AI, colleague training and having individual AI champions in our teams to support the change.
As local authorities and housing providers continue to modernise, AI has the potential to drive lasting change
While still in its infancy, our use of AI has already prompted us to look at how the technology can be used in other areas of housing, such as to monitor energy efficiency in residents’ homes, improve supply chain planning and cut carbon emissions with property retrofits.
A better way to build
As local authorities and housing providers continue to modernise, AI has the potential to drive lasting change, not just as an innovative piece of technology, but as a catalyst for successful digital transformation. With increasing housing demands, tighter regulations and limited budgets, housing providers will continually need to do more with less.
By turning data into insight with AI, the sector can move away from reacting to problems and prevent them altogether. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk
Transforming Britain’s geospatial future: inside Ordnance Survey’s digital evolution
Can you provide an insight into the key milestones in OS’s recent digital transformation journey?
Our digital transformation journey stretches back more than five years. Within this timeframe, Ordnance Survey (OS) took the opportunity to totally redesign our data because customers
Manish Jethwa, CTO of Ordnance Survey (OS), shares how the national mapping agency has redefined its digital infrastructure through cloud innovation, AI integration, and a commitment to ethical data practices. From launching the OS National Geographic Database to pioneering machine learning at scale, OS is setting a new standard for public sector agility and geospatial intelligence were asking for faster and easier access. This led to the launch of the OS National Geographic Database (OS NGD), ensuring higher levels of usability, personalisation, and rich attribution. This marked a significant milestone as this was the biggest step change in access to OS data since the launch of OS MasterMap in 2001.
We are fortunate to have our own data centre at Explorer House, complemented by cloud providers such as Microsoft’s Azure. This combination offers flexibility in data storage, ensuring resiliency, high availability, and data bandwidth for processing and updating the OS NGD. By leveraging both on-premises and cloud-based data centres, we can efficiently manage the vast amounts of geospatial data we collect, around 20,000 changes every day.
Today, digital transformation is seen as a continuous improvement cycle that leverages the latest technological advancements to enhance business processes. It’s more about ongoing evolution than a one-time transformation, focusing on staying competitive and adaptable in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
At OS, we are continually investing in both data enhancements and access methods, while some of our data products are released every six months, we are pushing for continuous integration and delivery internally. There is a thirst for accurate and trusted data, which is critical for enhancing public services as it provides the context needed to transform raw data into actionable insights.
OS is one of the most agile government bodies, applying critical technologies that can make a real difference to public services. As part of the trusted digital infrastructure of the country, we translate our changing world into
There is a thirst for accurate and trusted data
data systems that underpin our economy and communities. By providing our customers with faster and easier access to our data through AI technologies and digital tools, we can streamline processes, support AI innovation, and drive economic growth.
How is OS leveraging AI and machine learning technologies to process and analyse geospatial data?
We use both Computer Vision (CV) and Machine Learning (ML) primarily for data processing, extracting, and analysing features in collected imagery. These advanced technologies enable us to automate the identification and classification of various geographic features, such as buildings, roads, and natural landscapes. By integrating CV and ML into our workflows, we can update the OS NGD more frequently and share changes quickly with customers, ensuring our data remains current. This automation not only improves the efficiency of our data processing but also enhances the accuracy and consistency of the information we provide. As a result, our customers benefit from up-to-date and reliable geospatial data that supports a wide range of applications.
The adoption of AI has increased energy demands for training foundational models in analytics and automation. This trend is likely to continue, but we hope to mitigate it through E
OS has also created its Responsible
AI
charter to be mindful of the pitfalls
when implementing new techniques
F more generalised models supporting various downstream applications. As data centres evolve, they will play a crucial role in enabling real-time analytics, autonomous systems, and other emerging trends in geospatial data. By leveraging advanced data centre technologies, we can enhance our ability to process and analyse large volumes of data quickly and efficiently. The integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) with more elaborate agents will simplify and enhance the way industries approach problem-solving and decisionmaking.
With the increasing integration of AI in geospatial technologies, what ethical considerations does OS prioritise, and how are these addressed in your AI deployment strategies?
Our commitment to sustainability extends to all aspects of our operations, including data centre management. By implementing energyefficient technologies and practices, we aim to minimise our carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. Additionally, we collaborate with our data centre partners to ensure their facilities adhere to high environmental standards. This holistic approach to sustainability helps us meet the growing demand for geospatial data while reducing our impact on the environment.
We consider the ethical implications of data as it moves within our value chain, ensuring that the data is sourced, refined and distributed. To support this, we’ve defined an OS Responsible AI Charter, based on the Locus Charter, to ensure the ethical and responsible development and deployment of AI technologies. By adhering to the principles outlined in the charter, we seek to promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in AI practices, ensuring that all stakeholders, especially vulnerable groups, are considered and protected.
We constantly evaluate and adapt this process to maintain the reliability and accuracy our customers expect. By incorporating feedback from users and leveraging advanced
technologies like ML, we can continuously improve our validation methods. OS has also created its Responsible AI charter to be mindful of the pitfalls when implementing new techniques, ensuring data privacy, security, and mitigating biases in AI models.
How does OS approach the challenges associated with continuous technological advancements, and what strategies are in place to ensure that both technology infrastructure and workforce adapt effectively?
We are one of the very few organisations that have already deployed CV and ML techniques to explore performing the heavy lifting of feature extraction on images to cover a national scale. Last year was the first time we productionised the workflow to deliver a national dataset to the market and the first time we used ML in that workflow. More of this will happen going forward, to drive currency and more accurate data, and variation in datasets.
The biggest challenges are often encountered at the intersection of data infrastructure and investment in AI. As Generative AI tools continue to develop and proliferate, there is immense pressure to adopt these tools quickly. However, this must be balanced with the need to understand their impact on data management to ensure secure, responsible usage and protection of intellectual property. Overcoming these challenges involves phased implementation, continuous monitoring, and collaboration with cybersecurity and legal
experts to maintain a secure and efficient data infrastructure while integrating AI technologies.
We are fortunate within OS that we have an internal Change Management team that ensures our teams are equipped as we progress on our digital transformation journey. To manage the specific implications of AI tooling in any process change, we have included upskilling as a key component of our AI strategy to ensure we manage the impact and risks prior to adoption. Successful transformations rely on a clear vision of future goals, effective communication of progress, and celebrating milestones to sustain momentum.
Can you share examples of how OS collaborates with other organisations in the public sector to drive innovation?
OS collaborates with various public sector organisations to drive innovation through several key initiatives. A notable example is the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), which has significantly improved the use of geospatial data across government and organisations, supporting applications like urban planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster management.
We’ve also adapted our data centre strategy by partnering with leading technology providers, enhancing data storage and processing capabilities. This collaboration further enhances our commitment to sustainability by implementing energy-efficient technologies and working with data centre partners to meet high
OS collaborates with various public sector organisations to drive innovation through several key initiatives
We support innovation through Geovation, an OS initiative in association with the HM Land Registry (HMLR), that helps geospatial, and property start-ups grow via an Accelerator Programme, Innovation Challenges, and a thriving community. This programme fosters collaboration and drives technological advancements in the geospatial sector.
At OS, we value the importance of crosscollaboration with SMEs, policymakers, and industry partners to drive economic growth and guide effective decision-making based on reliable data and insights. OS is now part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) which recognises the importance of geospatial datasets in linking key public sector datasets, unlocking efficiencies, and creating economic value. By embedding addressing data and enhancing customer support, we align with DSIT priorities, aiming to improve citizen experiences and service delivery. M
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Download Your FREE Digital Reset Toolkit
Your digital transformation can stall for many reasons, from securing funding and proving ROI to overcoming resistance to change.
With us you’ll move forward with confidence. Whether it’s building a strong business case to unlock investment or taking a people-first approach to implementing future-ready systems, we support every step of your journey.
The bigger picture—it’s not just legacy IT holding you back
MDB Service Consulting embraces modernity by helping public sector organisations unlock productvity, digitisation, and data-savvy solutions
We already know how essential IT systems are to councils—powering over 800 critical services from housing and benefits to waste collection and social care. But if your systems are more than a decade old, you’re not alone. And like many councils, you’re being asked to do more with less.
Many local authorities are still reliant on legacy technology that simply wasn’t built for today’s digital expectations. But the real barriers to progress go beyond outdated systems.
Locked-in and locked-out
Long-term contracts with large suppliers often offer little flexibility. These vendors may have no real incentive to innovate, leaving you stuck with rigid systems that can’t scale or integrate. Even small changes feel like uphill battles, and modernisation stalls before it really starts.
Fragmentation creates frustration
Disjointed systems across departments lead to data silos and operational blind spots. When 59 per cent of councils say they don’t have a single, accurate source of truth, it’s clear why key decisions—from budget planning to service improvement—become harder than they should be.
Manual processes add to the drag
While there’s widespread support for digital transformation in principle, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Many councils still rely on manual workflows to handle service requests, case management and approvals. These outdated processes slow response times, increase costs, and frustrate both staff and residents.
No budget, no buy-in
Even when transformation is a clear priority, funding is limited. Only 39 per cent of councils currently have a dedicated digital transformation budget. Without a compelling business case that demonstrates ROI for communities, securing internal buy-in can be tough.
Rethink what’s possible
The real opportunity lies in thinking beyond “tech replacement.” It’s about creating a connected, data-informed, user-friendly service model.
So, what could digital transformation look like for your council? Automated workflows to reduce delays; self-service portals that empower residents; AI-powered insights to fix issues before they escalate; and real-time data for smarter budgeting and service planning.
With modern, low-code platforms such as ServiceNow, you can integrate systems, automate workflows and deliver faster, smarter public services, without a full-scale overhaul.
MDB Service Consulting helps public sector organisations create solid business cases that untangle complexity and unlock progress. We specialise in modernising legacy systems, breaking down silos, and driving real transformation—all within the pressures of public sector budgets. Let’s move your digital ambitions forward. Modernise faster. Serve better. Spend smarter. M
Addressing digital poverty in UK schools: a strategic approach
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, outlines a strategic approach to tackling digital exclusion in schools, calling for coordinated policy, infrastructure investment, and a curriculum that empowers all learners to thrive in a digital world
The modern classroom increasingly relies on digital infrastructure – not as a supplement, but as a foundation for teaching, learning, and participation. Yet for many pupils in the UK, this foundation remains out of reach. Digital poverty is not a peripheral issue. It is a structural challenge that determines who can engage fully with the curriculum and who is left behind. These disparities are underscored by data. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, around 6 per cent of UK households still lack
reliable internet access. The Sutton Trust found in its study on remote learning that nearly one in five pupils from low-income families lacked regular access to a suitable device for learning, compared to just 3 per cent of their more affluent peers. These inequalities are systemic, and without sustained intervention, they risk becoming entrenched. The absence of home connectivity and digital tools hinders not only students’ ability to complete assignments but also their broader digital skill development,
affecting future employability and civic participation.
Published in February 2025, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s ‘Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps’ outlines the UK Government’s initial commitments to addressing digital exclusion. While it does not contain education-specific interventions, it introduces five immediate actions – including support for local initiatives, enhancing digital skills, piloting device donation schemes, improving accessibility of government services, and gathering evidence to understand what works. These priorities offer a valuable foundation upon which schools and local authorities can build. Aligning local efforts with this national direction reinforces the vital role that education plays in the UK’s ambition to ensure equitable access to the digital world.
Support
To capitalise on this opportunity, schools need both strategic clarity and operational support. Local authorities and multi-academy trusts should be encouraged to develop digital inclusion policies aligned with national guidance. These should include clear criteria for identifying digital exclusion, plans for technology provision, and pathways for upskilling educators. National coordination could enable bulk purchasing of devices and
Embedding
digital
literacy
across the curriculum is key to long-term inclusion
subsidised broadband, reducing costs and standardising provision. These investments, when paired with effective delivery mechanisms, ensure that no child is left behind due to preventable digital barriers.
Digital inclusion intersects with broader aspects of student welfare. Increasingly, pastoral support services rely on digital platforms to reach students and their families. Schools with strong digital infrastructures are better placed to monitor attendance, share resources with parents, and provide mental health support. Digital inclusion is therefore not just a pedagogical concern – it is a prerequisite for the full spectrum of school support. Where access is limited, gaps in wellbeing provision can widen, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable children.
Digital literacy
Embedding digital literacy across the curriculum is key to long-term inclusion. This means not only teaching digital skills in Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education or Computing, but integrating media literacy, online critical thinking, and foundational understanding of artificial intelligence into core subjects. Bridging the digital divide demands more than access – it demands confidence and competence among students and staff. A digitally fluent pupil is better prepared to interpret, question, and engage with the online world in all its complexity.
In English, pupils can explore the ethical implications of AI-generated content. In science, they might work with data analysis tools. In citizenship, they could investigate the social consequences of algorithmic bias and misinformation. Embedding digital literacy in this way builds critical thinking and resilience, helping students navigate an increasingly complex digital world. Moreover, it promotes cross-curricular links, enriching students’ understanding through real-world application.
