Success story
Sheffield City Council
Digital transformation through Microsoft 365 adoption
Sheffield City Council embarked on a digital transformation journey to improve service delivery and enhance the digital skills of its workforce through the adoption of Microsoft 365. The Inform Team played a pivotal role in delivering training and support to help Sheffield achieve its goal of becoming a “digital council” that serves its citizens more effectively.
The challenge
Sheffield City Council’s leadership recognised that digital adoption was key to becoming more efficient and delivering better services. However, many employees were unfamiliar with the full capabilities of the M365 suite. To succeed, the Council needed a tailored training programme that would empower its staff, increase productivity and align with their hybrid working model.
The Council also faced time and resource constraints, which made it challenging to implement a large-scale training programme across its diverse departments. Resistance to the new programme stemmed from employees’ concerns about taking time out of their busy schedules.
The solution
In collaboration with The Inform Team, Sheffield City Council launched a comprehensive Microsoft 365 champions programme, designed to train employees on the full capabilities of Microsoft 365. This programme focused on upskilling employees at their own pace, empowering them to use Microsoft 365 applications like Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive to improve their day-to-day workflows.
Microsoft 365 champions programme
Sheffield identified 375 digital champions across various departments, including social workers, IT staff and senior leaders. These champions were trained to become local experts and support their colleagues in using Microsoft 365 tools effectively. They acted as on-the-ground support, helping their teams transition to new ways of working.
Tailored training approach
Inform provided Sheffield with bespoke training sessions covering both foundational and advanced Microsoft 365 skills. Training was delivered in a way that allowed employees to learn at their own pace, ensuring everyone could comfortably adopt the new technology. Inform trainers worked closely with staff to address specific challenges and offer solutions tailored to their daily work.
Digital skills survey and pilot programme
Before rolling out the champions programme, Sheffield conducted a digital skills survey to assess current capabilities and identify gaps. A pilot programme was also run with five departments to refine the approach based on their unique needs. This pilot overcame initial resistance by demonstrating tangible benefits, leading to broader acceptance across the Council.
Innovative ‘speed-dating’ Q&A sessions
As part of the rollout, Sheffield hosted ‘speed-dating’ Q&A sessions where champions answered colleagues’ questions about Microsoft 365 tools in an interactive format. This broke down barriers and created a fun, engaging way to address real-time challenges.
“
Inform’s been brilliant. The way that we’ve been able to tailor the programme to meet the needs of Sheffield City Council has been really key. It’s really helped to get that enthusiasm and people on board.
”
Marc Barber
Head of Service, Sheffield City Council
The results
The programme has had a significant impact on the Council’s operations, leading to increased digital skills and enhanced collaboration.
375 champions trained
The champions programme proved highly successful, with 375 champions now supporting their colleagues across different departments. Champions have become key drivers of digital adoption, helping their teams save time and work more efficiently.
Improved collaboration
Microsoft 365 applications such as Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive have been widely adopted, leading to better collaboration and reduced duplication of work. Employees now work together on shared documents in real time, ensuring that everyone uses the most up-to-date information. Collaboration tools have also enabled hybrid meetings, breaking down silos between departments and making teamwork seamless.
Cultural shift
The Council’s focus on people-first digital transformation has fostered a culture of continuous learning. Employees who were initially hesitant about adopting new technology have embraced Microsoft 365 after seeing its benefits first hand, resulting in increased productivity and job satisfaction.
Service desk relief
The champions’ support significantly reduced service desk inquiries, allowing IT staff to focus on other critical tasks. As Rob Ellin from IT Support noted, “The champions act as a bridge between IT and users, empowering employees to solve issues themselves”.
Looking ahead
Building on the success of the Microsoft 365 programme, the Council plans to expand the Digital Champions programme further, with more employees eager to become champions. As Marc Barber noted:
“We’d love to get more champions and that is the future plan – to keep growing this programme.”
In addition to expanding the champions programme, Sheffield is exploring emerging technologies such as AI tools like Microsoft Copilot to streamline operations further. Marc Barber shared:
“Technology is going to keep growing and we need to grow with it.”
The Council remains committed to continuous upskilling, ensuring that its workforce is equipped to handle new challenges and opportunities. Digital skills are not going away and the Council sees this as a vital area for ongoing development. With a strong foundation of digital skills, Sheffield City Council is well-positioned to remain at the cutting edge of public service delivery, creating a more agile, efficient and empowered workforce for the future.
“
The programme has had some massive rewards. We have seen people really grow and develop, really take hold of technology.
”
Sam Furniss
Digital Adoption Lead, Sheffield City Council
