Building an environment for success with a culture of innovation

The old business saying goes: “look after your employees and they will look after you”. Informed Solutions is clearly a company that looks after its people. It is the bedrock of its business, and the reason for its success.

​It’s a fact that has actually been proved. Earlier this year the company was certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’, scoring a whopping 91 per cent score in staff satisfaction. 

For Informed Solution’s UK CEO, Seth Finegan, this prized badge underpins the whole company’s ethos and has in turn helped it win a second Queen’s Award for Innovation, just four years after its first Innovation accolade.

He said: “Everyone enjoys working here in a culture of innovation and the Great Places award and the two Queen’s Awards are all part of our picture and story.”

Formed in 1992, Informed Solutions is a business that helps public and private organisations digitally transform and make better use of their data. 

​The company has addressed the long-standing problem of business change and its slow implementation that public/private organisations are often affected by with an innovative service called InformedTRANSFORM that accelerates and de-risks digital business change. It has landed them this latest accolade.

​“Our first Queen’s Award gave us a boost in the market and made a big difference to our reputation”, said Seth. “A key part of what we do is advisory and not just delivering technology, so trust is important; these awards provide valuable independent verification of our credibility and the step-change in performance that our approach delivers. 

“Since our last award we have enjoyed continued growth both commercially, but more importantly, also in the capability of our people and the practice. So, we have high hopes that this latest award, which complements the first, will prove to be even better for us.

​“We have also won it at time when the world is opening-up and we’re already in a number of really exciting conversations in SE Asia and Australia alongside the Department for International Trade, so this will be great for our domestic and international business. We have worked in 40 different countries over the years and on the back of this award we will be hoping to work in even more.”

​Seth describes Informed Solutions, which has offices in London, Manchester and Edinburgh and a sister company in offices across Australia, as an organisation that provides “tech for good”. 

​It is currently working with the NHS in introducing AI to improve patient safety across the entire health service, from pharmacies to hospitals. It has recently also built a platform to service national clean air zones in urban areas for Defra, the Department of Transport and the DVLA.

​However, good tech can only come from good people working in the right environment, one that is diverse, inclusive and that nurtures and rewards. That’s the case at Informed Solutions which has a three-pillar approach. 

Seth said: “We hire brilliant people not just for their skills and degree, but also for who they are as people; those who are collaborative, curious, bold, and innovative. We then put them through our talent development academy which is focused on unleashing their skills and cultivating their mindset. 

​“The third and crucial ingredient comes from the board in creating a culture of innovation which means rewarding curiosity and exploration. We are also very proud of our diversity. You simply cannot innovate without diversity, and you need many different voices for successful collaboration, innovation, and growth.

​“There’s a digital skills shortage and it’s a competitive marketplace so we invest a huge amount in personal development and in creating a place that allows people to flourish.”

During the three decades since Informed Solutions was established technology has changed at pace. The company has gone from working on complex geographical information systems on specialist hardware through to highly agile citizen facing digital services on the cloud serving millions of people every day. 

​“Change is exciting and keeps us fresh”, said Seth “but so does bringing in our new graduates and placement students every year which ushers in new ideas. Our values though have never changed in 30 years; they endure. 

​“Yes, we’ve always wanted to be innovative and do our best for our clients, but we’ve always wanted to go about our business in a way in which we can be proud.”