The role of teachers
Teachers play a pivotal role in this transformation. According to research by the British Educational Suppliers Association, E
F the most effective digital strategies combine investment in devices with sustained professional development. Teachers must feel equipped not only to use technology effectively, but to integrate it meaningfully into their pedagogy. Professional learning communities can support this by offering forums for reflection, collaboration, and knowledgesharing. When educators are empowered, their students benefit.
Professional development must also be inclusive. It should accommodate educators in under-resourced schools who may face greater barriers to participation. Centralised support –from virtual training platforms to Department for Education-backed programmes – can ensure that no teacher is left behind in the national effort to advance digital capability. Providing teachers with consistent access to digital resources and timely guidance empowers them to innovate in the classroom and adapt to emerging technologies with confidence. Tailored training pathways that align with each school’s context can help bridge practice gaps and nurture digital leadership across the profession.
Resources
To ensure resources reach the pupils who need them most, measurement must be improved. A school-level benchmark for digital poverty – defined by whether students have access to a personal keyboarded device and fixed internet at home – would help schools to target interventions. Recent guidance from the Department for Education reinforces the need for robust infrastructure audits, supported by a £45 million investment to improve school connectivity, including £25 million for wireless networks and £20 million for fibre upgrades. These efforts are further supported by the DfE’s consultation on digital and technology standards in schools and colleges, aimed at narrowing the digital divide through consistent national frameworks and expectations. Such metrics provide decision-makers with a clear picture of where needs are concentrated and how best to respond.
Understanding digital exclusion also requires recognising its entanglement with other forms of disadvantage
Understanding digital exclusion also requires recognising its entanglement with other forms of disadvantage. Pupils facing housing insecurity, language barriers, or additional needs are often those most at risk. Schools that take an intersectional approach are better positioned to offer effective, tailored support. At a systems level, this also creates a stronger evidence base to inform national policy. This data-driven approach allows for more nuanced interventions, where resource allocation is tailored to local challenges and school-specific conditions. Holistic strategies that account for digital and social inequalities in tandem are more likely to succeed.
Collaboration
Schools should also build partnerships beyond the classroom. As noted in the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report Digital exclusion in the UK, collaborative approaches between schools, local authorities, and voluntary organisations are more sustainable and impactful. In rural or economically deprived communities, local coordination can mean the difference between access and exclusion. Engagement with families further strengthens these initiatives,
Moving media literacy out of
optional modules and embedding it systematically across the curriculum ensures that every child is prepared for digital citizenship
promoting trust and holistic development. Effective partnership working draws on local knowledge, creating networks of support that are embedded in community realities. These networks also enhance a school’s ability to respond rapidly during crises – such as the COVID-19 pandemic – when remote learning becomes a necessity rather than an option. A national programme of media literacy would further support these goals. Taught within mainstream, mandatory subjects, such a programme would equip all pupils to navigate digital spaces with discernment and confidence. In an era of misinformation, algorithmic influence, and AI-generated content, this is not just about digital competence – it is a civic imperative. Moving media literacy out of optional modules and embedding it
systematically across the curriculum ensures that every child is prepared for digital citizenship.
The pace of technological change demands forward-thinking from the education sector. Cloud platforms, AI tools, and immersive environments are increasingly part of the learning landscape. Schools must prepare students not only to use these technologies, but to understand their implications. This requires both policy foresight and inclusive planning. Ensuring equitable access to future technologies must be a matter of strategic priority, not reactive policy.
Digital poverty in schools is not a marginal concern – it is central to educational equity. By embedding digital skills in the curriculum, investing in staff development, measuring access accurately, and building cross-sector partnerships, schools can realise the promise of inclusion. Through strategic alignment with frameworks like DSIT’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the UK can create an education system where every learner, regardless of background, has the opportunity to thrive. M
Set up of organisational units and group policies in accordance with your needs
Deploying the applications, bookmarks and settings your users need to perform
Conversion of existing hardware to ChromeOS Flex (or config and deployment of new devices)
Two days of training, tailored to suit your staff’s skill levels and schedule
Digital inclusion initiatives flying high with ChromeOS Flex
Getech highlights the impacts of innovative solutions to the digital divide
For those working across the UK’s public sector, the challenge of digital inclusion is a familiar one. In an increasingly digitised society, ensuring equitable access to technology isn’t merely a matter of social responsibility; it’s fundamental to building informed, engaged and empowered communities.
However, delivering on this imperative often clashes with the realities of tight budgets and existing complex IT infrastructure, making it harder to scale efficiently and reducing overall impact.
The digital divide manifests in various ways, creating barriers to essential services and opportunities. Dr. Jill Matterface, education and training specialist for the RAF, recently highlighted a stark reality: a significant 27 per cent of cadets from disadvantaged backgrounds lacked the technology necessary to fully participate in the programme.
This lack of access not only creates inequity but can also lead to self-exclusion, hindering the development of young people and limiting their potential as well as affecting access to healthcare, employment opportunities and essential public services that are increasingly moving online.
Google’s ChromeOS Flex
Fortunately, innovative solutions are emerging to help the public sector tackle this challenge head-on. Google’s ChromeOS Flex, a cloudfirst, fast, easy-to-manage and secure operating system, can be used to revitalise ageing Windows and MacOS hardware. This presents a sustainable and cost-effective pathway for organisations to implement impactful digital inclusion programmes at speed. The Royal Air Force Air Cadets were able to deploy ChromeOS Flex on donated devices in only eight minutes, which are now empowering disadvantaged cadets, fostering inclusion and enhancing their engagement.
Digital inclusion
ChromeOS Flex, managed through the Google Admin console, directly addresses the challenges of scaling digital inclusion initiatives while streamlining IT management. Kirklees Council, for instance, had previously deployed 200 Windows devices in 25 libraries to provide IT access to residents who needed to get online, but the solution consumed 40 hours of IT work per week. By leveraging ChromeOS Flex, they were able to scale their efforts to 1,500 devices, which are now being managed at a fraction of the time and expense.
Beyond immediate solutions, ChromeOS Flex offers a strategic advantage: long-term digital inclusion. The cloud-first nature of ChromeOS Flex allows public sector organisations to adapt more readily to evolving technological landscapes.
Automatic updates and process sandboxing features ensure devices remain secure without the need for additional, expensive antivirus software. ChromeOS has never been hacked, which relieves another headache for IT admins who are conscious about the safety of their users and data.
Getech, a Crown Commercial Services and NHS Link 3 approved supplier and Google’s #1 Premier Partner in the UK and Ireland, in collaboration with ChromeOS, has unlocked funding for Local Authorities and NHS Trusts to undertake a managed proof of concept that will alleviate your pain points and deliver a sustainable, costeffective solution to digital exclusion that drives real impact in the communities you serve.
Software quality as the backbone of citizen-centric services: lessons from the Social Security Programme
Scotland’s Social Security Programme is redefining how public services are delivered at scale. By putting software quality at the heart of its strategy, the initiative has built citizen trust, delivered critical benefits on time and on budget, and set a new standard for government transformation
Delivering citizen-centric services at scale is a monumental challenge, but it’s one that Social Security Scotland has tackled with an ambitious and highly impactful programme. As part of the devolution process, the Social Security Directorate was formed to manage adult disability and low-income benefit payments, taking over responsibilities previously held by the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). With £6 billion in annual payments affecting nearly 2 million citizens, one-third of Scotland’s population, the stakes were high.
The challenge: a new model for public service delivery
In 2018, the Social Security Programme embarked on a mission to deliver 17 major benefits through a newly built system, adhering to the GDS service standard. The programme aimed to create an inclusive, efficient, and reliable system to serve Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens. However, the scale of the task was daunting because of complexity (17 benefits, £6 billion in annual payments); high stakes (a failed or delayed rollout could impact citizens’ lives, erode trust, and escalate costs); fragmentation (the programme involved multiple software vendors, technologies, and silos of operation); and limited capabilities (the directorate began with minimal in-house expertise).
Recognising these challenges, a robust focus on software quality was key to ensure both programme success and public confidence. Elizabeth Sloan, service owner for data, release management and SPM design at the Scottish Government said: “It was a flagship initiative in terms of establishing the Scottish Government as a capable entity in its own right. There was no delivery package or systems we could leverage or reuse. It was truly about establishing a new way of working, the systems that were developed, and the processes – everything had to be created from scratch.”
Defining software quality in practice
David Lynn, head of client executives at 2i, a technology delivery partner in the programme, recently reflected on the project’s guiding
philosophy, emphasising that, “software quality isn’t merely about functionality. It’s about meeting the needs of users – citizens and operators alike. Key considerations included performance, data protection, accessibility, and scalability”.
2i’s Jamie Gagnon, who was directly involved in supporting the delivery of the programme, added that “quality extends beyond technology to the culture of accountability, inclusivity, and collaboration among all stakeholders.”
“Quality starts at the very first decision point,” Gagnon explained, “from understanding who the beneficiaries are to ensuring every interaction with the system is seamless.”
Elizabeth continues: “We are delivering lifesaving support to some of the most vulnerable citizens in Scotland, which can make a huge difference to their lives. It is essential that we get these services accurate and correct from a backend perspective. Our key tenets are dignity, fairness, and respect – both in terms of the services we provide to those citizens and how we treat ourselves and our partners as we deliver those services.”
A strategy rooted in collaboration
To manage complexity and break down silos, the 2i team helped Social Security Scotland to develop a rigorous test strategy underpinned by transparency and communication. This approach included: agility (a feedback loop with stakeholders allowed continuous refinement); standardisation (common quality gates ensured consistency across vendors while respecting their operational nuances); and cultural alignment; (mutual respect and a commitment to shared goals fostered collaboration, minimising defensive reactions to challenges like defect management).
These practices not only mitigated risks but also created an environment conducive to innovation.
“Psychological safety is critical,” David noted. “It allows teams to experiment, test, and improve without fear, driving innovation forward.”
“We had to develop and mature our methodology as an organisation. As a result, the maturity and knowledge of our team also grew. Working with partners like 2i has helped us set the roadmap for that maturity journey and they have brought in expertise that we are utilising, says Elizabeth.
Delivering results: on time and on budget
To date, the programme has successfully delivered 15 out of 17 benefits, with the remaining two on track for completion. The initiative stands as a model for public sector transformation, proving
The initiative stands as a model for public sector transformation
that large-scale projects can meet ambitious goals when built on the pillars of quality and trust.
Key enablers of success included: stakeholder buy-in (strong support from Social Security Scotland and external partners); test data management (innovations like time travel testing ensured every scenario was rigorously evaluated; and transparency (open communication allowed issues to be addressed collaboratively, avoiding costly delays or escalations).
Elizabeth comments: “We have built 15 standalone benefits. We wouldn’t have been able to do that without first laying the foundations with 2i. This common-sense approach has led to a very agile way of working. We realised value within that lifecycle as early as sensibly possible, and now we are building complexity as we go.”
Building a blueprint for the future
The Social Security Scotland project demonstrates that software quality is not a technical checkbox but a strategic enabler of public trust and confidence. The processes and principles established here provide a replicable model for other public sector programmes.
“This isn’t just about delivering a system,” David concluded. “It’s about building confidence in public sector innovation, showing that transformation is not only possible but sustainable.”
“It is a highly successful programme. We have built a Centre of Excellence,” explains Elizabeth.
“Change professionals, who didn’t exist before, are now part of the Scottish Government’s core capabilities, and they are already influencing other programmes as they mobilise. We’re developing training programmes and career pathways for specialist skillsets that didn’t exist before. We’re starting to see the softer side of that legacy becoming valuable.”
As governments worldwide tackle the dual pressures of rising expectations and resource constraints, the lessons from the Social Security Programme offer valuable insights. By prioritising quality, collaboration, and innovation, public sector organisations can achieve impactful outcomes for their citizens. M
We thrive on innovation, strategic thinking, and cutting-edge problem-solving. By harnessing the latest technologies, industry best practices, and forward-thinking methodologies, we tackle the most complex transformations, empowering organisations to stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital landscape Our services include
Unlocking efficiency and innovation in Public sector IT
Valuecom offers scalable, resilient, and efficient IT solutions for public sector IT operations
Public sector IT leaders operate in an increasingly complex environment, facing challenges such as legacy infrastructure constraints, cyber security threats, and budget pressures while striving to meet evolving service expectations. The demand for secure, modern, and efficient digital services has never been greater, yet achieving this while maintaining compliance and resilience presents significant hurdles.
Valuecom works alongside public sector organisations to simplify complexity, enhance service delivery, and drive digital transformation. Through strategic advisory services, modernisation initiatives, and structured program execution, they ensure IT systems remain secure, scalable, and optimised for the future.
Supporting public sector IT
A well-defined IT strategy is essential for government organisations looking to futureproof their digital infrastructure. Valuecom helps align technology investments with policy objectives, creating agile systems that can adapt to change. Cyber security remains a top priority, and Valuecom embeds Zero Trust principles, secures sensitive data, and ensures regulatory compliance to reduce risk and strengthen resilience.
Cloud and data centre modernisation play a pivotal role in increasing efficiency and flexibility. By designing hybrid and multi-cloud
environments, Valuecom empowers public sector organisations to scale and adapt while maintaining operational continuity. Effective IT transformation also depends on structured governance, and Valuecom ensures projects stay on track, within budget, and aligned with strategic objectives.
