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What is the Insight 2024 Trends Report?
Humanising the Digital Customer Experience
A TRENDS REPORT SPECIAL
THE HUMAN TOUCH
How to Reduce Financial Risk in IT:
SE | Issue 1 - 2024
The Intersection of FinOps and GreenOps
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Editor’s Letter
Dear readers, Welcome to the latest edition of the Tech Journal, where we explore the latest trends and emerging technologies in the IT industry. In today's fast-paced world, staying ahead of the curve is more important than ever, and that's where the Insight Trends Report comes in. In this edition of our magazine, we delve into the key insights from our latest Trends Report and explore how businesses can utilise this information to their advantage. As business leaders, it's essential to keep up with the latest developments in areas such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The Insight Trends Report provides valuable insights into these areas, based on interviews with Insight's team of experts, and considers how they can be applied to solve real-world business challenges. Once you’ve had a read of the Tech Journal, if you’ve not already, check out Insight’s Trends Report. I think it’ll equip you with an even deeper understanding of the IT landscape and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. This report well help you to make informed decisions about IT investments, identify areas where you may need to improve your technology infrastructure, and stay ahead of the competition. We hope you find this edition of our magazine, as well as our new Trends Report informative and thought-provoking. Thank you for reading, and we look forward to bringing you more insights into the world of IT in the future. Sincerely Jill Murray
Jill Murray Vice President Marketing, EMEA
Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief Jill Murray
Amie Mulderrig Jack Barnes
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What is the Insight 2024 Trends Report? The Human Touch: Humanising the Digital Customer Experience Create a More Secure and Engaging Digital Environment Unlocking the Power of Data and AI for Digital Transformation Defining the Digital Transformation Path Auroflex Client Story Insight's Generative AI Journey How to Reduce Financial Risk in IT: The Intersection of FinOps and GreenOps Simplicity at its Finest: How a Managed Cloud Gives You Space to Innovate The Future of Work? Decentralised and Flexible Trailblazing Augmented Reality Technology to Revolutionise Care Provision Torbay Council Client Story
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Contents
Julie Eggleton Mushadek Ahmed Rakhi Vyas
Phil Hawkshaw Rob O'Connor Santo Orlando Antony Taylor Lee Wilkinson
Design Team
As the world becomes increasingly digitised, keeping up with the latest trends, innovations and emerging technologies in the IT industry is more important than ever. Business leaders who want to stay ahead of the curve need to be aware of the latest developments in areas such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This is where the Insight Trends Report comes in.
This annual report provides valuable insights into the latest trends and technologies in the IT industry, based on predictions from Insight's team of experts. In a world where technology is constantly evolving, the Insight Trends Report is a valuable resource for any business leader who wants to stay ahead of the curve and ensure their organisation is equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. The first trend in our report considers the effect of this evolution on customer and employee relationships. We look at its impact on businesses’ digital transformation strategies and the rise of the ‘phygital’ consumer, who expects to move seamlessly between digital and physical interactions in this new hybrid world. How can organisations balance this demand for more personalised digital experiences with technologies that also carry a certain risk of homogenisation? Some Insight clients are already pioneering new approaches, and our experts predict a rise in the use of AR and VR as they seek to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience for their customers and end-users. The next trend examines how the implementation of gen AI tools in particular will drive organisations closer to their perennial goal of realising the locked-away value of their data. Much of the early conversation around AI has been about the automation of routine operational tasks and processes. However, gen AI opens up the potential for these tools to learn from and transform the data collected at the point of interaction into organisational intelligence and help to build a new generation of applications which will feed that knowledge back into enhanced business performance and customer interactions.
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Editor’s Letter What is the Insight 2024 Trends Report? The Human Touch: Humanising the Digital Customer Experience Create a More Secure and Engaging Digital Environment Unlocking the Power of Data and AI for Digital Transformation Defining the Digital Transformation Path Auroflex Client Story Insight's Generative AI Journey How to Reduce Financial Risk in IT: The Intersection of FinOps and GreenOps Simplicity at its Finest: How a Managed Cloud Gives You Space to Innovate The Future of Work? Decentralised and Flexible Trailblazing Augmented Reality Technology to Revolutionise Care Provision Torbay Council Client Story
With new technologies taking much of the spotlight, the C-suite’s attention will also be drawn to sustainability, lengthening device replacement cycles, reducing their business’s energy consumption, and modernising IT infrastructures to embrace the cloud and enable a more streamlined scale of economy. Our experts at Insight are driven by our own commitment to improving sustainability in every aspect of technology services, consultancy and implementation. We discuss how this is embedded throughout our supply chain, and the way we work with our partners to reduce power consumption and boost innovation to make their own products and technologies sustainable. We also suggest how clients should assess their entire IT estate to identify opportunities for improved sustainability.
One of the main sustainability challenges for business is the proliferation of devices. With a workforce that is increasingly at ease with intelligent devices, the concept of ‘smart everything, everywhere’ – in homes, offices, buildings and cities - has long since ceased to be a futuristic vision. In 2024, Insight expects to see the increased convergence of AI and the IoT, with intelligent edge computing being used to analyse data at the point of capture and transforming it into knowledge for the organisation. Of course, we do not ignore the potential cybersecurity risks that data-collecting devices can also introduce – a holistic approach to IT security will remain a priority for all clients.
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Finally, we look at a trend which essentially brings our forecasts together in the context of the changing world of work – and assess how businesses will depend on technology partners who can help them meet the needs of their employees and customers. We examine the impact of recent years on working practices, and how the workplace has become a distributed hybrid of remote and office-based productivity. People’s quest for a better work/life balance is a key factor here, and not just among the increasingly influential Gen Z demographic. Our experts predict that clients will need to face this challenge head-on and embed it in their digital transformation strategies. Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and emerging technologies in the IT industry is paramount. In short, the Insight Trends Report is a must-read for any business leader who wants to stay ahead of the game and ensure their organisation is equipped for success in the digital age.
