Why Transformation Was Needed
The pace of technological change has accelerated dramatically, creating what we call the Digital Dexterity Gap—the growing divide between the speed of technology adoption and employees’ ability to leverage it effectively. Bridging this gap became essential for UKEF to remain agile, secure, and productive in a rapidly moving and changing technology and cyber landscape.
Our Vision
Linking directly with principle five (Provide the right technology to work efficiently, securely, and sustainably) in the UK Export Finance DDaT strategy, our IT Operations strategy is anchored in a clear vision:
“To provide a first-class employee experience with technology while ensuring robust and best-in-class cyber security measures that protect our people, data, and services.”
This means IT Operations at UKEF is no longer just about IT support—it’s about enabling productivity, delivering best in class technologies to drive the employee experience and keep our employees cyber safe and finally, driving innovation.
One of Our First Moves
One of the earliest and most impactful steps in our transformation was bringing the IT Service Desk in-house and establishing our own internal IT Service Management (ITSM) capability. This wasn’t just a structural change—it was a cultural shift. By employing civil servants and managing ITSM processes ourselves, we created a foundation for delivering a truly first-class employee experience with technology.
Owning and managing ITSM internally allowed us to mature critical practices such as Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management, ensuring consistency and accountability across the organisation. It gave us the ability to respond quickly to issues, reduce resolution times, and embed continuous improvement into our operations.
The benefits were immediate and measurable:
- Greater control over service quality – Customer feedback response rate of over 25% since the induction of the IT Service Desk internally, complimented with a 99% positive feedback rate.
- Improved responsiveness – Faster decision-making and prioritisation aligned to UKEF’s mission.
- Enhanced employee confidence – A service desk that understands the business context and delivers empathetic, effective support.
- Operational excellence – Streamlined processes and automation reduced friction, enabling employees to focus on outcomes rather than IT issues.
This move was the cornerstone of our transformation, enabling us to integrate technology and security into every layer of our operations and setting the stage for the strategic capabilities we’ve built since. By employing civil servants, we laid the foundation for delivering a first-class employee experience with technology. This change gave us greater control over service quality, improved responsiveness, and ensured that technology was aligned with UKEF’s values and mission.
The Integrated Model of Support
At the heart of this transformation is our Integrated Model of Support and Security, which brings together five dynamic capabilities into one cohesive framework:
- IT Service Management
- Cyber Security Operations
- Platform & Infrastructure Services
- Service Desk & End User Computing
- DDaT Business Management
This model ensures that every technology touchpoint—from onboarding and device provisioning to cyber threat detection—is interconnected and optimised for resilience and efficiency. By breaking down silos and embedding security into every layer, we’ve created a virtuous loop of operational excellence that starts with strong processes and ends with seamless user experiences.
Reset and Refocus – Starting with the basics
One of the most important decisions we made early in our transformation was to pause and focus on the fundamentals. Before chasing advanced technologies or complex integrations, we asked:
“Are our core processes and user experiences strong enough to support growth and the UKEF mission?”
This approach ensured that we built a stable foundation for everything that followed. Without clear IT Service Management processes, reliable devices, and seamless onboarding, any investment in AI or automation would have been undermined by operational inefficiencies.
The Virtuous Loop of the Basics
Our strategy revolves around a continuous improvement cycle—the Virtuous Loop—where each element reinforces the next:
- Clear IT Service Management Processes – Incident, Problem, Change, and Release management create consistency and accountability.
- Cyber Security Fundamentals – Security embedded into every process protects data and users.
- Seamless Onboarding – New starters get the right tools and access from day one.
- Devices Work First Time – Standardized builds and proactive maintenance reduce friction.
- Fast, Effective IT Support – Empathetic, efficient service builds trust.
- Meeting Rooms Just Work – Reliable collaboration spaces showcase IT success.
This loop isn’t just a checklist—it’s a system of interdependencies. Each success enables the next, creating a resilient, responsive, and customer-focused IT Operations function.
Driving Better Experiences While Reducing Costs
At UKEF, we advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. One of the most compelling aspects of our transformation is that we’ve delivered a significantly better experience for employees and customers while reducing our overall cost footprint, delivering further value against the “no net cost to the taxpayer” mantra. This wasn’t about cutting corners—it was about optimising processes, automating routine tasks, and embedding efficiency into every layer of IT Operations.
The Virtuous Loop illustrates how getting the fundamentals right—clear IT Service Management processes, proactive onboarding, reliable devices, and seamless meeting room experiences—creates a cycle of operational excellence. Each improvement reduces friction, minimises repetitive tasks, and lowers support overhead, which translates directly into cost savings without compromising quality.
How We Achieved It
- Automation & AI: By automating routine and low-level tasks, we’ve freed up resources to focus on value-added activities, reducing manual effort and associated costs.
- Standardisation: Standardised builds and automated provisioning mean devices work first time, reducing support tickets and the cost of reactive fixes.
- Integrated Model of Support: Our five dynamic capabilities work together to eliminate duplication and streamline operations, ensuring every pound spent delivers maximum impact.
- Vendor & Contract Optimisation: Through proactive vendor management and application simplification, we’ve identified cost efficiencies while maintaining service quality.
Strategic Alignment with UKEF’s Mission
Our IT Operations strategy is not an isolated technology initiative—it is intrinsically linked to UKEF’s core mission of helping UK businesses win, fulfil, and get paid for export contracts. Every decision we make in technology and cyber operations is designed to enable these outcomes:
- Win Contracts – Reliable, intuitive technology empowers employees to work efficiently and confidently, whether they are engaging with customers, partners, or stakeholders. Seamless collaboration tools and secure platforms ensure that UKEF can present itself as a trusted, digitally capable organisation on the global stage.
- Fulfil Orders – Resilient infrastructure and integrated ITSM processes provide operational flexibility, allowing teams to respond quickly to changing priorities and market conditions. Automated provisioning and proactive maintenance mean employees have the tools they need, when they need them, without delays or disruptions.
- Get Paid – Cyber security is embedded into every layer of our operations, protecting sensitive financial data and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Our Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) delivers advanced threat detection and incident response, safeguarding the integrity of transactions and maintaining trust with our customers and partners.
By modernising infrastructure, embedding AI for automation, and aligning with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Strategy, IT Operations is not just supporting the business—we are enabling it to thrive in a secure, sustainable, and digitally fluent future.
What’s Next?
Our transformation journey is far from over. The next phase focuses on maturing our Service Management function and practices, getting the most out of the technologies we have implemented, deepening automation, strengthening cyber resilience, and unlocking data-driven insights to deliver even greater value for UKEF and the UK economy.
All of the above has contributed towards and continues our journey in becoming a transformational technology function that drives measurable business impact and value not just across UK Export Finance, but Critical National Infrastructure and the UK Economy.
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