Maximising efficiency
Optimising IT spending is another key challenge. Valuecom streamlines sourcing and supplier management, consolidating vendor relationships to improve service delivery and cost efficiency. Additionally, they support organisations in reshaping IT operating models, enabling teams to work more effectively and deliver future-ready services. Through CIO, CTO and CISO advisory services, Valuecom provides executive-level guidance, helping IT leaders drive governance, innovation, and transformation.
With deep expertise in public sector IT, Valuecom delivers secure and scalable solutions that drive cost savings, reduce risk, and enhance service excellence. By working collaboratively with IT leaders, they ensure public sector organisations are equipped with the strategies and technologies needed to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Contact Valuecom to explore how they can support your organisation’s digital transformation.
Solving Your Business Puzzles
ESP have been building software since 2002. We have recently joined the CCS Framework (RM6285) and will be using our CORE Software Platform to deliver projects through the framework.
CORE Software is very adaptable and can be altered to deliver software solutions for many different organisations for many different tasks and processes.
Some of our customers use it as a HR tool, others use it to manage Health and Safety or ISO Certifications. It’s also a very capable CRM solution, allowing organisations to capture information about their customers and make smarter decisions based on data.
Back Office Software 2
In February, Crown Commercial Service launched the latest iteration of the agreement for procuring back office software solutions. The Back Office Software 2 agreement includes a new lot to encourage innovation from SMEs
Back Office Software 2 [RM6285] replaces Back Office Software [RM6194] and will provide a route to market for any UK public sector organisation wishing to purchase Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for back office applications, either in the cloud, on-premise or hybrid.
Through the framework, as well as gaining access to a large range of SMEs, customers are able to work directly with large software vendors such as Oracle, SAP, Salesforce, and IBM, enabling competition between them as well, ensuring maximum value for money.
Benefits
Back office software systems provide many benefits, for example, by improving productivity by streamlining administrative tasks, automating repetitive processes, centralising
data access, and enabling better decisionmaking through real-time insights.
It is hoped that through providing a wide range of flexible and innovative software solutions, the new agreement will help to enable civil servants and public sector workers to focus on more strategic work, reducing overall operational inefficiencies across departments.
The agreement will support back office functions including enterprise resource planning (ERP); human capital management (HCM), also known as people resource management; and customer relationship management (CRM).
It will also support finance systems, procurement and sourcing portals; workflow technologies; and content management. Customers can also buy associated services at the same time as software, including E
Let Hitachi Digital Services help you reach your efficiency goals
Hitachi’s mission of contributing to society through advanced technology and solutions puts us in prime position to help UK Public Sector Organisations with their transformation requirements, driving towards the government’s 5% efficiency savings, through long-term partnerships and capability building.
We offer a diverse array of innovative technology solutions tailored to meet the specific needs and desired outcomes of governmental agencies. Specialising in AI and data analytics, Machine Learning, advanced IOT, ERP, Managed Services, and cloud services; we stand out for our unwavering commitment to security, reliability, and innovation.
With a track record of delivering robust and scalable solutions, Hitachi empowers government entities to streamline operations, increase efficiency, enhance data security, and optimise performance, thereby enabling them to better serve the UK public.
We understand the new UK Procurement act and can help organisations navigate the new processes and procedures.
Some of our key customers:
Hitachi Rail Europe
F installation, implementation and configuration of software; consultancy for a range of services including application design, systems architecture and data migration; service desk; cloud, on-premise or hybrid solutions; data handling and validation; and integration.
Lots and suppliers
The framework lists 97 suppliers, 53 per cent of which are SMEs.
The new framework is similar to the previous iteration, but differs by featuring two new distinct lots. The scope of the framework was determined through a series of market engagement sessions.
Lot 1 Enterprise Software will cover the provision of software tools including accounting software, payroll systems, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.
Meanwhile Lot 2 Software specialised solutions will cover the same range of products, while being designed with a provision of software tools including accounting software, payroll systems, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.
Both lots allow the option of procuring through directly awarded contracts or further competition.
The agreement will initially run for a term of 30 months, with the option for extensions up to a further 18 months. A key change compared to the previous iteration is the removal of Call-Off contract length limits to improve flexibility for customers.
The framework features an evaluated pool of key suppliers
The framework offers several benefits. The simple two-lot structure offers a wide range of back-office software capabilities within a single, consolidated framework. It includes fully supported solutions for cloud, on-premise, or hybrid systems, and allows for the purchase of licences along with associated services. The framework features an evaluated pool of key suppliers, enabling customers to benefit from healthy competition, reduce costs, and increase value for money. Lot 2 now has a reduced financial threshold of under £5 million, making it more accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the tender documents have been redesigned to be SME-friendly. Customer protection has also been strengthened, core terms now take precedence over supplier terms in the event of a dispute. Additionally, the use of public sector contracting terms and conditions provides a more flexible, customisable route to market, with no maximum call-off length.
Carbon reduction
All suppliers for this agreement have committed to comply with the Procurement Policy Note 06/21: ‘Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts’ as required. If a supplier is required to publish a carbon reduction plan, this can be on their individual supplier details page.
Philip Orumwense, commercial director and chief technology procurement officer, Crown Commercial Service said: “This new framework provides better value for the nation through the use of cost effective and more efficient back office software solutions, freeing up civil service time to focus on providing services for citizens.
“It is yet another example of how CCS is helping to improve interoperability throughout the public sector by making it easier for organisations to link different back-office computer systems and make better use of real time data whilst enabling the acceleration of modern digital government.” M
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/ RM6285
Industry Insight: Transforming public sector workspaces with advanced display technology
What are the key benefits of using high-quality screens in local government offices and public services?
Today’s top-level screens deliver far more than just visual output. Modern displays function as comprehensive workplace hubs that integrate multiple capabilities into unified solutions.
A recent project we implemented for a local government office highlights this evolution perfectly. We replaced a traditional setup of dual 24-inch monitors, a separate docking station and a standalone webcam with a single 34-inch Philips display. The results were transformative – the solution maintained all dual-screen functionality while introducing KVM switch capability, allowing staff to control two separate systems from one interface. The consolidated approach dramatically reduced cabling requirements, creating cleaner workspaces. Perhaps most impressively, power consumption decreased by approximately
60 per cent – a substantial contribution toward public sector sustainability targets. This combination of functionality and efficiency was achieved while remaining within the customer’s stringent budget constraints, demonstrating that technological advancement and fiscal responsibility can work in tandem.
How can IT departments in the public sector manage and support large numbers of screens efficiently?
The days of “dumb displays” requiring individual configuration are firmly behind us. Philips Smart Management software enables centralised control and monitoring of all network-connected displays, transforming what was once a labour-intensive process into a streamlined operation. This approach delivers numerous operational advantages for resource-constrained public sector IT teams. Philips Smart Control software allows IT staff to change operator settings, restore defaults and ensure all screens are operating at their
most efficient. Technical staff can access critical device information including serial numbers and firmware data, significantly improving asset management. The software also allows for firmware updates when needed, helping IT teams maintain optimal performance across their display infrastructure.
For public sector organisations managing hundreds of displays across multiple locations, these management capabilities translate directly into substantial time and resource savings.
Are there any risks associated with screen use in the public sector, such as cybersecurity or data privacy concerns, and how can these be mitigated?
Security considerations are paramount in the public sector, where displays often serve as visual interfaces to sensitive information systems. We subject all our screens to rigorous security testing across all ports and connection points to ensure compliance with the most stringent requirements.
As threat landscapes evolve, so too must security measures. We’re currently developing certified accreditation for specific monitor models designed for deployment in particularly sensitive environments. This initiative will provide additional assurance to public sector customers regarding the security integrity of display solutions.
Modern displays incorporate multiple connection types and increasingly sophisticated firmware. Our security-by-design approach ensures that protection is built into products from inception rather than added as an afterthought, aligning with public sector data protection obligations and security protocols.
What should public sector organisations consider when procuring computer monitors?
Public sector procurement teams often default to like-for-like replacement strategies, replicating existing setups without exploring potential alternatives. This approach, while seeming to minimise disruption, frequently misses opportunities for significant operational improvement and cost efficiency.
Our specialist teams work with public sector organisations to showcase alternative solutions that can transform workspace productivity. The extensive range of ultrawide and superwide screens now available can effectively replace dual or even triple screen configurations while introducing additional benefits.
Paul Butler, regional sales director, AOC and Philips Monitors
Paul Butler has worked in the global displays industry for over 35 years, specialising in technical display solutions. For the past decade, he has led AOC and Philips Monitors in the UK/Ireland, driving innovations in LCD technology, professional gaming monitors, and USB-C docking solutions across both business and consumer applications.
The Philips 34B2U6603CH represents an excellent example of this approach. This model delivers exceptional visual performance while incorporating integrated functionality that eliminates the need for peripheral devices. The resultant workspace is cleaner, more efficient, and typically more cost-effective over its operational lifespan.
When evaluating display technology, procurement teams should consider total cost of ownership rather than focussing exclusively on initial purchase price. Power efficiency, management capabilities, ergonomic benefits, and integrated functionality all contribute to long-term value. Our specialists can demonstrate where and how these advantages translate into quantifiable improvements in both operational efficiency and cost management.
By taking a more holistic approach to display procurement, public sector organisations can simultaneously enhance user experience, improve operational efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and optimise budget allocation. M
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The complete guide to choosing the right monitor for your team
With so many different monitors on the market, it can be difficult to cut through the jargon and understand what you and your team needs to match their productivity workflow. From the best resolution to the fastest refresh rates, GT covers all of the essential factors in modern computer screens, helping you decide what is important for your office and where your cash is best spent
Size
The factor that likely comes to mind first when buying monitors for the workplace is which size would be most appropriate. Most monitors are either 24-inch, 27-inch, or 32-inch, but there are options for ultrawide, super ultrawide, and curved displays, which can come with a larger price tag. While a 24-inch monitor is probably a great fit for most office needs, many professionals would be able to reap the benefits of an upgrade to a 27-inch screen, especially those who code, work with media, or even just employees who need multiple tabs open at
one time. It is important to consider desk size, and the available space when considering if a large monitor is a worthy investment, as well as considering a dual-monitor set up over one large, curved screen to maximise productivity.
Resolution
Display resolution refers to how many pixels make up the screen, given in both width and height dimensions. The greater the resolution, the sharper the image will be, and while it is tempting to opt for the maximum possible resolution to yield a higher-quality
image, it is important to consider whether workers will benefit from a better-quality screen, as this depends on the work they carry out. In 2025, it is the industry standard for all screens to be at least 1080p (1920x1080), and these can be picked up both widely and cheaply nowadays. A 1080p screen is the best, most cost-effective way of getting the most out of a smaller monitor and an entry-level graphics card, which makes it the most popular option today.
In-plane switching (IPS) screens are bright and crisp with good viewing angles, and high refresh rates
Larger monitors look better at 1440p (2560x1440), as they’re visibly much sharper and are at their best when paired with at least mid-range graphics cards. An employee who works with moving pictures would get the most out of all these features. It is important to remember that the maximum potential you can get out of a monitor’s resolution also depends on what your PC’s graphics card is capable of, so a 1440p monitor would be wasted on a PC that can only handle up to 1080p.
Although 4k resolution (3840x2160) is becoming the industry standard in televisions, it still remains a luxury in the world of computer screens, and is a great option for those that work with video footage in similar resolutions. It is more obvious on much larger monitors which provide the real estate for optimum productivity, as it has four times the number of pixels that a 1080p screen has. Graphics, video footage, and photoediting will be razor sharp, though it is a costly investment, and should be considered only if absolutely detriment to the quality of work. E
F Panel type
The panel type of a monitor dictates the image produced, and affects the quality of the image in terms apart from the resolution. The panel influences the colour, response times, and quality of images the monitor displays. There are several different panel types to take into consideration, all with various pros and cons depending on your workforce needs.
Twisted nematic (TN) screens have quick pixel response times, but are limited in contrast and colour performance. This makes them attractive to gamers, but are also the most affordable type of screen, which might be beneficial to those buying in bulk for the workplace.
In-plane switching (IPS) screens are bright and crisp with good viewing angles, and high refresh rates. They might not be the best option for design professionals, however, as they can have disappointing contrast and black levels.
Vertical alignment (VA) models, while designed for gaming, have their benefits in the workplace as they are as sharp as IPS screens while also having a better contrast ratio. Unlike IPS screens, however, they have poorer viewing angles, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if an employee is sat in front of the monitor.
Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays are relatively new and aren’t based on LCD technology like other screens, as they use
Vertical alignment (VA) models, while designed for gaming, have their benefits in the workplace
organic pixel elements that emit their own light. Because OLED pixels that are turned off don’t emit any light, they have the best contrast and black levels. They offer the best image quality, but are very expensive, and are not usually needed for employees who do not work with moving images, design, or colour editing.
