2026 Awards Case Study: Resetting Flexibility with a Colleague-Led System with BT Group

2026 Awards Case Study: Learning from Expressions of Dissatisfaction at AXA

Across customer operations, organisations are surrounded by signals of customer experience. Many are rich. Few are fully understood. At AXA Insurance, one of the most underused signals was Expressions of Dissatisfaction — moments where customers expressed frustration or disappointment, but where the interaction did not meet the formal definition of a complaint.

These moments were captured manually by frontline advisors. The process added complexity at the end of demanding calls. Decisions relied on individual interpretation. And while the data existed, it rarely translated into learning or meaningful change. Dissatisfaction was recorded, but not truly understood.

Partnerships

Awards Panel Discussion

Shaun Jardine, SSCL

BT Group

Innovation of the Year, NFU Mutual

The Evolution of Planning

Some things will always matter. Businesses will always need to balance customer demand, employee needs, and business goals. Planning will still rely on data, but how that data is used will keep evolving.

Technology will continue to speed things up. AI and automation will take over more of the routine tasks, but that doesn’t mean planners will become less important.

2025 Awards Case Study: Betting on Innovation - Sabio x Flutter Entertainment

How a Global Sports Betting & iGaming Leader transformed Workforce Management in the UK & Ireland

2025 Awards Case Study: WEM implementation in action - Verint x Novuna

Novuna’s old contact centre setup slowed everything down. Verint helped streamline tools, improve scheduling, and slash digital response times. Staff now feel supported, customers get answers faster, and data drives improvements. Not just an upgrade—a whole new way of working.

2025 Awards Case Study: How implementation of Calabrio and AWS transformed customer service - SVL x Trainline

Trainline revamped its contact centre with SVL. Call routing was simplified, handling times dropped, and coaching time rose. Tech did the heavy lifting, so teams could focus on helping customers. A solid partnership that made day-to-day work easier for everyone.

2025 Awards Case Study: Saving time and millions with digital workers - Robiquity x UiPath x Aldermore

Aldermore automated 40 processes in a year, saving £3 million. With Robiquity and UiPath, they built 65 digital workers and upskilled their own team. The goal wasn’t just efficiency—it was to free people up for more meaningful work. And it worked.

2025 Awards Case Study: Redefining workforce flexibility - QStory x eBay

eBay wanted to give their customer service teams more control over their schedules. QStory made it happen. Shift flexibility skyrocketed, managers spent less time on admin, and employees felt trusted. The result? A system where everyone wins—better efficiency for the business and a happier, more engaged workforce.

2025 Awards Case Study: Delivering more for employees whilst protecting performance through WFM - Peopleware x Tructyre

Peopleware’s flexible scheduling cut hours and improved forecasting, boosting morale and making staff feel valued. With fewer backlogs and happier teams, Tructyre created a more sustainable way to work.

2025 Awards Case Study: Smoothing out scheduling - Peopleware x Jet2 Holidays

Jet2’s reps used spreadsheets and PDFs—confusing, slow, and inconsistent. Peopleware brought in real-time scheduling across Europe. Now managers have visibility, compliance is easier, and rostering takes minutes, not days. A smart system that’s helped Jet2 grow without added stress.

2025 Awards Case Study: Making workforce planning work - NiCE x Utility Warehouse

Utility Warehouse was buried in spreadsheets. NICE introduced automation, smart scheduling, and real flexibility. Staff could swap shifts, book time off, and feel more in control. Attrition dropped, admin costs fell, and employees felt the difference. Better tech, better experience.

2025 Awards Case Study: A new approach to NHS 111 - NiCE x DHU Healthcare

DHU’s legacy phone system couldn’t cope. NICE introduced CXone—suddenly staff had data, faster workflows, and better tools. Call routing improved, patient care got safer, and response times dropped. What really made it work? Trust, shared learning, and full team involvement.

2025 Awards Case Study: More calls, less waiting - FourNet x Newcastle City Council

Newcastle City Council”s call centre was under pressure. FourNet helped rework everything—better routing, real-time data, smarter planning. Calls doubled, wait times halved, and complaints dropped. A system rethink made things better for staff and residents alike. Change came from asking better questions.

2025 Awards Case Study: Building a global planning team that works - Firstsource x OVO Energy

OVO needed offshore support that felt like one team. Firstsource made it happen—quickly. Service levels jumped, response times improved, and culture thrived. They trained together, chatted daily, and built trust across borders. A great example of people-first operational change.

2025 Awards Case Study: AI that changed customer support - DLP x Emovis

Merseyflow drivers struggled to find toll payment info, leading to high call volumes and unnecessary fines. Emovis teamed up with DLP to introduce an AI chatbot that answered 80% of customer queries instantly. Complaints dropped, digital adoption rose, and in just a year, the chatbot delivered a 240% return on investment.

2025 Awards Case Study: How Sky Retail transformed workforce planning with Deputy

Sky Retail lacked visibility — schedules often went unchecked and managers were left to make decisions based on guesswork. When Sky introduced Deputy’s workforce management platform, everything changed. Stores began to run more smoothly, shift adherence climbed to 95%, and trust grew between planning teams and frontline staff.  One small change sparked a big impact — giving Sky’s planning teams the clarity and insights they’d been missing.