Phil Hawkshaw
EMEA Director of Technology & CTO Office
As EMEA CTO, Phil and his team of experts are responsible for the technology and business solutions strategy for Insight's clients in EMEA. Having being in the industry for 30 years in a mixture of operational, engineering and client-facing roles, and with a passion for learning and problem-solving using the latest technologies available, Phil understands the challenges clients face, selecting and building solutions with the best tools, processes and capabilities around technology, ensuring businesses succeed.
Read more
View Trends Report
What is the Insight 2024 Trends Report? The Human Touch: Humanising the Digital Customer Experience Create a More Secure and Engaging Digital Environment Unlocking the Power of Data and AI for Digital Transformation Defining the Digital Transformation Path Auroflex Client Story Insight's Generative AI Journey How to Reduce Financial Risk in IT: The Intersection of FinOps and GreenOps Simplicity at its Finest: How a Managed Cloud Gives You Space to Innovate The Future of Work? Decentralised and Flexible Trailblazing Augmented Reality Technology to Revolutionise Care Provision: Torbay Council Client Story
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We’ve seen first-hand how digital transformation has impacted organisations across the globe. The need for a seamless hybrid world that straddles the virtual and physical has become a cultural phenomenon driven by customer expectations. The pressure for businesses to speed up their digital transformation is at an all-time high, and it is being applied at every level. However, this transformation also carries risks.
How can interactions with customers and employees remain empathetic and emotionally intelligent, while digitalisation drives automation ever deeper into the relationship itself? Humanising the digital experience is a trend that is gaining momentum as organisations seek innovative ways to bridge the digital and physical worlds. Utilising technology to transform customer and employee experience will be a priority for businesses in 2024. The first step in humanising the digital experience is to understand the needs and expectations of customers and employees. Businesses must take a customer-centric approach to digital transformation, focusing on delivering a seamless and personalised experience across all touchpoints. This means investing in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to gather and analyse data in real-time, enabling businesses to make informed decisions and provide personalised experiences to customers and employees. Another important aspect of humanising the digital experience is to ensure that digital interactions are empathetic and emotionally intelligent. This means investing in technologies such as chatbots and virtual assistants that can understand and respond to human emotions. These technologies can provide customers with a personalised and empathetic experience, even when interacting with a machine. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are also emerging as powerful tools for humanising the digital experience. These technologies can be used to create immersive experiences that break down barriers such as location, income, and education. For example, AR and VR can be used to provide remote training and education, allowing employees to learn and develop new skills from anywhere in the world.
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The Human Touch: Humanising the Digital Customer Experience
How can interactions with customers and employees remain empathetic and emotionally intelligent, while digitalisation drives automation ever deeper into the relationship itself?
Continue...
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In addition, AR and VR can be used to create immersive customer experiences that promote empathy and understanding. For example, AR and VR can be used to simulate different scenarios, allowing customers to understand the experiences and perspectives of others. This can help to reduce bias and prejudice and promote diversity and inclusion. However, it is essential to design these technologies with goals of equity and inclusion in mind, involving users and stakeholders from all backgrounds in the design process. It is equally important to address ethical and social issues such as privacy, security, and consent. Humanising the digital experience is not just about technology, it is also about culture. Businesses must create a culture that values empathy, emotional intelligence, and inclusivity. This means investing in employee training and development programs that promote these values and ensure that employees have the skills and knowledge to deliver a personalised and empathetic experience to customers. In addition, businesses must ensure that their digital customer solutions meet the primary requirement of being secure, compliant with regulations, and safeguard user privacy. Cultural adaptation with buy-in from all stakeholders will be as important as technological advance. In conclusion, humanising the digital experience is a trend that is gaining momentum as organisations seek innovative ways to bridge the digital and physical worlds. Utilising technology to transform customer and employee experience will be a priority for businesses in the coming years. However, it is essential to design these technologies with goals of equity and inclusion in mind, involving users and stakeholders from all backgrounds in the design process. It is equally important to address ethical and social issues such as privacy, security, and consent. By humanising the digital experience, businesses can create a more personalised, empathetic, and inclusive experience for customers and employees alike.
Jack Barnes
Senior Manager Adoption & Change at Insight
Jack is responsible for Insight's business change and adoption offerings, strategy, practice development and delivery of Adoption and Change Management offerings to our clients. Jack is an experienced consultant with a background in Digital Transformation and knows how hard it is to ensure that Business and IT work hand in hand to deliver the best experience to their end users. Jack and his adoption and change management team support organisations to ensure that projects meet their deliverables, they finish on time and on budget, and that their return on investment is realised: whilst always thinking about the end users first.
One of the most significant trends that is emerging this year is the need to humanise the digital experience. This trend has been fuelled by the need for organisations to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds and provide a seamless experience for both customers and employees. While this trend has many benefits, it also presents significant challenges when it comes to IT security.
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Humanising the digital experience involves utilising technology to create a more personalised and engaging experience for users. This can include everything from chatbots and virtual assistants to augmented and virtual reality. By leveraging these technologies, organisations can create a more immersive and interactive experience for users, which can lead to increased engagement and loyalty. However, as organisations embrace these technologies, they also need to be aware of the potential security risks. For example, chatbots and virtual assistants can be vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can compromise sensitive customer data. Similarly, measures need to be taken to moderate content and police offensive behaviour in VR environments. To mitigate these risks, organisations need to take a proactive approach to IT security. This involves implementing robust security measures that can protect against cyber attacks and data breaches. Many of the traditional security controls are still valid, such as encryption, Multi Factor Authentication and Incident response planning, but there are some new threats which need to be considered: Prompt injections: In a prompt injection attack, a malicious user of a chatbot can ‘trick’ the bot into providing more information than was originally intended. Validating input data for inappropriate requests can help reduce this risk. Jailbreaks: Similar to a prompt injection, a user can craft a request to a chatbot which causes it to break out of its intended purpose and start acting on the instructions of the user which could for example generate inappropriate content. Input validation and sanitisation can help here too.