Monitor refresh rate
This is the number of times a monitor can update its image each second. Although the standard is a 60Hz rate (the monitor can refresh 60 times each second), monitors can also come with 144Hz, 240Hz, or 350Hz refresh rates. A quicker refresh rate is beneficial when using programmes like Adobe After Effects, as they will allow moving images to look smoother, and is a must-have for media or graphic professionals. A higher refresh rate will lower input lag because a new image appears on the display more quickly, but high refresh rates for most professionals are a luxury rather than
Older HDMI ports do not support 4K resolutions or refresh rates above 30Hz
a must-have. For general office tasks such as emails, word processing, spreadsheets, and web browsing, a 60Hz monitor perfectly does the job. E
F Connectivity
Workplace monitors will likely need to accommodate a range of customisations, such as connecting a second monitor, as well as having ample USB-A ports dependent on user needs. HDMI, DisplayPort (DP), and Mini DisplayPort (Mini DP) capabilities are industry standard on today’s modern screens, and provide a wide range of uses. However, if your computer has a HDMI port, you may be limited when choosing a monitor. Older HDMI ports do not support 4K resolutions or refresh rates above 30Hz, so keep this in mind.
Look for USB-C connections for highperformance workflows. These will enable faster data transfer, power delivery, and video
It is recommended to find a stand for your screen that adjusts for height and tilt in order to find a comfortable viewing angle
output all from one cable, simplifying cable management, which is especially handy for smaller desks or employees in cubicles. They’re also great for daisy-chaining, especially if you’re working with a laptop that also has a USB-C port.
Ergonomics
It is recommended to find a stand for your screen that adjusts for height and tilt in order to find a comfortable viewing angle, and to reduce eye strain for employees. Monitors that have a 100x100mm VESA mount will let you add a thirdparty monitor stand or arm later.
Eye care technology like blue light filters and flicker-free screens are essential for productive workflows as they minimise eye strain and allow employees to perform deep work for long periods of time. Ergonomic and eye-care considerations when choosing screens promote both comfort and well-being in the workplace, leading to meaningful, impactful work.
Price
One of the most important factors when shopping for multiple screens for a public sector
company is price, as prices can vary wildly depending on availability, demand, and time of year. It is therefore important to compare before buying, and shopping around before settling on one retailer.
It’s important that the screens you settle on match the demands and tasks of your team: a set of screens with high refresh rates would be wasted on a team of researchers, whereas an animation professional would benefit here. Making sure your monitors meet the needs of your employees is one of the best ways to keep costs down by not paying for extra mod-cons that would make little difference to workplace productivity.
Energy efficiency
Monitors will be switched on five days a week, at least eight hours a day, so it’s vital that they’re energy efficient to make sure your energy bill doesn’t skyrocket. The power consumption of your monitor depends on its energy label and SDR/HRD, so you want to look with monitors with A labels (very energyefficient) or B and C labels (energy efficient),
The power consumption of your monitor depends on its energy label and SDR/HRD
but ratings often depend on variables like screen size and brightness. Energyefficient monitors are recognised by an EPEAT quality mark, which means a monitor has met several criteria, either on a Bronze, Silver, or Gold level, with Gold being a monitor that meets all required criteria, as well as 75 per cent of energy targets, like battery charger system energy efficiency, and manufacturer sourcing of electricity from energy sources.
Choosing the right monitor for your workplace requires careful consideration of key factors, and deciding which ones matter the most to you and your team. By assessing the specific needs of your employees and understanding the need of your team is crucial – whether that be general office tasks, coding, or graphic design – to ensure you don’t overspend on unnecessary features. L
Out-of-the-box digital transformation, cost-effective and secure
Our ZedX Apps platform is designed to accelerate digital transformation across areas such as audit, project and time management, controls, governance, contingent labour, and more
Offering a cost-effective model, ZedX Apps allows you to license the full platform or individual apps as needed. Hosted within your Azure subscription, it includes single sign-on, shared admin controls, built-in analytics, and a future-proof roadmap as standard.
Corporate workflows
Bring order to ad-hoc tasks with customizable workflows that guide teams through reviews, approvals, and completions. Built-in rules, reminders, and tracking ensure nothing is missed, with clear ownership and accountability throughout.
Project portfolios
Get a unified view of portfolios, programmes, and projects with interactive dashboards that surface key risks, budgets, and milestones. Ensure project managers provide timely, structured updates aligned with reporting requirements, ready for board reporting.
Management controls
Proactively assess control effectiveness by requiring middle managers to RAG-rate their understanding of key controls (e.g.,
finance, HR, procurement). Instantly identify weak spots in your control environment and prioritize training or process improvements.
Audit actions
Streamline GIAA, NAO, and internal audits with purpose-built workflows that help action owners track progress, share updates, and collaborate seamlessly with auditors. Automated email reminders ensure timely completion of actions, with auditors notified for approval.
Governance statement
Simplify annual governance reporting with a collaborative workspace that aggregates evidence, assigns ownership, and tracks progress toward statement completion.
Contingent labour
Organisations face ongoing challenges managing contingent labour workflows. This solution simplifies the process through endto-end case management, covering approvals, onboarding, and off-boarding. Fully audited and designed to support PSR and IR35 compliance. M
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For more information or to arrange a noobligation demo or trial of Swiftpro’s ZedX Apps platform, visit zedxapps.com, email us at demo@swiftpro.com, or call 020 3105 1087
You’ve got to get to grips with understanding and using data
David Ogden, engagement director at Socitm, explores why harnessing data is one of 2025’s top digital trends, how it can transform local services, and what public sector teams need to do now to use it effectively and responsibly
Harnessing our data is essential for improving and transforming place-based local public services.
Despite all this potential, widespread effective data use has yet to be realised. Many of our public sector organisations struggle with data quality, skills, and governance.
In Socitm’s 2025 Public Sector Digital Trends report, ‘harnessing data’ is one of the key trends the Institute team highlighted out of their research.
I’m going to try and pick out the key points about data from the overall report. When you have time, do dive into the details.
This should give you a head start.
What could we be using our data to do?
There are four main ways we can use data to enhance public service delivery: identifying societal problems and their causes; targeting resources and designing preventative measures; improving internal productivity and efficiency; and deploying emerging technologies like AI. These are all big areas of opportunity. Tackling all of them is desirable and it’s tempting to want to start doing something straightaway. But, inevitably, we need to pause and look at ourselves and our data first. E
F In this year’s Digital Trends, Socitm argues the ability to use data as a resource is considered an essential skill for public sector organisations to function effectively and meet residents’ needs.
So, where is the best place to start?
Organisations and people that are unfamiliar with, or unsure about, harnessing data should think about the following. Above all and as a first step, be clear about the outcomes and applications sought by harnessing of data. Develop access to data skills and senior level responsibility for data across the whole organisation. Data assets of the organisation need to be understood – quality, appropriateness, value and cost. Focus on data quality and consistency in standards and use across application areas.
With all that in mind let’s look at ourselves first. What do our teams need? They need literacy – the ability to explore, understand, and communicate with data meaningfully – and skills – technical knowledge and capability to deliver data projects.
Harnessing data requires a variety of skills, including information governance, data visualisation, data science and data architecture, among others. Next, let’s look at the data.
What do we need our data and the systems around it to be? It needs to be quality – high-quality data is fit for purpose, assessed through completeness, uniqueness, consistency, timeliness, validity, and accuracy. We need to have standards – consistent methods for capturing and storing data enhance sharing and integration. There needs to be governance – clear roles, responsibilities, policies, and structures ensure effective data management. Sharing is important – secure data access for multiple entities while maintaining integrity. We need privacy, protection, and security – managing data handling and storage, especially with AI, requires greater scrutiny. Finally, we need ethics – ethical obligations in collecting, sharing, and using data are vital, especially in public services. That’s a lot of good stuff to bear in mind. There have to be some risks.
Risks with data and suggestions of how to handle them
Quality
Errors in data and analysis can lead to significant liabilities. AI can intensify these errors because it relies on high quality input data.
Solutions include: good design, architecture, and collection methods, prioritising quality assurance, and automating workflows.
Standards
Unconnected technology solutions often can’t share data.
Solutions include: adopting open standards and APIs can streamline processes and reduce errors.
Governance
A lack of governance in leadership, policies and strategies for data usage can cause problems, which will only grow as AI usage increases. Solutions include: defining clear roles, policies, and structures, ensuring that everyone knows about them and sticks to them.
Privacy
and security
AI amplifies existing risks, such as data leaks and loss, misuse and mishandling, theft and breaches.
Solutions include: consulting frameworks such as the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework to improve your resilience. On a smaller scale, organisations should pay attention to
data sensitivity, classification and retention management with new technologies. By prioritising tagging and labelling data based on sensitivity to ensure privacy compliance and prevent unauthorised access.
Ethics
Data sourcing, repurposing data beyond its original intention, insufficient security measures for storage, methods of anonymisation and the preparation of data for use can cause problems in relation to ethics.
Solutions include: transparency in data collection and usage is crucial to build trust.
Literacy and skills
Misinterpretation of data caused by lack of skills and poor data quality is something else to be aware of.
Solutions include: continuous training and upskilling are essential to bridge the digital divide.
What can be done by using data?
The following is an indication of the emerging themes observed across the sector.
Place-based insights: using diverse data sources to understand the social, economic and environmental challenges facing communities and places.
Data-driven interventions: evidence-based results for targeted outcomes.
Data analytics and machine learning can generate results that are evidence-based and serve residents with more targeted outcomes.
Data quality and integration: linking data across departments for better integration.
Community engagement : improving relationships with residents by transparently communicating how their personal data is handled.
Proactive interventions: utilising data dashboards and platforms to identify and address issues proactively, such as housing and mental health, enabling early support and preventative interventions.
Emergency response : identifying vulnerable households during crises.
Cross-department collaboration: enhancing service delivery through data sharing.
Who’s using data and how?
Here are a few case studies as examples.
Brent Council’s Social Progress Index Insights on key social indicators helps inform
It’s vital for all of us to prioritise improving our data skills
decisions, prioritise resources and empower communities. The SPI aims to enhance wellbeing and set a new standard for data use in local governance.
Camden’s data charter
Launched in 2021, the charter aimed to build trust and ensure responsible data use. In 2023 it was updated to improve communication about data practices (particularly around AI). This project enhanced trust, transparency and understanding of data use among all residents.
Rapid identification of vulnerable households in Westmorland and Furness
VIPER replaces manual, paper-driven processes with a digital solution, allowing multi-agency access to critical information. This approach improves emergency response, enhances collaboration and reduces risks for vulnerable populations.
Supporting students’ mental health at Northumbria University
Data analytics and a dashboard helps identify those at risk of mental health issues. This initiative provides early support by analysing data related to behaviour and engagement, enhancing understanding of factors affecting well-being and academic performance.
There are more case studies in the whole report
Time for artificial intelligence
Can AI help? Absolutely it can help. It’s great for supporting in data collection, analysis, quality improvement, privacy, and reporting. A great place to start for the latest research, resources and reports is AI@Socitm
What to think about
Data’s importance will only continue to grow. It’s vital for all of us to prioritise improving our data skills, to invest in our organisation’s data capabilities, and to guard against risks by ensuring responsible, secure, and ethical data use. M
Industry Insight: Intelligent Document Processing - The quiet AI revolution transforming public sector operations
Chris Smith, head of Kajima Community, discusses the importance of community spaces and what challenges they are facing
For those unfamiliar, can you explain what Intelligent Document Processing is?
Intelligent Document Processing ( or known as IDP) represents a significant advancement in how organisations handle documents and information. At its core, next generation IDP leverages artificial intelligence or AI to automatically recognise, classify, and extract valuable information from various document types — both structured and unstructured. Unlike traditional document management systems that simply store and retrieve files, enChoice’s Intelligent Capture uses AI to actually understand document content. The technology combines machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision to transform unstructured information into structured, actionable data. The system learns from each document it processes, continuously improving accuracy and requiring less human intervention over time. IDP goes beyond basic optical character recogniiton by not only digitising text but comprehending context, identifying relationships between data points, and automatically routing information to appropriate downstream systems and workflows.
What benefits does Intelligent Document Processing offer for public sector organisations?
Public sector organisations often face unique challenges managing vast document volumes while operating under budget constraints and increasing public expectations. IDP offers transformative benefits through
operational efficiency, as automating document intensive processes reduces manual handling, allowing staff to focus on highervalue activities that directly serve citizens. Cost reduction is achieved by minimising manual processing, with studies showing IDP can reduce document processing costs by 30-80 per cent. IDP systems consistently deliver improved accuracy rates compared to manual processing, eliminating human error in data entry that creates downstream issues impacting service delivery.
Enhanced constituent service comes through faster document processing, translating to quicker response times and improved service delivery. Data-driven decision making becomes possible as unstructured document information transforms into structured data, giving agencies new insights to inform policy decisions.
Finally, IDP provides scalability to handle document processing surges that public agencies often face without requiring temporary staffing.
How can privacy and regulatory compliance concerns be managed with Intelligent Document Processing?
Public sector organisations must maintain the highest standards of data privacy and regulatory compliance, which IDP systems address through several mechanisms. enChoice’s IDP solutions incorporate data security controls including encryption, access controls, and audit trails to protect sensitive information throughout the processing lifecycle. Compliance frameworks can be
configured to enforce regulations like GDPR, through rule-based processing that flags sensitive data for appropriate handling.
Automated redaction capabilities identify and obscure sensitive information before documents are shared or stored, reducing improper disclosure risks. Comprehensive logging creates detailed audit trails showing who accessed documents and when actions occurred, essential for regulatory reporting. Automated enforcement of document retention policies ensures records are maintained or destroyed according to applicable regulations, while regular system training with human validation maintains accuracy and compliance with evolving regulations.
