GenAI Becoming Part of Workplace Transformation in U.K.

Organizations in the U.K. are preparing for greater adoption of generative AI within the next 12 to 18 months as part of their overall workplace transformation programs, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Future of Work – Services report for the U.K. says enterprises and public sector organizations are turning to service providers for help identifying GenAI use cases, conducting pilot deployments, developing large language models, and creating governance frameworks in preparation for broader GenAI adoption in the future.

GenAI is part of an ongoing trend of workplace transformation in the U.K. spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of hybrid work, which has become increasingly common in the U.K. More than half of new job listings in the U.K. allow employees to work remotely for one or more days each week, the report notes, as companies respond to workers seeking flexibility.

Global economic challenges and geopolitical uncertainty in Europe, talent shortages and recent labor unrest, marked by widespread strikes for better pay and working conditions, are additional factors that underscore the need for investment in workplace technologies, the report says.

"The future of work is constantly evolving to assimilate new business models and meet dynamic customer demands,” said Iain Fisher, director, ISG Provider Lens Research. "U.K. organizations are turning to technology providers to support their workplace transformations as they seek increased productivity, sustainability and improved employee experience across all digital workplace services.”

Leading providers of experience management (XM) services now offer a more comprehensive management layer to oversee and evaluate interconnected systems, the report notes. By focusing on XM, organizations not only promote a happier and more productive workforce but also identify friction points and challenges in digital transformation initiatives that inhibit the adoption of workplace technology, the report says.

The driving force behind most workplace transformations is potential cost savings, the report notes, but forward-looking organizations also realize they can create value by streamlining complex processes and tasks to improve sustainability and employee experience.

"Experience parity is becoming a significant differentiator in the market,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. "Workplaces must deliver seamless EX regardless of location or customer interaction, with ubiquitous access to devices, applications, data, workflow, documents and processes.”

Collaboration and communication are critical, the report says, with enterprises turning to unified communications and collaboration (UCC) platforms such as Microsoft Teams, along with technologies such as AR, VR and XR, to improve information sharing and workflows. However, the report notes that enterprises often face challenges when integrating pre-pandemic infrastructure with newer, post-pandemic capabilities.

The report also explores other issues and trends impacting the future of work in the U.K., including the emergence of Experience-Level Agreements (XLA) in negotiations with service providers. XLAs are supplementing, and in some cases even replacing, traditional service-level agreements (SLA).

For more insights into the technology trends impacting the U.K. workplace, see the ISG Provider Lens™ Focal Points briefing, available here.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Future of Work - Services report for the U.K. evaluates the capabilities of 43 providers across six quadrants: Workplace Strategy and Enablement Services, Collaboration and Next-gen Experience Services, Managed End-user Technology Services – Large Accounts, Managed End-user Technology Services – Local Specialists, Continuous Productivity Services (including Next-gen Service Desk) and Smart and Sustainable Workplace Services.

The report names Accenture, Capgemini, DXC Technology, HCLTech, Infosys, TCS and Wipro as Leaders in five quadrants each. Unisys is named a Leader in four quadrants, and Computacenter and Fujitsu are named Leaders in three quadrants each. Atos is named a Leader in two quadrants, and Capita, CGI, Deloitte, Getronics, Kyndryl, PwC, and Sopra Steria are Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Atos is named as a Rising Star — a company with a "promising portfolio” and "high future potential,” by ISG’s definition — in two quadrants. Kyndryl, Microland and SCC are all named Rising Stars in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, HCLTech is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2024 among workplace providers. HCLTech earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

Customized versions of the report are available from SCC and Unisys.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Future of Work - Services report for the U.K. is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 900 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including AI, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,600 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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