Create a more secure and engaging digital environment
Source code vulnerabilities: Creating multi channel applications is difficult and often relies on a single backend infrastructure to sitting between the users on laptops, mobile devices and VR headsets and the databases. Vulnerabilities in the code which control these interactions can lead to users being able to access data which was not intended, leading to privacy and legal issues. Source code audits, often using automated tools during the build process are key to preventing these attacks. While the humanisation of the digital experience presents significant opportunities for organisations to create more engaging and personalised experiences for users, it also presents significant IT security challenges, which need to be addressed proactively. By implementing robust security measures and taking a proactive approach to IT security, organisations can mitigate the associated risks and create a more secure and engaging digital environment for both their customers and employees.
Rob O’Connor
EMEA Strategy Lead, CTO Office, Security & Compliance
Responsible for Insight’s solutions that help clients to keep their data and assets secure and compliant with regulatory requirements and legislation. He has been working in IT since 2003 across several delivery, pre-sales, management and strategic roles. Rob keenly champions ‘security pragmatism’ – time and budget is always limited, so it’s important to focus on the right things and do them properly. Rob holds an MBA with distinction in Technology Management.
Unlocking the Power of Data and AI for Digital Transformation
The integration of intelligent applications can help automate processes, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experiences.
The exponential growth of AI has been a remarkable technological phenomenon in recent years, with the advent of cloud computing and the development of large language models (LLMs) making AI more powerful than ever before. The cloud has enabled AI to access vast amounts of data and computational power, while LLMs have significantly improved natural language processing. This has opened new, extremely advanced and unexpected scenarios, transforming the landscape of technology as we know it. The advent of Generative AI (Gen AI) has introduced the intelligent application, a game changer that has significantly altered the existing paradigm. This shift has led to the development of more advanced use cases, such as the creation of images or the generation of new text. These applications are not just limited to simple tasks but have the potential to revolutionize industries by creating unique, innovative content, aiding in scientific research, enhancing communication, and much more. However, with this increased power and capability comes the need for ethical considerations and responsible use. As AI continues to evolve and reshape our world, we must strive to harness its potential in a way that benefits all, while minimizing any potential risks or harm. The use of AI has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, and for good reason. The integration of intelligent applications can help automate processes, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experiences. This can involve the use of AI in areas such as data analysis, customer service and operations management, with the goal of maximising the value of customer data and driving efficiency, productivity, and innovation. However, the success of any digital transformation initiative is dependent on data. Data is the raw material that fuels digital and AI initiatives, and it's critical to collect, manage, and analyse data effectively to support these strategies. Just as oxygen is vital for life, data is crucial for digital and AI initiatives, and it serves as the foundation for these transformations.
The first step in leveraging data for digital and AI initiatives is to collect it effectively. This involves identifying the right data sources, collecting the data in a structured and consistent way, and ensuring that the data is accurate and complete. Data collection should be an ongoing process, as new data sources may become available over time. Once data has been collected, it's essential to manage it effectively. This includes storing the data in a secure and accessible way, cleaning and transforming the data to make it usable, and integrating the data from different sources to create a unified view. Effective data management is critical to ensure that organisations can leverage their data effectively for digital and AI initiatives. Democratising analytics means empowering all staff members, regardless of their technical expertise, to use data-driven insights in their roles. This can be achieved through user-friendly tools and training. By democratising analytics, organisations can break down silos and promote collaboration across teams, enabling all staff members to contribute to the organisation's success. Unifying analytics involves creating a single source of truth for data, while data governance ensures the data's quality, security, and compliance. Data governance is critical to ensure that the data is accurate, complete, and secure, and that it complies with regulatory requirements. By unifying analytics and ensuring data governance, organisations can ensure that all staff members are working from the same set of data, which can help ensure consistency and accuracy across the organisation. Additionally, it's essential to analyse the data effectively to gain insights and make informed decisions. This involves using advanced analytics techniques to identify patterns and trends in the data, as well as machine learning and AI to automate the analysis process. By leveraging data effectively, organisations can gain a competitive advantage and drive innovation and growth. With the crucial role that data plays in maximising organisational intelligence, it's imperative to manage the data lifecycle efficiently. Automation can streamline data collection, processing, integration, storage, and analysis, reducing manual effort and minimising errors. It can also enable real-time data processing, providing organisations with immediate and actionable insights. Quality assurance mechanisms need to be integrated at each step of the data pipeline to ensure the data's reliability, accuracy, and relevance, thereby supporting informed decision-making and strategic planning.
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Finally, the integration of intelligent applications can help businesses maximise their organisational intelligence, but data is the foundation of digital and AI initiatives. By collecting, managing, and analysing data effectively, democratising and unifying analytics with data governance, and leveraging automation to drive operational efficiency, organisations can unlock the full potential of their data and drive innovation and growth.
Santo Orlando
EMEA Strategy Lead, CTO Office, Modern App and Data & AI
As part of the Office of the CTO, Santo leads the Modern App and Data & AI go-to-market strategy. He is responsible for developing and implementing new Insight offerings for all EMEA regions across these two domains. Santo is a consulting and technology leader with more than 23 years of experience in IT, encompassing various leadership and technical roles. He possesses extensive expertise in strategy, business development, as well as building and shaping complex IT solutions and digital transformation programs.
"As an expert in this field, I am excited to see how organisations will continue to innovate and leverage data and intelligent applications to drive success in the years to come."
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Insight enables Auroflex to leverage and offer the value of AI (in the creation of luxury labels)
Story Snapshot
With the support and expertise of Insight, Auroflex has accelerated its digital transformation journey, leading to the opening of new sales channels, the re-evaluation of business processes for order and supply review, and the implementation of Computer Vision and Generative AI algorithms. These technologies optimise the analysis of specific requests, providing more accurate, rapid and reliable outcomes. Insight’s approach and methodology allowed Auroflex to proceed with confidence and awareness, building a roadmap for future phases of the project.
For over 50 years, Auroflex has been one of the leading names in luxury label printing. Through the application of multiple printing and finishing techniques on luxury labels, created from customised projects and concepts, Auroflex allows its customers to position their products with a unique graphic design through an innovative use of technology and digitalisation.
“I appreciated Insight’s high level of professionalism and their ability to provide multiple solutions, which were not limited to the cloud. We found professionalism, a range of available solutions and alternatives, and significant skills and expertise.”
Fabio Butera, CEO, Auroflex
Why Insight?