In what kind of use cases could Intelligent Document Processing be implemented?
Public services and regulatory compliance: IDP transforms how agencies manage external-facing services across multiple functions. For benefits administration, the system automatically extracts and validates applicant information, cross-references against eligibility criteria, and flags discrepancies, reducing processing time from weeks to days. For tax administration, IDP processes returns simultaneously, extracting line items and validating calculations with minimal human intervention. The same system routes and processes correspondence, automatically categorising requests and directing them to appropriate departments. For regulatory compliance, IDP processes permit applications and inspection reports, ensuring all requirements are met while maintaining comprehensive audit trails.
Healthcare services:
Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) can streamline healthcare by automating the extraction, classification and validation of data from medical reports, prescriptions and clinical tests. Heathcare providers can integrate IDP to digitise paper-based workflows, reducing manual errors and accelerating patient processing. With AI and machine learning, IDP ensures accurate data capture and compliance with GDPR, while freeing staff to focus on patient care. It can also enhance interoperability between systems, supporting better decisionmaking through real-time data access. Overall, IDP improves efficiency, reduces administrative
David Littler, UK general manager, enchoice
Experienced technology leader and UK General Manager at enChoice®,
David Littler brings over two decades of expertise in enterprise content management, digital transformation, and business consulting. With a strong foundation in software engineering and an MBA, he’s led innovation, strategy, and growth across multiple sectors including finance and public services.
burdens, and contributes to higher-quality, more responsive healthcare servicespathways.
Procurement and contracts
IDP revolutionises public sector procurement by extracting key terms, pricing structures, and delivery schedules from vendor proposals, enabling easier comparison. For contract management, IDP identifies critical dates, obligations, and renewal terms, populating management systems and triggering notifications. In invoice processing, the technology extracts line items, validates against purchase orders, identifies discrepancies, and routes for approval— all while maintaining compliance with procurement regulations. This comprehensive approach reduces processing costs and enhances transparency in public spending.
Unified Cyber Defence for our Public Services
A Trusted Partner in Public Sector Cyber Resilience
Improving the cyber resilience of the UK Government and public sector is central to BlueFort’s mission. Our security solutions are widely adopted across central departments and local authorities, enhancing governance, compliance, and accountability.
How We Help With Key Cybersecurity Challenges in the Public Sector
Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)
Meeting CAF requirements means proving security outcomes, not just controls. BlueFort helps organisations align with CAF expectations through practical, outcome-driven identity solutions.
BlueFort enables secure, scalable cloud transitions with modern approaches tailored to the public sector.
BlueFort helps streamline and optimise security investments, reducing complexity while improving overall effectiveness.
Work with BlueFort Security for..
Identity Security
Protect human and machine identities with scalable, practical solutions.
Cloud Security
Secure hybrid and multi-cloud environments with cloud-native protection.
Security Platforms
Maximise protection and efficiency with integrated, modern security platforms.
Zero Trust
Simplify and strengthen remote access with Zero Trust architectures.
Driving cybersecurity consolidation in the UK public sector
Public sector organisations are under growing pressure to keep pace with rapid digital advancements—while doing so securely, efficiently, and within tight budget constraints
BlueFort Security understands these challenges firsthand. As a long-standing, trusted partner to both central and local government, we support the public sector in navigating this complexity through strategic cybersecurity solutions and smart consolidation models. By aligning security investments with operational priorities, we help organisations strengthen resilience, improve risk posture, and achieve meaningful cost savings through effective consolidation. Cybersecurity consolidation has become a key strategy for public sector IT and security teams, driven by the need for operational efficiency, clearer visibility, and enhanced cyber defence. Below are seven strategic pillars shaping consolidation efforts across the UK public sector:
1. Rationalise tools and vendors
Managing fragmented security stacks is inefficient. Consolidation streamlines vendors and tools, improving visibility, reducing costs, and simplifying ongoing management. BlueFort partner with both AWS and MS Azure marketplace to help organisations utilise cloud spend for cybersecurity
2. Embrace unified security platforms
Integrated platforms help eliminate siloes, reduce the risk of human error, and leverage automation and AI for faster, smarter threat detection and response.
3. Prioritise cloud security
With increased reliance on cloud services, protecting these environments is critical. Cloud-native security helps mitigate modern threats, from AI-driven attacks to IoT vulnerabilities.
4. Foster collaboration and information sharing
Public sector organisations benefit from sharing threat intelligence and best practices. Cross-agency collaboration builds a more resilient national cyber defence posture.
5. Harness data and analytics
Machine learning and analytics enable faster identification and mitigation of cyber threats—essential for high-volume, high-stakes environments.
6. Build resilience and supporting staff
Consolidation reduces manual burden and tool fatigue, helping retain cybersecurity talent and strengthen long-term resilience.
7. Cybersecurity as a societal responsibility
Cybersecurity now underpins public trust in digital government. It must be approached holistically, with shared accountability across teams, departments, and the wider ecosystem.
BlueFort supports every stage of your cybersecurity journey—from platform selection and deployment to optimisation and ongoing support. We’re here to help you consolidate effectively, defend proactively, and serve the public securely. M
Ten years of Cyber Essentials - a decade of making the UK more resilient
Last year, the UK Government’s Cyber Essentials (CE) scheme celebrated its tenth anniversary, marking a decade of growth. The scheme is centred around five technical controls and is proven to protect organisations of all sizes from the most common cyber attacks
The efficacy of Cyber Essentials
As technology advances and cyber threats evolve, the Cyber Essentials scheme continually adapts to stay effective. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Cyber Essentials Delivery Partner, IASME conduct a comprehensive review and update process of the scheme each year. During this process, feedback from customers and Assessors is considered, as well as changes in the IT landscape. The goal through this annual review is to ensure that Cyber Essentials remains relevant and effective as well as an accessible and user-friendly scheme.
Research from insurers shows that organisations implementing the Cyber Essentials controls are 92 per cent less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance than those which don’t have Cyber Essentials. In their 2024 Annual Review, the National Cyber Security Centre described the current cyber threat landscape as ‘diffuse and dangerous’ where there is an increase in both the number of cyber incidents and the impact of those incidents. The majority of cyber attacks rely on techniques and vulnerabilities that are well known to us and we have the knowledge and the capability to defend against them.
Despite this, the NCSC believe that the severity of the threat facing the UK is underestimated by organisations in all sectors and locations and basic cyber security practices are often ignored.
The Cyber Essentials technical controls can stop the vast majority of commodity cyber attacks and is the minimum standard of security
Cyber
security in supply chains has long been a significant challenge
recommended by the NCSC. Mass adoption of Cyber Essentials will significantly help improve the cyber resilience of the UK at scale.
Cyber Essentials as a supply chain assurance tool
Cyber security in supply chains has long been a significant challenge. Traditionally, large organisations have imposed their enterprise security requirements on small suppliers, often overwhelming them with complex and varied security questionnaires. Small companies working with multiple enterprise clients face the time-consuming burden of completing these forms.
Recently, larger organisations have started to recognise the Cyber Essentials scheme as a straightforward way to establish a baseline level of cyber security within the supply chain. Certification provides a tangible way for organisations of all sizes to gain confidence that their suppliers, or other third parties, have effectively implemented fundamental technical controls. E
Though there is a cost attached to achieving Cyber Essentials, it is comparatively inexpensive
F Organisations who require their suppliers or other third parties to have Cyber Essentials are proven to reduce the number of cyber incidents across their network. Compelling evidence of the scheme’s efficacy as a supplier security tool comes from the wealth management firm St. James’s Place (SJP).
In 2023, SJP began mandating *Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) certification across their network of partner organisations.
Matthew Smith, divisional director of cyber security, SJP said: “Security incident numbers have significantly reduced within the Partnership since 2023, evidencing the value and effectiveness of having the core controls in place. To put into numbers, we have seen around an 80 per cent reduction in cybersecurity incidents, which directly correlates to controls and best practices implemented through CE+.”
Benefits of using Cyber Essentials as a supply chain tool
Confidence that a supplier has technical controls in place Through certification, an organisation can have their adherence to a set of criteria or standards
It is possible to drop a large list of suppliers into the Cyber Essentials Supplier Check Tool
independently verified. This enables them to provide a form of evidence, to anybody that asks for it, that a certain standard has been met.
Affordable and achievable for all organisations
Though there is a cost attached to achieving Cyber Essentials, it is comparatively inexpensive. The cost of the certificate is £320-600 for basic Cyber Essentials and the approximate cost of CE+ will be from £2K depending on the size and complexity of the applicant’s network. Other certification schemes may be more costly, making them unattainable for many organisations.
Consolidating the lengthy security review process
Organisations using Cyber Essentials within their supply chain risk management processes report increased efficiency and cost savings in the due diligence process. Requiring evidence of standardised minimum expectations reduces the time spent assessing suppliers. It is also helpful for the suppliers themselves, especially SMEs, who benefit from clear, tangible expectations rather than responding to long and complex or duplicate questionnaires.
Verify Cyber Essentials certifications across your supply chain
Organisations can use the Cyber Essentials Certificate Search on the IASME website to verify the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification of individual supplier organisations.
For organisations with large supply chains, it is possible to drop a large list of suppliers into the Cyber Essentials Supplier Check Tool to find out which suppliers are certified to either Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. These search functions make it significantly easier for organisations to verify if their suppliers are Cyber Essentials certified.
Cyber Essentials Plus is based on the same technical requirements as Cyber Essentials but also includes a technical audit of the IT systems to verify that the controls are in place.
Review the cyber security of your organisation against the five controls of Cyber Essentials with the free online Cyber Essentials Readiness Tool. The process of working through the questions will inform you about your organisation’s level of cyber security and what aspects you need to improve. Based on your answers, you will be directed towards relevant guidance and a tailored action plan for your next steps towards certification. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
Apply for Cyber Essentials
Adopting deep technology to unlock freight efficiencies
A pilot by Digital Catapult shows that applying deep technology to the logistics sector can overcome many of the sector’s biggest challenges. But organisations must embrace a culture of experimentation and openness to change. Tim Lawrence, director of the Digital Supply Chain Hub at Digital Catapult, explains further
The logistics sector is at a critical juncture. With mounting pressure to decarbonise and operate more efficiently, the industry must embrace deep tech solutions. Digital Catapult’s recent pilot project titled the Logistics Living Lab provides a powerful case study on the value of deep technology, particularly shared digital infrastructure, in reshaping the logistics landscape.
By leveraging distributed ledger technology (DLT), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and smart algorithms, the initiative demonstrates how collaboration and innovation can drive significant carbon reductions and cost savings, playing a pivotal role in the future of the sector. It is these applications of deep tech that will be critical to decarbonising the sector and unlocking growth opportunities in the long-term.
The case for decarbonising logistics Transportation and logistics are central to the global economy but come with a steep
environmental cost. In the UK alone, the sector contributes 31 per cent of all transportrelated emissions, with inefficiencies such as empty vehicle loads amplifying the problem. According to the Department for Transport, 30 per cent of truck miles travelled on UK roads are run empty, and this inefficiency not only wastes resources but also accelerates the sector’s carbon footprint.
Considering this, decarbonisation is no longer a choice but a necessity. Achieving this goal however requires overcoming entrenched challenges, such as fragmented operations, insufficient infrastructure, and rising operational costs. Digital Catapult’s pilot illustrates that deep tech can play a crucial role in bridging these gaps, when it’s applied correctly. By collaborating with our consortium partners Incept Consulting, Fuuse, AF Blakemore, Pairpoint and Microsoft, we have demonstrated the value of deep tech to decarbonise logistics operations and reduce costs, boosting collaboration and efficiency.
Deep tech: a catalyst for collaboration and efficiency
The pilot project, executed in partnership with AF Blakemore & Son and supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), exemplifies the potential of shared digital infrastructure. Using DLT, IoT, and advanced algorithms developed by Fuuse, the initiative aimed to optimise vehicle usage and routing. The results were compelling, achieving a 37 per cent reduction in transport costs, and a nine per cent improvement in vehicle fill rates.
The key to these outcomes lies in the collaborative nature of the technology. By enabling organisations to share real-time data on truckloads and routes, the system minimises empty trips and maximises efficiency. This interconnected approach marks a significant departure from traditional siloed operations, fostering a more sustainable and streamlined logistics ecosystem, showcasing the value of Digital Catapult convening capabilities in the logistics sector and delivering innovation and technology consultancy.
The power of shared infrastructure
At its core, deep tech including shared digital infrastructure, represents a paradigm shift for logistics. It integrates multiple elements of the supply chain, offering transparency and actionable insights to meet growing commercial demand for greater transparency in the supply chain and data to solve operational bottlenecks. Internet of things (IoT) devices for example provide real-time tracking and monitoring of vehicles, while distributed ledger technology (DLT) ensures secure and immutable data sharing between parties. When combined, these technologies empower organisations to make
Beyond carbon reduction, optimised logistics can alleviate traffic congestion, reduce fuel consumption, and enhance supply chain resilience
data-driven decisions, reducing waste and emissions, which is critical as Digital Catapult continues to support critical economic sectors to decarbonise and adopt deep tech innovation to unlock new opportunities.