With Insight, we started to design and implement the first phases of the project, and when we felt the need to go further, we always managed to find the best solution among various alternatives. Insight has demonstrated professionalism, availability of solutions and architectural and implementation skills in both the cloud environment and in Artificial Intelligence scenarios.
Results in numbers
20%
Time to market reduction.
80%
errors reduction.
reduction in time for quotes.
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graphic solutions available.
CLIENT STORY
Background
Challenge
Creating a label intended for a high-end market is a significant task. Whether we are talking about wines, oils, spirits or foods, the label is an important business card for the product and must convey not only the exclusivity and refinement of the product, but also the character and history of the brand. At the core of a quality label lies a process that seamlessly integrates the manufacturer’s ambitions, with the communication skills of the graphic designer and the experience of those involved in creation. They identify the best printing and finishing technologies to create an unforgettable label. Auroflex, who has always been a leader in technological advancements in the sector, chose to transform its business processes by...
introducing automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence.
Auroflex chose Insight as a strategic partner for the design and implementation of its digital transformation path, which saw the introduction of innovative technologies. The sales channels have been renewed and revolutionised, transforming the website into an e-commerce platform and creating an area for interaction with external graphic professionals. Additionally, the platform was prepared for the use of Generative AI, effectively positioning the digital channel as the main future sales avenue for the company’s business. The introduction of Generative AI algorithms allows the consultancy phase to be moved completely to digital channels. Quotation services for customised workmanship and graphic consultancy in the development of personalised creative ideas are now digitalised, improving the user experience with real time results, that are more homogeneous. The use of Computer Vision algorithms allows the analysis of a graphic project and the definition of the sequence of necessary processes, materials and special inks required...
Solution and Outcome
This results in time and cost estimates, as well as additional indications and recommendations for optimising the final appearance of the label, based on appropriate artificial intelligence models. This technology enables the improvement of efficiency and precision in the label production process. The graphic project can then be rendered in 3D and commented on or completed using bots and text generation algorithms, before being validated by Auroflex professionals. When the order is finalised a Robot Process Automation (RPA) activity automates and streamlines the processes of ordering printing stock from suppliers, resulting in evident reductions in time and optimisation in the management and execution of the order supply.
“With Insight we started to design and implement the first phases of the project, and when we felt the need to go further, together, we always managed to find the best solution among various alternatives.”
Fabio Butera, CEO, Auroflex.
Watch the video
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This is the Story of Insight's Generative AI Journey
With a specialized “tiger team” of experts in AI, our IT consulting firm devised a strategy for generative AI adoption. The process involved many elements — data collection, user training, integration with existing systems — and the Hippocratic oath was applicable to each one: “First, do no harm.” There’s a reason 65% of organizations increased their spend on cybersecurity. And that reason is this: No emerging technology, regardless of its potential value, is worth introducing a security risk that threatens business continuity (or worse). So, our question became: How can we implement this once-in-a-generation technology in a way that’s safe, responsible and sustainable? Rather than wait for others to provide an answer, we developed our own comprehensive framework. Insight is ideally positioned for this purpose. We were one of the first organizations to test and implement Microsoft Azure OpenAI® at the enterprise level. We knew it was critical that data inputted into InsightGPT would not reach the public generative AI model. This meant deploying a private (secure) instance of ChatGPT, dubbed InsightGPT.
The InsightGPT journey at a glance. Challenge Rapid and secure adoption of a generative AI solution. Solution Insight Lens™ for Gen AI.
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Teamwork makes the generative AI dream work After establishing our internal policy, we swiftly introduced InsightGPT to our global teams. It must be said that much of the enthusiasm surrounding this project can be traced to the “generative” side of AI. The word itself — “generative” — embodies the essence of creation, origination and reproduction. This not only speaks to its vast potential but also to the vast array of use cases for which generative AI is a game changer. But, once again, our team knew it was important to stay levelheaded. After all, who could forget the humble beginnings of the internet? It was viewed by businesses as just another avenue for advertising. Only with exploration and experimentation did its value in areas like eCommerce, customer engagement and global connectivity become undeniable and ubiquitous. All this to say that the true magic of a new technology often reveals itself during an experimental phase. Our CEO and President, Joyce Mullen, reflected on the unexpected challenges and rewards of testing enterprise generative AI on ourselves. “We thought of use cases that we didn’t expect to see, and we encountered problems we didn’t anticipate.” Which is exactly the outcome we desired. Why? Because the space of uncertainty is precisely where otherwise traditional business operations can yield surprising and impactful applications. To tap into these unseen opportunities, it was crucial for our employees to feel at ease with InsightGPT. “We thought of use cases that we didn’t expect to see, and we encountered problems we didn’t anticipate.” Joyce Mullen, President & CEO, Insight. To this end, we conducted training and informational sessions. Our team understood the capabilities of generative AI, but they needed to actually experience its potential for themselves to enhance their daily tasks. Given our test-and-learn attitude, we anticipated a steady rise in productivity. The actual results achieved were so astonishing they surpassed even our loftiest expectations. No time travel required: Regaining hundreds of hours lost to manual tasks...
In a matter of weeks, we achieved results that traditional processes simply could not mimic. Put simply, our initial experience with enterprise generative AI lived up to hype. Our National AI Practice Manager at Insight, Meagan Gentry, described it best: Generative AI is a “mighty accelerator” of efficiencies. Here’s a department-by-department rundown of the time savings we achieved: The human resources department used InsightGPT to analyze feedback surveys and gather data. While this might seem like a minor enhancement, the impact was substantial. Our HR team reduced the time needed for these manual (and often tedious) tasks by a whopping two weeks. The sales team faces the daunting task of converting vast amounts of data into actionable intelligence, but InsightGPT gave their data the gift of coherence. They transformed an overwhelming amount of information into structured and categorized data. This reorganization not only streamlined their workflow but also saved hundreds of hours across the team. The software development team increased their productivity by 56%. They can get lines of code out faster and with better quality. And instead of searching for bugs, InsightGPT can help find and fix them immediately. Every needle in the haystack is now easily discoverable. We’re not stopping there. Insight is continuously exploring new applications for generative AI. “Generative AI has shown a lot of potential in content creation,” Rader says. “Whether it’s writing articles, generating graphics or even composing music. The possibilities are endless.” What’s not endless is our experimentation phase for InsightGPT. And the overall lesson we learned from it is a powerful one. How InsightGPT performed across departments Human resources: Reduced task completion time by two weeks. Sales team: Saved hundreds of hours turning unstructured data into actionable intelligence. Software development: Increased productivity by 56% with faster code output and enhanced bug detection. Has your company shared a generative AI solution to help you save time at work? There’s no second-guessing with first-hand experience “The problems we solve for ourselves are the problems we can now solve for our clients.” Jason Rader, V.P and Chief Information Security Officer
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In a tech landscape dominated by moonshots and The Next Big Thing, we’ve discovered that employee feedback is the single most under-valued key to unlocking the true potential of generative AI. Our teams were integral from the inception of InsightGPT. As it evolved, so did our collective wisdom. “The problems we solve for ourselves are the problems we can now solve for our clients,” said Rader. That is exactly right. What started as a private instance of generative AI is now a clear path our clients are following in their generative AI journey. Our passion and proficiency in generative AI both have their roots in hands-on experience. As we further our reach and expertise in this domain, we’re committed to assisting your organization in embracing, refining and broadening your internal use of generative AI. With best-in-world partners like Microsoft unveiling new capabilities and integrations, the future of how we optimize our daily workflows is poised for yet another paradigm shift. When it happens, Insight will be there at the forefront to keep you and your team moving further and faster than your competition. What do you have to say about that, InsightGPT? Wiser words have never been generated.
InsightGPT in EMEA
Remember the early 2000s when the entire tech world was gearing up for a paradigm shift in personal transportation? Even Steve Jobs claimed it would be “as big a deal as the PC.” Once rubber met road, however, the hype evaporated into the mist of a distant memory. If you ever see this device now, it’s probably as a prop in a comedy about a mall cop. The rise and fall of the Segway speaks to the value of remaining levelheaded during a tech revolution. We’re as excited about generative AI’s potential as anyone. But at Insight, we are laser-focused on optimizing the present moment. What we do with generative AI isn’t for our own benefit. Jason Rader, Insight’s VP and Chief Information Security Officer, sums up our mission: “We’re aiming for a swift market entry while ensuring a learning-centric approach that we can share.” The most important aspect of implementing a generative AI solution We didn’t start testing InsightGPT until we had a solid policy in place that safeguarded our organization’s private information from potential misuse. Sharing that approach meant launching an internal project with three main objectives: 1. Enhance day-to-day productivity for employees: Removing mundane and repetitive tasks so that employees could focus their efforts on higher-value work. 2. Explore generative AI capabilities for organizations: Experiencing the transformative capabilities to give us first hand knowledge of how generative AI can rapidly solve pain points in various organizations across all the top verticals. 3. Expand our architectural understanding for clients: Gaining a profound understanding of the generative AI architecture so that we can guide clients in deploying their own generative AI solutions. With these goals in mind, we set out on a journey of self-discovery. Buckle up. You’re about to discover what happens when the leading Solutions Integrator turns its speed, expertise and experience on itself.
Another recent example of innovation within Insight is an ongoing project in EMEA around RFP Response Automation. Whilst current processes around Request for Proposal (RFP) responses can take up to several weeks and involve multiple teams, Insight is exploring the use of Insight GPT to streamline this process whilst maintaining a high standard of care. This includes involving the generative AI technology to generate the text for the RFP Response. But beyond this, generative AI is also used on several further steps in the RFP response process like summarising and extracting key requirements from the RFP documentation, or performing feasibility assessment checks automatically if the requirements are fitting with Insight capabilities. The application of the technology to the entire process is expected to reduce the effort and the lead time from weeks to one day. Only having to involve a few individuals in the process in partnership with InsightGPT, Insight is also expecting cost reductions surrounding the process (time and labour spent on process). With innovative approaches that include Insight utilising its own internal IP Lens for generative AI, Insight is utilising emerging technologies that improve and strengthen its own processes, gain ROI and further expand its expertise to optimally support its clients.
Outcomes Extensive rollout to 13k employees worldwide under an accelerated timeline. Significant time savings and tangible ROI across the enterprise. Continually evolving generative AI footprint and capabilities.
Most enterprise businesses are part way through their cloud journey, in some manner. And through that journey, the terminology FinOps, and now GreenOps, may have been banded around, promising sustainability benefits and better financial management of cloud spend. But what do these terms really mean, and how can they be used by your company to realise the most value from your cloud?
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How to Reduce Financial Risk in IT: The Intersection of FinOps and GreenOps
28%
of all cloud spend is waste.*
81%
of CEOs have increased their sustainability investments.**
How are they similar? Both FinOps and GreenOps look at technology usage to improve workload efficiency and sustainability in the cloud. In this scenario, cloud waste is equal to carbon waste. So, if you’re spending money in the cloud that is wasted, that has a carbon impact as well. FinOps can bring, not only financial savings in the cloud, but also carbon savings. Those financial savings can then be used to help to fund other sustainability initiatives or innovation activities. Sustainability is another reason for a FinOps team and a FinOps practice in most enterprises.
Isn’t the cloud already sustainable? No, it’s not. It’s estimated that 28% of all cloud spend is waste. And when the total worldwide public cloud spend was estimated at $226.4B in 2022, that means $72.4B of that was waste. This equates to 10 to 16 million tonnes of CO2e, 20 million acres of forest, 41.9 billion miles driven and 277 million trees. Which we can all agree is a lot and needs offsetting one way or another. So, what can you do? There is a huge opportunity to make sure your cloud environment is more efficient. The cloud can enable you to do more with less, but it does require some care. Migration to the cloud can help you avoid escalating energy costs and reduce carbon emissions through power reduction. However, once you move into the cloud, you need to optimise, and this isn’t just a one-time thing. Optimising the cloud using FinOps methodology and cloud provider best practices can help you enhance workloads for security, reliability, sustainability and cost-efficiency. The savings that you get and achieve from those optimisation efforts can allow you to reinvest in the cloud. Reinvesting can help you to develop and innovate to accelerate sustainability initiatives and build lasting business value. As a global leading Solutions Integrator, our technical expertise, broad solutions portfolio and supply chain capabilities give us the right resources and scale to achieve more for you. Insight has extensive experience in FinOps, our expert team can help you establish the processes and framework you need to optimise spend and improve your return on your technology investment. Our FinOps expertise contributed to being recognised as a ‘challenger’ in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Software Asset Management Managed Services (which includes FinOps).