Looking ahead: scaling deep tech in logistics
The Digital Catapult pilot is an insight into what’s possible when deep tech meets the logistics sector. However, scaling these innovations requires a concerted effort, and organisations must embrace a culture of experimentation and openness to change. At the same time, the technology ecosystem must continue to develop solutions that are scalable, interoperable, and accessible, which is what has been achieved on the Logistics Living Lab programme. Beyond carbon reduction, optimised logistics can alleviate traffic congestion, reduce fuel consumption, and enhance supply chain resilience. For a sector valued at £163 billion in the UK, these improvements represent not just environmental benefits but also significant economic opportunities. Applying deep tech solutions to improve the industrial supply chain resilience is testament to the value of the solution and the commercial opportunity it presents to logistics businesses.
The logistics sector stands at the forefront of a profound transformation. By applying deep technologies like DLT and IoT, the industry can achieve a rare synergy between sustainability and efficiency. The Digital Catapult pilot provides a blueprint for this transformation, demonstrating that collaboration and innovation are key to overcoming the sector’s biggest challenges, and the success that can be achieved by convening capabilities from across technology, innovation and commercial sectors. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
As the logistics sector embraces these technologies, it has the potential to lead the way in the global transition to a low-carbon economy, and any business interested in learning more about the programme can read more here.
New national data shows improved respiratory outcomes with digital therapeutics
A respiratory digital therapeutics toolkit is improving outcomes and reducing health inequalities for people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Wales
The toolkit, which has reached full adoption across 100 per cent of GP practices and hospitals in NHS Wales, is providing a personalised, digital care plan that empowers hundreds of thousands of people to take control of their condition and stay well in the community.
Improvements
Professor Simon Barry, national respiratory clinical lead at NHS Wales (2016-2024), explains the impact the toolkit is having at a national scale: “Overall, we’re seeing patients showing a significant improvement in wellness scores in as little as three months. The biggest improvement is among patients using the asthma app for four months or more who are seeing their wellness score increase by 41 per cent. Users in socioeconomically deprived areas, and young people are seeing the greatest improvements in their Royal College of Physicians (RCP) 3-questions score.”
In addition, the toolkit has driven significant reductions in the use of reliever inhalers, an important marker of disease control.
Asthma app users have a statistically significant improvement in their reliever inhaler usage, with 35 per cent having improved reliever use within one year, and 20 per cent of patients going from some reliever use to no reliever use.
COPD app users’ reliever use improved after one year, with the percentage of users making use of relievers decreasing substantially from 67 per cent to 38 per cent.
Patients using the app are 42 per cent more likely to be using Dry Powder Inhalers (DPIs) than the general population, accelerating the NHS Wales priority to increase the proportion of low global-warming potential inhalers (DPIs).
Improvements are particularly pronounced in socioeconomically deprived areas.
The successful rollout has enabled many more outcome improvements, including reductions
The successful rollout has enabled many more outcome improvements, including reductions in GP visits and A&E admissions to alleviate pressure on overstretched services
in GP visits and A&E admissions to alleviate pressure on overstretched services.
Savings
Chris Davies, principal and CEO at The Institute of Clinical Science and Technology, said:
“Unfortunately, chronic diseases are common and expensive. Right now, £7 in every £10 of UK health and social expenditure goes toward chronic disease management, so it’s time for a new approach. We are delighted to work alongside NHS Wales in transitioning from traditional healthcare delivery to a patientdriven, digital-first model that eases the pressure on the healthcare system and future-proofs the NHS. This approach enables individuals across large populations to have better agency, better empowerment and more confidence when they navigate their health.”
Co-produced with patients, policymakers and clinical experts from within stakeholder
groups, including the National Respiratory Audit Programme (NRAP), Asthma and Lung UK (ALUK), NHS Wales and NHS England, the toolkit uses the proven COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) model to drive behaviour change. The app provides tailored support, including a personalised care plan and progress tracking, to help individuals manage their health. The toolkit is expanding to other disease groups, offering a scalable model to meet rising care demand without overburdening healthcare professionals. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.icst.org.uk
Technology helping to predict ambulance breakdowns
Ordnance Survey is working with South Central Ambulance Service to use predictive maintenance, AI, and geospatial data to keep ambulances on the road and responding to critical incidents faster
Ordnance Survey (OS) is playing a key role in a ground-breaking trial to maximise the efficiency of ambulance fleets, tasked nationwide with the challenge of responding to the most critical incidents within an average of seven minutes. If the new trial proves successful, the potential scope of applications to other emergency services and sectors is almost limitless.
Maximising efficiency
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) – operating across
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, and Oxfordshire – has a fleet of over 300 vehicles which are almost 99 per cent deployed at any time. Available NHS funding dictates a finite number of ambulances in the fleet, with new, fully equipped vehicles costing around £200,000 on-the-road each. Therefore the priority for the trust is to maximise the efficiency of each ambulance.
To ensure life-saving support is available, it is vital to the trust that its ambulance fleet is well maintained and reliable. SCAS has been looking at ways to maximise efficiency by minimising those times when ambulances must be taken off road for unforeseen maintenance.
Based on a methodology already seen in the aviation industry, SCAS – with the help of OS, data integration, analytics and AI company Qlik and Differentia Consulting (an elite Qlik channel partner) – is developing a predictive maintenance model for its vehicles. The model will allow the trust to efficiently schedule maintenance before a vehicle succumbs to larger, possibly long-term failures.
Each ambulance contains two telematics trackers: the engine tracker, monitoring internals such as engine temperature and clutch usage, as well as location, lights and other electricals; and the cab tracker linked to the 999-control room. SCAS then looked at building a model to achieve new insight, which was both analytical – monitoring telemetry and the state of vehicles returning from shifts – and predictive – considering the probability of an ambulance needing servicing.
The use of data
OS has been tasked with combining this telematics data with geospatial data – more specifically the topographic and contextual data in the OS National Geographic Database – which can unlock new analytics on how road and journey characteristics could influence wear on a vehicle. SCAS first asked OS to take telematics data for the whole fleet and map journeys, observing the road types, average speeds, gradient, sinuosity (the curvature of the road), rural versus urban nature of the routes being taken.
Factors such as driving uphill can cause the engine to overheat, leading to significant strain on the engine components. Other considerations are the effects of harsh braking and acceleration on vehicles. Another question is whether there are any junctions where vehicles experience greater stress. By combining geospatial data with maintenance data, SCAS can build a predictive model to answer these questions.
James Armstrong, geospatial consultant at OS said: “Ambulance services are already dedicated users of OS geospatial data, but it’s exciting to know that applying our data to this new model has great potential to improve the efficiency of the SCAS fleet, ultimately enhancing its ability to provide urgent care to those in need. It’s incredibly rewarding for OS to be part of this project and potentially help to apply it
OS has been tasked with combining this telematics data with geospatial data
across other emergency service fleets longer term.”
Vivienne Parsons, senior management information analyst at SCAS said: “As well as the purchasing, conversion and equipment costs to get each ambulance on the road, it takes 12 members of staff to cover each vehicle’s weekly operational rota, all with their own associated recruitment, training and university costs. Looking for other ways to innovate and improve service delivery and patient experience has led us to consider the wealth of data we capture from our vehicles. I am really excited to see what story we will be able to tell from the data and the impact this can have.
“The help we are being offered by working collaboratively with OS, Qlik and Differentia Consulting is amazing; they are a key part of our analytical journey, providing the insight and expertise that we do not have.”
INFORMATION
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk
Meeting the net zero challenge in public sector fleets
From emergency response vehicles to strategic procurement, public sector fleets face complex hurdles on the road to zero emissions. With collaboration, innovation, and pragmatic leadership, fleet teams are driving real change, despite limited vehicle options and demanding operational needs
Few people in fleet can claim a career as diverse as Martin Edgecox. From working with manufacturers, central government, trade unions and navigating the automotive supply chain, he has, in his own words, “been around the block.”
As fleet manager for National Highways, he leads a team of nine people delivering highly demanding services 24/7/365, heads up the organisation’s fleet strategy, chairs the government’s Office for Zero Emissions (OZEV) working group for special vehicles, and is also a board member of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
For the last few years, all this experience has been channelled to tackle one of the industry’s biggest challenges – aligning a diverse public sector fleet with the goal of a net zero future.
National Highways manages and maintains England’s strategic road network, covering 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads. Its fleet is diverse, including incident response, inspection and amber light vehicles. In line with Department for Transport (DfT) targets, it is required to arrive at any incident within 10 minutes and clear 95 per cent within an hour, leaving minimal margin for error.
Changing needs
Before 2019, National Highways was part of the civil service with general contract managers looking after vehicle management, but as its needs evolved, so did its fleet requirements. Once the necessity for a dedicated function was realised, Edgecox was asked to build and lead the new team.
As its needs evolved, so did its fleet requirements
Transitioning the fleet to zero emissions has been a key part of this task. The initial target was to move 25 per cent of the car fleet from internal combustion engines (ICE) to ultra-low emissions plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) by 2022. This goal was exceeded by 66 per cent and today, the fleet is 83 per cent PHEV and 17 per cent electric. Now, the aim is to become zeroemission by 2027.
Amber light fleet
This goal is particularly challenging for National Highways due to the demanding nature of its operations. The amber light fleet especially plays a critical role in supporting and protecting the public during incidents, breakdowns, and collisions on the strategic road network. Of the 1,300 vehicles on the fleet, 355 of them are dedicated to this purpose, operating all year around. They can be in use for up to 10 hours during an incident, carrying around 400 kg of essential equipment such as road signs, cones, and safety gear, as well as a dual traffic officer crew.
He said: “Currently, there are limited numbers of electric vehicles that can fulfil these operational needs, making the shift to zeroemissions vehicles more challenging. In fact, for our traffic officer vehicles, we’ve asked OZEV
Martin Edgecox, fleet manager, National Highways
if we can move the zero emissions deadline to 2030 rather than 2027. Simply, there isn’t a fully electric heavy-duty, all-wheel-drive SUV yet available capable of meeting our requirements.” For this reason, the fleet is forced to adapt and make the most of what’s currently available for the general car fleet to stay on track with government targets. “Utilisation is key, and the team here is constantly reviewing this issue. It’s a major undertaking to ensure we’re maximising efficiency and return on investment because ultimately, we’re working with taxpayers’ money. E
“There was some initial resistance, but we engaged with the 1,200 traffic officers early on”
F “The PHEV option currently suits us as we always have the resilience of the petrol engine as well as the short-range battery. However, we’re constantly thinking about how to develop that and drip-feed electric vehicles into use. It’s a key challenge for us.”
Getting drivers on board has been very much part of the process of electrification and Edgecox says it has been an evolving journey. The heavy-duty traffic officer fleet of vehicles used traditional 4x4 diesel vehicles like Mitsubishi Shoguns and Land Rover Discoveries until 2019. Transitioning to PHEVs was a significant shift and came with challenges.
“There was some initial resistance, but we engaged with the 1,200 traffic officers early on, holding several workshops to explain the reasons behind the decision. It’s a big culture change. For 20 years, they’ve been used to refuelling vehicles with diesel and suddenly, I’m asking them to plug in and walk away. It’s a
major adjustment for them but it was ultimately embraced.
“It helped that our fleet team worked closely with drivers to ensure their input shaped the design of the PHEVs adopted, making sure they had a stake in building and refining the fleet.”
Collaboration and employee engagement are the keys to moving forward in this space
Engaging with drivers
The Volvo XC90 is a good example of how the fleet team engaged with its driver community. Initially, one unit was trialled and the specification developed based on their input. Now, National Highways operates 230 and the build is the industry benchmark for blue and amber light fleets.
“Our collaborative approach ensured that we understood driver needs, as they can spend up to 10 hours a day in these vehicles, and we’re proud that police fleets now replicate my design specification. Having drivers involved and consulted will also make it easier to guide them toward the next step, which is transitioning to electric vehicles.”
Collaboration
Collaboration and employee engagement are the keys to moving forward in this space, Edgecox believes and despite the dearth of current zero emission options, the team is tackling this complex shift head-on with a procurement policy driven by his leadership and expertise.
“We purchase around 200-300 units a year, which isn’t a significant volume for manufacturers, and we understand they’re unlikely to adjust the specifications of a 4x4 just for us. However, I take a very proactive approach to working with them. It’s an area where relationships are key and the best way to initiate meaningful dialogue. Especially, pilots are critical for us – they allow us to innovate, E
The Volvo XC90 is a good example of how the fleet team engaged with its driver commubnity
The National Highways team is also proactively collaborating with other fleet operators and organisations
F get involved early, and assess whether a vehicle will meet our needs.
“Right now, we’re in active conversations with several manufacturers and are passionate about driving progress, particularly in the van space. For us, it’s not just about hitting targets – it means ensuring long-term sustainability and fostering positive behaviour changes to help us become not only carbon-neutral but also carbonefficient, including exploring hydrogen options.”
The National Highways team is also proactively collaborating with other fleet operators and organisations, leveraging collective bargaining to strengthen their purchasing power, and this is where Edgecox’s role as a board member at the AFP is valuable. He serves on the main board of 13 directors and is leader of its new public sector fleet group.