It’s estimated that
* Flexera 2023 State of the Cloud report **2021 United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study on Sustainability
Why is this important? 81% of CEOs have increased their sustainability investments. This is quickly becoming a top business imperative for C-levels and executives. It’s a top 10 business priority for the first time ever, and Gartner predicts that carbon emissions are forecasted to become a top three criterion for cloud purchases by 2025. In our 2024 Trends Report, our experts are also seeing sustainability, and sustainable working practices, as a key focus area for organisations. But there are other pressures across the business landscape. Investors see greater ROI on sustainable companies. There are legal and tax implications due to harsh standards and measurements, as well as tax benefits for organisations that are reporting on sustainability. The younger generation continues to saturate the workforce, and they really care about sustainability and green initiatives. Customers also have a choice where to buy from, and typically customers will lean towards green companies first.
What is FinOps? FinOps is a combination of finance and DevOps. It is an evolving framework and culture shift that organisations can use to drive financial accountability and maximise business value through cloud transformation. In short, FinOps can help organisations to: • Understand the complexity and challenges of managing IT finances. • Identify how IT, finance and business teams can collaborate on financial accountability and make informed data-driven decisions. A common misconception with FinOps is that it means becoming cheap with cloud spend. But it actually allows teams to remove blockers and discuss where to invest and when. What is GreenOps? GreenOps is an operating model that integrates business practices and technologies to increase cloud efficiency and reduce the clouds environmental impact. GreenOps also looks at developing sustainability strategies, transitioning to renewable energy and reducing waste in the cloud.
How are they similar? Both FinOps and GreenOps look at technology usage to improve workload efficiency and sustainability in the cloud. In this scenario, cloud waste is equal to carbon waste. So, if you’re spending money in the cloud that is wasted, that has a carbon impact as well. FinOps can bring, not only financial savings in the cloud, but also carbon savings. Those financial savings can then be used to help to fund other sustainability initiatives or innovation activities. Sustainability is another reason for a FinOps team and a FinOps practice in most enterprises. Why is this important? 81% of CEOs have increased their sustainability investments. This is quickly becoming a top business imperative for C-levels and executives. It’s a top 10 business priority for the first time ever, and Gartner predicts that carbon emissions are forecasted to become a top three criterion for cloud purchases by 2025. In our 2024 Trends Report, our experts are also seeing sustainability, and sustainable working practices, as a key focus area for organisations. But there are other pressures across the business landscape. Investors see greater ROI on sustainable companies. There are legal and tax implications due to harsh standards and measurements, as well as tax benefits for organisations that are reporting on sustainability. The younger generation continues to saturate the workforce, and they really care about sustainability and green initiatives. Customers also have a choice where to buy from, and typically customers will lean towards green companies first. Isn’t the cloud already sustainable? No, it’s not. It’s estimated that 28% of all cloud spend is waste. And when the total worldwide public cloud spend was estimated at $226.4B in 2022, that means $72.4B of that was waste. This equates to 10 to 16 million tonnes of CO2e, 20 million acres of forest, 41.9 billion miles driven and 277 million trees. Which we can all agree is a lot and needs offsetting one way or another.
So, what can you do? There is a huge opportunity to make sure your cloud environment is more efficient. The cloud can enable you to do more with less, but it does require some care. Migration to the cloud can help you avoid escalating energy costs and reduce carbon emissions through power reduction. However, once you move into the cloud, you need to optimise, and this isn’t just a one-time thing. Optimising the cloud using FinOps methodology and cloud provider best practices can help you enhance workloads for security, reliability, sustainability and cost-efficiency. The savings that you get and achieve from those optimisation efforts can allow you to reinvest in the cloud. Reinvesting can help you to develop and innovate to accelerate sustainability initiatives and build lasting business value. As a global leading Solutions Integrator, our technical expertise, broad solutions portfolio and supply chain capabilities give us the right resources and scale to achieve more for you. Insight has extensive experience in FinOps, our expert team can help you establish the processes and framework you need to optimise spend and improve your return on your technology investment. Our FinOps expertise contributed to being recognised as a ‘challenger’ in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Software Asset Management Managed Services (which includes FinOps).
Take the next step in your cloud FinOps journey today.
21
20
Simplicity at its Finest: How a Managed Cloud Gives You Space to Innovate
“To cloud or not to cloud?” is less of the question these days, it’s more of a “when are you migrating to the cloud?”. And with that question comes a whole host of complexity.
To help cut through that, we sat down with Lee Wilkinson, EMEA CTO Office - Strategy Lead – Cloud and On Prem, to chat through our new global Insight Managed Cloud service and the benefits and simplicity it can bring to organisations.
What are the benefits of implementing Managed Cloud services? The main one is freeing up technical teams to allow them to get on with innovation in the public cloud. Just by being in the public cloud doesn't necessarily mean that you're differentiating against your competition. Companies are spending a lot of time just running, operating and maintaining the public cloud and not enough time being agile and getting the best out it. So, one of the biggest benefits is we take away the day-to-day administration tasks. We take away the policy, the patching, the backups, the system administration of the cloud. And we let the clients really focus on innovating and driving their business forward. What are Managed Cloud services? Managed cloud services offer partial or complete management of an organisations cloud resources or infrastructure. With Insight’s Managed Cloud solution, we take full responsibility for the management and system administration of an organisations Microsoft Azure Cloud environment. Where do Managed Cloud services sit within a cloud strategy? Managed Cloud services sit within the optimisation and governance piece. The cloud can be quite complicated, and you need to set it up, configure, manage, run and operate it in the right way. You need something that really aligns to your optimisation and governance strategy. With Insight Managed Cloud, we can help you enforce cloud best practice in the right way and continually manage and optimise it to ensure you're getting the best value out of what you are using. Our service has elements of cost control, security, system administration, governance, patching and best practise built into it. What are the benefits of implementing Managed Cloud services? The main one is freeing up technical teams to allow them to get on with innovation in the public cloud. Just by being in the public cloud doesn't necessarily mean that you're differentiating against your competition. Companies are spending a lot of time just running, operating and maintaining the public cloud and not enough time being agile and getting the best out it. So, one of the biggest benefits is we take away the day-to-day administration tasks. We take away the policy, the patching, the backups, the system administration of the cloud. And we let the clients really focus on innovating and driving their business forward.
How are Managed Cloud services kept compliant? We are audited and adhere to ISO and our governance and compliance standards. We also have security features in the solution that allow us to apply standard governance frameworks to a client's environment and to monitor whether those are adhering to the chosen governance framework. We have a security tool set that we use, and it lets a client know whether they're veering away from compliance standards. We can proactively notify and help the client to remediate to ensure they meet the governance and compliance standards within their industry or vertical. Can Managed Cloud services help me wherever I am in my cloud journey? Managed Cloud services are really at the end of a client's cloud journey. Once they're in the public cloud, it's how do you run, operate, maintain and manage what you have in there. Insight is a leading Solutions Integrator and we have we have professional services for assessing where a client currently is and help them build a plan to then migrate to public cloud, which is a hybrid cloud assessment. We can help them with the migration, the build of their core Azure environment, their landing zones, help them migrate their workloads. Once they are in the public cloud then the client decides whether they want to manage that infrastructure themselves, with support from Insight or whether they want someone like us to manage that core environment on their behalf. When we deploy an environment for a client, if they want us to manage it, we'll deploy the management elements as part of helping them build and migrate to the public cloud. This gives them a seamless integrated journey all the way through planning, building, support and management. How does a Managed Cloud solution help me with cloud waste? Baked into our Managed Cloud service is an element of optimisation and governance. On a monthly basis, we will look at what the client is consuming in Microsoft Azure, and we will look at what they're spending. We use our proactive AI monitoring tools to baseline the workloads that a client is currently consuming, and we look at whether they are oversized, undersized, and how they can be optimised.
We provide the cost optimisation and spending reports monthly, and we work with our clients to decide how they would like to remediate that. As the client’s environments change, we're continually optimising both financially and technically to ensure they have the best value. The great thing about that is if we release any funds in Microsoft Azure through optimising the environment, the client can then choose to reinvest them into the areas that matter, allowing them to be agile and innovate. How does a Managed Cloud service take away the complexity of the cloud? Insight’s Managed Cloud offering is designed to be simple for our clients because the public cloud is simple. You sign up, you consume public cloud, and you use what you need quickly and easily. It's a very easy model of a percentage of the client spend in the public cloud and then we provide three straightforward offerings, either the platform, the platform plus managing the workloads, or the platform plus the workloads and databases. And we perform that managed service on a client's infrastructure for a very simple constructed fee based on the percentage of what they're spending in Azure. So, this allows clients to consume it easily. It grows or drops with their consumption, and we perform everything fully scoped and included. We’ve also built the solution from the ground up and we're trying to automate and orchestrate it as much as possible to ensure it's the most cost-effective service. Currently, we have some automation built in, but we’re working to continually improve this with self-service automation, deployment automation and infrastructure as code.
Lee Wilkinson
EMEA Strategy Lead, CTO Office, Cloud & On Prem
Lee is responsible for the Cloud, On-Prem & Intelligent Edge practice areas as part of the Insight’s EMEA solutions business. This includes defining the Hybrid Cloud technology strategy EMEA wide, evaluating and helping the business adopt Hybrid Cloud Technology from Insights Alliance and Partner Managed vendors. Lee is an Enterprise Architect and Strategist with over 30 years’ experience in Complex Cloud and Hybrid On Prem solutions, IT Transformation and Managed services.
Find out more about our Managed Cloud service
23
22
The modern workforce is evolving rapidly, with millennials leading the charge. This tech-savvy generation values the flexibility to work from anywhere, at any time, and on any device. As a result, they are pushing for decentralised work arrangements that allow them to work from home, coffee shops, or other remote locations. This shift has prompted businesses to adapt and provide the necessary technology and tools to support remote work.
Collaboration tools: With employees working from different locations, it's important to have collaboration tools that allow for real-time collaboration and communication. This includes tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Asana.
Remote desktop access: Remote desktop access allows employees to access their work computer from any location, making it easier to work remotely.
Training and support: Ensure that your employees have the necessary training and support to work remotely. This includes training on remote work best practices, as well as technical support for any IT issues that may arise.
By leveraging these IT tools and solutions, businesses can ensure that they are equipped to handle the shift towards decentralised work. This will help to improve productivity, collaboration, and employee satisfaction, while also ensuring that sensitive data remains secure.
Antony Taylor
EMEA Strategy Lead, CTO Office, Workplace & Collaboration
Accountable for solutions that support workplace and end user experiences, Antony is passionate about supporting clients to drive improved technology standards and collaboration whilst reducing costs and improving employee experiences. As Strategy Lead, Antony drives Thought Leadership and Portfolio evolution within his domain, relying on more than a decade of experience in the technology industry supporting strategic clients, developing practice strategy, and driving growth. Throughout his career, Antony has built a wide range of skillsets in positions such as Cloud Solution Architect, Account Technology Strategist, Functional and Technical Architect, Engineer, Project Manager, Trainer and Adoption consultant.
Mobile device management: With employees working from different devices, it's important to have a mobile device management (MDM) solution in place to ensure that devices are secure and compliant.
Security and Access: Secure and controlled access to company networks and data is essential for remote workers. With the rise of remote work, it's important for businesses to ensure that their employees can access company resources from outside the office in a safe and secure manner. It's important also to have strong security measures in place to protect sensitive data. This includes firewalls, antivirus software, and other security tools.
Video conferencing tools: These tools allow employees to communicate face-to-face, which can help to build stronger relationships and improve collaboration. In addition to supporting remote work, video conferencing tools can also make offices a more attractive place to be, as employees can use these tools to connect with colleagues in other offices or workspaces. By providing these tools, businesses can help to create a more connected and collaborative workplace, whether employees are working remotely or in the office.