“Historically, the public sector hasn’t received much focus in fleet, so I saw an opportunity to widen the scope and bring new members into
the fold. My role is to amplify the voice of public sector fleets, including central government, local authorities, councils, and major utilities. Our mission is to support these fleet managers, ensuring they have a platform to be heard. The AFP board are an outstanding team of fleet specialists, and I’m privileged to be part of the group.”
He says that the approach is really about collectivism. “At National Highways, we work
Strong relationships are the key to developing expertise and building capacity
closely with OZEV and the DfT, and through my position on the AFP board, we’re actively promoting the industry and helping members articulate the challenges of electrification. I’m
in something of a dual role — I support operational challenges on one side and contribute to policy on the other – but that twin perspective is invaluable, and I genuinely enjoy it.”
Public sector fleets can make significant progress and stay ahead of the curve by being agile, but it all comes down to building these constructive relationships, he says. “I’m fortunate to have an outstanding fleet team at National Highways that allows me to focus on creating links within the industry and seeking out new opportunities, which is crucial for our continued success.
The new Association of Fleet Professionals Public Sector Group launched in January 2025 and has been created in response to the need for a setting where detailed discussions can take place that cover the specific needs of these vehicle operators. Martin Edgecox explained: “Everyone working in public sector fleets faces quite specific challenges and having somewhere to share best practice and raise issues among our peers promises to be very valuable.” The group plans to meet several times a year and any member of the AFP involved with a public sector fleet can attend on request. More details about this and joining the AFP, with membership starting at just £99, are available from administration@theafp.co.uk or at Member Benefits – Fleet Operators - AFP.
“While fleet management has evolved technologically over the years, the core of the work we do remains rooted in personal and faceto-face dialogue. The sector is quite traditional in that sense and that’s a good thing, I believe. Strong relationships are the key to developing expertise and building capacity, and I hope that approach continues for a long time.” M
About AFP
The Association of Fleet Professionals brings together over 1,500 fleet professionals to form the recognised industry body for car and light commercial fleet management. A notfor-profit organisation, it provides everything from training and campaigning through to white papers and events, as well as creating a wide range of committees and forums for the discussion of current issues and best practice. More details can be found at www.theafp.co.uk.
www.theafp.co.uk
The new AFP Public Sector Fleet Group
not only optimised for performance but also seamlessly aligned with your strategic objectives.
Revolutionising public sector finance with AP solutions
In the public sector, efficient Accounts Payable (AP) solutions are driving financial transformation. By adopting advanced tools like SAP Invoice Management by OpenText or Central Invoice Management, organisations are streamlining operations, ensuring transparency and accountability. A breakthrough is the integration of modern e-invoicing networks with SAP’s Vendor Invoice Management (VIM), which eliminate inefficiencies by enabling the seamless exchange of structured invoice
data between trading partners, reducing errors and automating compliance checks. For organisations operating within strict budgets, this lowers processing costs and cultivates faster, more secure workflows. AI and machine learning further elevate these solutions, automating tasks like fraud detection and predictive analytics. These technologies simplify processes, improve invoice accuracy, and ensure prompt payments while providing decision-making insights.
Scalable and resilient, SAP platforms empower public
sector entities to meet evolving challenges while strengthening supplier relationships through timely payments and robust financial visibility. For UK government organisations, adopting these tools is a commitment to innovation, fiscal responsibility, and public service excellence. By embracing modern AP solutions, the public sector is well-positioned to navigate today’s complexities with agility and accuracy. M
Implementing cloud-first
The government’s cloud-first policy was introduced in 2013. Since its launch, further documents have been published to support and build on the policy. This has continued under the current Labour government, which has also released additional material in support of the approach
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a way of delivering computing services, such as data storage, applications, and processing power, over the internet instead of relying on personal or onsite hardware. This allows individuals and organisations to access the resources they need without purchasing or maintaining physical infrastructure themselves.
There are three main types of cloud computing services commonly used. The first is software as a service, or SaaS, which allows users to access and use software applications over the internet, typically through a web browser, without needing to install or manage them locally. The second is platform as a service, or PaaS, which provides a cloud-based environment that developers can use to build, test, and deploy applications, removing the need to manage the
underlying hardware and software layers. The third is infrastructure as a service, or IaaS, which offers virtualised computing infrastructure such as servers, storage, and networking components, allowing users to run applications and manage workloads on demand via the cloud.
What are the benefits?
Cloud computing allows you to treat core IT resources, such as computing power, network capacity, storage, and energy usage, as utilities. These resources can be accessed and scaled on demand, rather than being purchased and maintained upfront. As you move further along the cloud computing model toward software as a service (SaaS), the benefits increase, offering more value and efficiency across your operations. E
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Zenzero’s AI specialists transform raw info into actionable insights
Since 2004, we’ve grown from a local IT provider to a trusted technology partner across the UK and beyond. Today, we support over 55,000 users, including many in the public sector, with tailored IT, cyber security and data solutions. From responsive support to advanced analytics, we help organisations move forward with confidence and deliver meaningful outcomes. Our dedicated IT teams keep systems optimised and teams
productive, providing support that is responsive, reliable, and easy to access. We take a proactive approach to cyber security, safeguarding critical assets and reputations in an ever-changing threat landscape. Our data and AI specialists help transform raw information into actionable insights, empowering businesses to make smarter, faster decisions. What sets Zenzero apart is our commitment to partnership. We don’t just deliver technology solutions we become a trusted advisor
and collaborator. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, we bring proven expertise and a forward-thinking approach focused on longterm success. By managing IT complexity, we give leaders the freedom to focus on innovation and growth. With deep technical knowledge and a genuine investment in each client’s success, we help organisations thrive through technology delivering impact where it matters most. M
F One of the key advantages is the ability to focus more time and effort on developing services that directly benefit your users, instead of being tied up with the ongoing management of physical infrastructure or datacentres.
This shift not only reduces the operational burden but also frees up internal resources for innovation and service delivery.
Cloud computing also removes the need for large upfront capital investments in infrastructure. Instead, organisations can take advantage of scalable, pay-as-you-go pricing models. This helps reduce overall costs while still giving access to enterprise-grade infrastructure and performance.
Another benefit is the increased flexibility that comes with cloud-based services. It becomes easier and more affordable to experiment with new services, trial different approaches, or make adjustments to meet changing needs, without being locked into long-term infrastructure decisions.
Environmental sustainability is also supported through cloud adoption. By using cloud providers that operate highly efficient datacentres, you can reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint and align with the UK government’s Greening Government strategy. These providers typically optimise their use of power and physical server space far more effectively than traditional, on-premise solutions.
Security is another area where cloud services can offer improvements. Cloud providers regularly update their infrastructure with the
Cloud computing supports a more agile approach to planning and continuous improvement
latest technology, apply critical security patches promptly, and manage the security of the layers they are responsible for. This helps ensure a stronger baseline of protection compared to many in-house setups.
With the cloud, services are typically designed to be more resilient and highly available. This means improved reliability for users and better continuity during unexpected disruptions. In addition, access to cloud-based services can help attract and retain skilled digital professionals, offering your teams better tools and support.
Finally, cloud computing supports a more agile approach to planning and continuous improvement. With easier access to data, tools, and scalable infrastructure, your organisation can iterate and evolve more effectively to meet the needs of users and respond to emerging challenges.
Choosing cloud as a government organisation
When procuring or renewing services, it is mandatory for all government organisations to first consider and thoroughly evaluate potential cloud solutions before exploring any other options. This requirement ensures that the E
9 in 10 people are dealing with high stress levels at work
It doesn’t have to be this way. The public sector is awakening to the benefits of technology and here’s why...
It doesn’t have to be this way. The public sector is awakening to the benefits of technology and here’s why...
Increased productivity
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Do more work, in less time and work from whenever, wherever.
Do more work, in less time and work from whenever, wherever.
Boosted staff morale
Boosted staff morale
Less staff sickness, less pressure and easier ways of working for happier teams.
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FINDING THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU
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There many ways that you can improve your workflow and manage admin including speech recognition, dictation, automatic meeting transcription and other forms of AI.
There many ways that you can improve your workflow and manage admin including speech recognition, dictation, automatic meeting transcription and other forms of
Luckily, we can help you with all of the above - And at a reduced price thanks to the GCloud framework
Luckily, we can help you with all of the above - And at a reduced price thanks to the GCloud framework.
You must be fully aware of government policies and guidance related to offshoring and data residency
F government maximises the benefits of cloud technology, such as scalability, cost efficiency, and flexibility, while adhering to best practices for digital transformation.
To help guide your decision-making process, you can refer to detailed guidance on migrating to and using cloud services in the public sector. This guidance provides essential information on how to effectively adopt cloud computing, ensuring that you make informed choices about the right services for your organisation’s specific needs. The aim is to streamline the transition and optimise the use of cloud technologies within the public sector.
When choosing the most suitable cloud computing service for your organisation, there are several key factors to consider. First, it is essential to continually revalidate your cloud hosting strategy to ensure it remains aligned with the evolving needs of your organisation. Cloud services and technologies are constantly changing, so periodic reviews are critical to maintaining a robust and future-proof strategy. You must also take into account your existing legacy technology. Some systems may not be fully compatible with certain cloud platforms, or they might require additional work to integrate effectively. Evaluating these legacy systems and understanding how they will work within a cloud environment is crucial to making a seamless transition.
Lastly, it is important to assess the hosting business case. This involves evaluating the financial implications, including cost comparisons, potential savings, and any other economic considerations of moving to the cloud. A clear, well-founded business case will help justify the decision and ensure that the shift to cloud computing delivers long-term value to your organisation.
What to consider when migrating
When deciding how and what to migrate to the public cloud, there are several important factors to consider in order to ensure a successful transition. First and foremost, you must be fully aware of government policies and guidance related to offshoring and data residency. These regulations are critical, as they dictate
where and how your data can be stored and processed, ensuring compliance with legal and security standards.
Security is another key consideration. It’s essential to verify that your chosen cloud solution provides the appropriate level of security for your organisation’s needs. This includes ensuring that data protection measures are in place, such as encryption and access control, and that the cloud provider follows industry standards and regulations to safeguard your sensitive information.
Selecting a multidisciplinary team is also vital. To effectively navigate the complexities of cloud migration, it’s important to assemble a team that includes expertise in commercial, technical, and service delivery areas. This collaborative approach will help ensure that all aspects of the migration process are considered, from cost and contracts to technical compatibility and enduser support.
Another important factor to weigh is vendor lock-in. You should consider the amount of lock-in you are willing to accept when choosing a cloud provider, and how you can manage technical dependencies in the cloud environment. Vendor lock-in occurs when it becomes difficult to move services or data between providers due to proprietary technologies or formats, and managing this risk can provide greater long-term flexibility.
Finally, ensuring that your staff have the necessary training to both implement and E
Logistream provides access to architectural offerings that cover application, Technology, business, infrastructure & Enterprise to meet the desired organisational objectives at solution & technical level with planning, designing solutions with road maps that fit everyone’s needs.
Logistream is an official Crown Commercial Service (CCS) G-Cloud 14 Framework (Lot 3) & Digital Outcomes & Specialist (DoS 6) framework supplier. Clients can request work of varying sizes from small, quick tasks to large, complex implementations.
Our Specialties
• Analysis, Architectural Planning, Design and Implementation of Cloud Technology Solutions
• Build and integration of Software, Data and Infrastructure Solutions
• Expert Knowledge and Multi Disciplinary Approaches
• Responsibility for Architectural Principles, Strategies, Frameworks and Technology Roadmaps
• Technical Documentation & Knowledge Transfer with Project and Operation Teams
• Strong Client base including Banking, Finance, Telco and Energy Industries
• Identify Redundant Technologies/ Hardware that can be decommissioned
• Consultants experienced in working in Gov. Departments
• Enterprise, Information, Network, Solution, Service and Technical Architects available
• Identify Cloud Incompatible technologies in advance of onboarding
F use cloud computing is crucial for the success of the migration. Ongoing training and development will empower your team to effectively manage the new cloud environment, make the most of cloud tools, and stay up to date with evolving technologies and practices.
Cloud-First
When procuring either new or existing services, public sector organisations are expected to prioritise the use of public cloud solutions as the default option. This “cloud-first” approach reflects the government’s broader strategy to modernise digital infrastructure, improve efficiency, and deliver better value for public services. While this requirement is mandatory for central government departments, it is also strongly recommended for the wider public sector, including local authorities, health bodies, and other public institutions. Using public cloud services by default helps organisations take advantage of scalable infrastructure, flexible pricing, and the latest technology without the burden of maintaining physical hardware. It supports innovation and responsiveness while enabling faster and more cost-effective delivery of digital services. However, in cases where deploying services in the public cloud is not feasible, whether due to specific technical, regulatory, or operational constraints, organisations must be able to clearly justify their decision. This includes
Public sector organisations are expected to follow the Government Cloud Principles when planning, designing, and delivering digital services
documenting the rationale for choosing an alternative solution, presenting a strong business case, and demonstrating that the chosen approach offers value for money when compared to public cloud options.