Cloud-based solutions: Investigate cloud-based solutions that can support the best end user experiences for remote work. This can include cloud-based storage, project management tools, and other collaboration software that can enable your employees to work from anywhere.
1
In addition to the rise of the millennial workforce, globalisation has also played a significant role in reshaping the workplace. As businesses expand into new markets, they need to be able to collaborate with employees and partners across different time zones and locations. This has created a growing need for flexible work arrangements that allow employees to work from anywhere and at any time. The traditional 9-5 workday is becoming less relevant as businesses embrace the idea of a more flexible and agile workforce. The growing remote workforce has also had a major impact on the workplace. With more employees working from home or other remote locations, businesses need to be able to provide the tools and technology to support remote collaboration and communication. This has led to a growing demand for cloud-based solutions, video conferencing, and other collaboration tools. The result is a more connected and collaborative workplace, where employees can work together seamlessly, regardless of their location. IT has taken a key role in driving decentralisation, flexibility, and collaboration for businesses. With the rise of cloud-based solutions, IT departments are able to provide employees with the tools and technology they need to work from anywhere. This has led to a more flexible and agile workforce, where employees are able to collaborate and communicate in real-time, regardless of their location. The result is a more productive and engaged workforce, with employees who are happier and more satisfied with their work arrangements. In conclusion, the workplace is undergoing a major transformation, and it's an exciting time to be a part of it. The traditional office-based work model is being replaced by a more flexible and agile workforce, where employees are empowered to work from anywhere. IT is playing a critical role in driving this shift, providing the technology and tools necessary to support remote work and collaboration. As businesses continue to evolve, it's clear that the workplace will continue to change, and IT will play a critical role in shaping the future of work.
The Future of Work? Decentralised and Flexible
25
24
Provision of adult social care in Torbay is delivered by 3,500 direct care colleagues. Although the vacancy rate is lower than the national average, around a third still leave their jobs each year. Increased demand and skills-related issues puts pressure on services that enable people to get out of hospital, and help reduce admissions to hospital in the first place. And while providing home care to clients is preferrable, the resource required to deliver this effectively remains a challenge. Solution and Outcome Insight ran a first-of-its-kind trial to demonstrate how Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality solution could transform care provision in support of integrated services. It was imperative that the end users of the technology – the caregivers – were bought into the trial and helped shape the way it was deployed. Insight ran awareness and training sessions that enabled caregivers to get hands-on with the innovative technology and identify a range of potential use cases. Two major discoveries were made during this phase. Firstly, if a caregiver suspected a health issue, which they were not trained to assess or diagnose, they were able to instantly connect to a more qualified/experienced member of staff using HoloLens – providing quicker assistance to the individual receiving care (the client). Secondly, bringing registered nurses and clinicians onto a virtual call removed the need for on-site visits, significantly reducing the time to deliver the required assistance. The use of augmented reality is transforming the way social care is delivered in the locality – reducing waiting times and improving the quality of provision. Insight and its south-west partners have subsequently developed a network of local champions, providing them with materials, knowledge, skills and confidence to run awareness and end user training sessions.
“What we’re doing is looking at technology and asking how can it enable people toperform better, enjoy their work more and provide even better outcomes for patients, clients and staff.” John Bryant, Head of Integration and Development, Adult Social Care and Partnerships Torbay Council & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Background Devon Training Hub, part of the NHS in south-west England, wanted to transform the delivery of its care services by pioneering the use of immersive technologies. Insight worked with caregivers in the locality to explore the potential of augmented reality and how it could enhance the services they provide in care home and domiciliary environments. Challenge Health and social care services face multiple challenges, including staff shortages, high staff turnover and increased demand from an ageing population.
Trailblazing augmented reality technology to revolutionise care provision.
Insight has demonstrated how Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality (AR) technology can revolutionise care provision. The use of the immersive technology headsets by caregivers reduces demand on health and care services, increases capacity and enables staff to work to the top of their skills sets.
“Thanks to Insight, the benefits of using mixed reality technology have surpassed our expectations.” John Bryant, Integration Lead – Social Care, Devon Training Hub and Head of Integration and Development, Torbay Council
technology empowers care providers, improving patient experience.
Pioneering
to reduce occupational therapy lead times by 8 weeks.
Potential
improves employee experience and helps attract new caregivers to the profession.
Retainment
can quickly alert registered nurses and clinicians to issues which may require attention.
Caregivers
RESULTS
Devon Training Hub chose Insight to deliver this innovative use of immersive technology based on a 20+ year pedigree of transforming care and increasing efficiency for more than 400 NHS and care clients in the UK. Insight combined its knowledge and experience of HoloLens in care settings with user-centric service design, end-user training and adoption and change management methodologies. This gave the trust, council, care home managers and workers confidence that the solution would make a positive impact on the services they deliver and on clients’ quality of life.
“What we’re doing is looking at technology and asking how can it enable people toperform better, enjoy their work more and provide even better outcomes for patients,clients and staff.” John Bryant, Head of Integration and Development, Adult Social Care and PartnershipsTorbay Council & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Devon Training Hub, part of the NHS in south-west England, wanted to transform the delivery of its care services by pioneering the use of immersive technologies. Insight worked with caregivers in the locality to explore the potential of augmented reality and how it could enhance the services they provide in care home and domiciliary environments. Challenge Health and social care services face multiple challenges, including staff shortages, high staff turnover and increased demand from an ageing population. Provision of adult social care in Torbay is delivered by 3,500 direct care colleagues. Although the vacancy rate is lower than the national average, around a third still leave their jobs each year. Increased demand and skills-related issues puts pressure on services that enable people to get out of hospital, and help reduce admissions to hospital in the first place. And while providing home care to clients is preferrable, the resource required to deliver this effectively remains a challenge.
“Thanks to Insight, the benefits of using mixed reality technology have surpassed our expectations.” John Bryant, Integration Lead – Social Care,Devon Training Hub and Head of Integration and Development, Torbay Council
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