Government Cloud principles
Public sector organisations are expected to follow the Government Cloud Principles when planning, designing, and delivering digital services. These principles are designed to help strike a careful balance between delivering technology at pace, managing cost and resource requirements, and minimising risk. By adhering to these guidelines, organisations can make more informed decisions, support innovation, and maintain strong governance over their cloud strategies.
One of the core principles is to focus on services, not servers. This means using higherlevel cloud services, such as managed platforms and tools, to deliver business value quickly. These services should be resilient, performant, secure, and easily recoverable, allowing teams to focus on outcomes rather than managing infrastructure.
Organisations should adopt a Public Cloud or Software as a Service (SaaS) first approach wherever possible. If public cloud or SaaS solutions are not viable, then private cloud options, including Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), may be considered. In all cases, infrastructure should be provisioned and managed using infrastructureas-code to ensure consistency, repeatability, and agility.
Where private cloud is used, it must meet the five essential characteristics of cloud computing: on-demand, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service. These features are critical to achieving the flexibility and efficiency that cloud computing offers. Additionally, organisations should assess whether the private cloud solution provides adequate security benefits and aligns with good cloud practices. E
F In cases where hosting services on-premises is unavoidable, the use of Crown Hosting is strongly recommended. Crown Hosting offers a solution specifically designed for government needs, providing a streamlined procurement process and reducing the overhead of traditional hosting arrangements. Teams should also be supported in using cloud services that are hosted overseas or globally, provided that due diligence is carried out. This includes following guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure compliance with data protection and security requirements.
Support code is to be reused in the Cloud by aligning Cloud configuration, Landing Zones and hosting architectures across the public sector.
Security must be embedded by design, in line with the NCSC’s security principles. Systems and services should be protected from the outset and maintained to agreed standards, ensuring resilience against evolving threats. Organisations should also apply best commercial practices when procuring cloud services. This includes leveraging vendor relationships established by Crown Commercial Service through frameworks and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). Taking advantage of collective buying power helps ensure better pricing, improved terms, and reduced procurement overhead across government. Finally, each time a new service or feature is developed, teams should review all available vendors and cloud services to determine the most suitable solution for the task. This
The framework also supports better value for money and transparency
approach encourages competition, drives innovation, and ensures that vendors are incentivised to continuously improve their offerings.
G-Cloud
The G-Cloud framework helps the public sector achieve the cloud-first policy by making it easier, faster, and more transparent to find and procure cloud-based services. It removes many of the traditional barriers to cloud adoption and directly supports the government’s ambition to prioritise cloud solutions for public sector technology needs.
One of the key benefits of G-Cloud is that it simplifies the procurement process. It provides access to a wide range of pre-approved cloud suppliers and services through the Digital Marketplace, allowing organisations to avoid complex and time-consuming tendering processes. This supports quicker decisionmaking and enables faster delivery of digital services, in line with the cloud-first approach.
G-Cloud is structured around cloud service models such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This helps ensure that public cloud and ready-to-use services are prioritised over more traditional or bespoke solutions. By encouraging scalable, flexible service models, the framework makes it easier for organisations
to adopt modern, cloud-native tools that meet their needs.
The framework also supports better value for money and transparency. Because suppliers publish detailed information about their services, terms, and pricing, public sector buyers can compare options more easily and choose the most appropriate and cost-effective
solution. This visibility promotes competition and helps drive down costs.
Risk is also reduced when using G-Cloud, as all suppliers go through a vetting process that includes checks on their security practices, data handling, and service capabilities. This provides a level of assurance for buyers and is especially valuable for organisations with limited in-house expertise in cloud procurement or management.
By using G-Cloud, organisations can also ensure compliance with government policies and standards, including those around data protection, security, and sustainability. This makes it easier to adopt cloud services while remaining aligned with regulatory and strategic requirements.
Finally, G-Cloud opens up access to a wide range of suppliers, including many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This increases the diversity of providers and gives public sector organisations access to more innovative, agile solutions, rather than relying solely on large legacy vendors. In doing so, the framework supports a more competitive and dynamic cloud services market across government. L
Specialists in Public Sector Finance Transformation Programs
Smarter Government Starts here.
Save time, cut costs and boost efficiency
NetTranslate
Speak 100+ languages instantly.
INBOX
Streamlined workflows. Faster responses.
BiziBOT
Smart automation. Effortless service.
Branded Calls
Trusted calls. Higher engagement.
Meeting Insight Assistant Instant summaries.
Actionable insights.
Branded Message
Clear identity.
Combating cybercrime.
Removing language barriers to enhance public sector services
As the UK becomes more culturally diverse, local authorities face increasing pressure to provide accessible services to all residents—no matter what language they speak. Councils now serve communities where English may not be the first language and effective communication has never been more essential
The language challenge in local government
According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 600,000 people in the UK reported being unable to speak English well—or at all—as of 2021. Traditional translation and interpreter services are expensive, and many councils are already working with tight budgets and limited resources. Balancing cost-efficiency with the need to meet statutory accessibility requirements is a growing challenge.
Introducing NetTranslate
NetTranslate is an innovative real-time AI translation tool that integrates directly into existing telecoms and digital systems. It allows natural, two-way conversations between council staff and residents—without the need for additional training or hiring multilingual staff. Supporting over 40 spoken and 100 written languages, NetTranslate helps ensure that all council services are accessible to everyone, regardless of language. Whether it’s housing, council tax, waste collection, education or social care—staff can speak in English, while residents respond in their preferred language. NetTranslate handles the rest in real-time, ensuring smooth, instant communication that feels natural on both ends.
Key benefits for councils
Cost efficiency : reduces reliance on costly translation services and interpreter booking. Empowered staff: enables frontline workers to support more residents directly, increasing service speed and satisfaction. Digital-first ready: Works across phone, web, and digital platforms, supporting modern communication strategies. Compliance and security: offers encrypted, reliable translations with transcription options for record-keeping and legal compliance.
A step toward inclusive public services
For councils serving multilingual populations, NetTranslate isn’t just a tech solution—it’s a bridge to better community engagement. It helps meet statutory equality duties while also reducing costs and building public trust. As the UK continues to evolve demographically, making council services accessible in any language isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
Learn more about NetTranslate
Omnia Smart Technologies: Smarter local authority operations—delivered with you
Across the UK, local authorities are being asked to deliver more with less. From reducing emissions and improving service quality, to managing budget constraints and digital transformation goals, councils face growing pressure to modernise
At Omnia, we believe technology should make life easier—not harder. That’s why we built a flexible, cloud-based platform designed specifically for local authority operations. But we don’t just offer software—we partner with councils to deliver practical, proven solutions that work in the real world.
We start by listening. Every authority is different. Our team works closely with fleet managers, planners, operations staff, and control rooms to understand how things work today—and where smarter tools can help improve outcomes.
Our platform focuses on two core tools that deliver immediate impact:
AIOne Job and Vehicle Management
This module lets councils plan, dispatch, and monitor services in real time. Whether it’s refuse collection, street cleansing, or winter gritting, teams can track job progress, reassign missed or delayed tasks, and support drivers
with in-cab guidance. Live dashboards and automated reports help reduce admin while improving service reliability.
AIOne MapSmart
AIOne MapSmart helps councils rethink how service areas are modelled. You can redraw collection zones, group properties more efficiently, and simulate the impact of changes—like switching to three-week bin collections. It cuts planning time by up to 60 per cent and reduces overlaps by 25 per cent, helping teams save time, fuel, and effort.
Importantly, the AIOne platform is designed to be easy to use. There’s no complex setup or steep learning curve—just a clean, intuitive system that works across departments. Whether you’re a planner, a team leader, or a driver, AIOne is built to fit how you work.
We also know technology alone isn’t enough. That’s why our team is always there to support you—from setup to daily use. Whether it’s configuring workflows or solving issues, we’re committed to walking the journey with you. Other modules include: AIOne Asset Management for tracking bins, vehicles, and equipment, and AIOne FleetMind for AI-powered insights to help manage live operations.
Now available on G-Cloud 14, AIOne gives councils a fast, compliant way to modernise services. M
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Start With People, Not Platforms
6bythree didn’t just deliver a better website. They made the complex feel manageable.
At 6bythree we listen first. We collaborate with stakeholders to codesign digital experiences that are intuitive, inclusive, and easy to manage.
Take our work with South Cambridgeshire District Council. By closely working with their stakeholders, we simplified key journeys, restructured content, and realigned the site to meet the needs of their service users. Resulting in a 28% drop in service calls and an uplift in satisfaction.
Whether it’s a full rebuild or small improvements, digital transformation should go beyond the tech, It’s culture, clarity, and change
Start with the right partner. To find out more visit 6bythree co uk or email the team: hello@6bythree.com
HOUSING MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
Staff Resistance
Isn’t Inevitable
Our solution offers the following features:
Tenant & Property Management
Repairs & Maintenance Tracking
Compliance Documentation Management
Housing Benefit Management
Reporting & Analytics
Communication & Automation
Auditing & Security
Flexible Structure but that’s not all we offer...
Our team has worked with:
Even the smartest platform fails to deliver if staff aren’t confident using it. That’s why our implementation process puts your people first.
We work with you to design onboarding that fits your teams. Whether they’re tech-savvy or still relying on spreadsheets, our intuitive platform reduces training time, and our handson support ensures staff feel capable, not overwhelmed. No jargon. No steep learning curves. Just tailored guidance, short-form tutorials, and practical demonstrations built around your workflows.
You won’t need to push adoption, by partnering with PFP, it happens naturally, because the platform just makes sense.
If you’d like to find out more email: hello@portalsforpeople.com or visit our website.
Unlock the Full Potential of Your SAP Investment
Complex SAP challenges? We simplify them
At Aliter Consulting, we combine deep SAP expertise with a customer-first mindset to modernise, secure, and optimise your SAP environment - so your systems are compliant, future-ready, and delivering real value
With expert support every step of the way, we ensure minimal disruption, maximum value, and long-term success.
Our Core Service Offering
Unmatched SAP ExpertiseDecades of combined SAP experience.
Optimised for Performance & Growth - Lower costs, optimised performance.
Tailored, Not Template-BasedNo one-size-fits-all solutions
Seamless Migrations & Upgrades - S/4HANA, SAP BTP, RISE with SAP
Industry-Wide Support - Success across multiple sectors & verticals
Empowering Digital Futures with Aliter Consulting
In an era where technology defines the pace of business, agility isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. For forward-thinking organisations across the UK and beyond, Aliter Consulting has become a trusted ally in driving
and SAP specialists, they work as an extension of their client’s organisation, embedding themselves in the culture and goals of each business they support. The result is not just delivery—but real transformation.
Aliter’s work is already making waves across central and local government, finance, utilities, and the regulated private sector. Clients turn to them not only for technical capability, but for clarity, consistency, and trust.
At a time when many feel lost in the fog of digital noise, Aliter Consulting offers a different path: clear, pragmatic, and focused on progress.
For organisations looking to modernise with confidence, Aliter is more than a consultancy. They are a strategic partner for a smarter future. M
Enhancing hybrid working with Clearooms
As hybrid working becomes the norm, managing office space efficiently has never been more critical. This is where Clearooms comes in –providing an all-in-one, cost-effective, and easy-to-use solution tailored to the evolving needs of modern workplaces
A comprehensive, cost-effective solution
Clearooms offers a flexible, cloud-based platform that enables employees to book desks and meeting rooms with ease. Designed for organisations of all sizes, it eliminates the inefficiencies of manual booking processes, ensuring optimal workspace allocation. Added to this, Clearooms pricing is based on the number of desks and rooms in the system and not the number of users, which offers considerable potential savings compared to other solutions.
Seamless integration and scalability
One of Clearooms’ standout features is its ability to integrate seamlessly into existing IT ecosystems. With Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities and a host of enterpriselevel integrations, it ensures secure and straightforward access for users. Whether for small teams or large government departments, Clearooms scales effortlessly, adapting to evolving workplace needs without compromising functionality.
Expert support and public sector expertise
Clearooms is backed by a UK-based support team, offering dedicated assistance to help organisations optimise their hybrid working strategies. From onboarding, and floorplan creation to ongoing support, users receive expert guidance tailored to their needs. Having worked extensively with public sector bodies, Clearooms has a deep understanding of government and council requirements, ensuring that the system meets sector-specific challenges.
“Clearooms has streamlined our room booking process, making it efficient and hasslefree. A reliable, user-friendly system for our operations.” – Breckland District Council
Recognised and trusted
Clearooms is featured on the Government Procurement Portal, making it a trusted and vetted solution for public sector organisations. This recognition underscores its commitment to meeting high standards of security, reliability, and compliance—essential factors for councils, healthcare trusts, and other government entities.
Supporting sustainability goals
Many organisations are committed to sustainability, minimising their environmental footprint, and reducing the need for redundant office space aligns with these sustainability targets. Clearooms not only helps in this regard, ensuring that resources are allocated based on need, but its reporting tools also prove invaluable in helping to understand usage patterns for future planning.
For organisations embracing hybrid work, Clearooms desk and room booking software is an essential tool that delivers efficiency, cost savings, and workplace optimisation. With seamless integration, UK-based support, and a strong presence in the public sector, Clearooms is helping businesses and government bodies create smarter, more effective work environments. M
