Sitting on a Goldmine: The Unused Tools That Can Transform Civil Service Work

The Pressure to Do More with Less 

The Civil Service is under enormous pressure to cut waste, become more efficient, and embrace AI-driven automation. Ministers want a leaner, more digital government, and that means changing how work gets done. 

In fact, a recent cross-government trial of M365 Copilot involving 20,000 public servants showed an average time saving of 26 minutes per user, per day — equivalent to 13 days a year. That’s not speculative value; that’s measurable impact using tools many departments already have. 

But here’s the irony: Many of the tools that could make this happen, saving hours of admin, streamlining processes, and cutting inefficiencies, are already available, free to use or easily adopt as part of the government’s five-year deal with Microsoft signed in October 2024. 

The problem? Most civil servants don’t even know they’re there, how to access them, or how to use them, effectively. 

 

Unlocking the Potential of What’s Already Available 

Instead of searching for new technology, the real opportunity lies in making better use of what’s already included in existing Microsoft 365 and Dynamics licences. 

Below, we explore three real-life scenarios where civil servants could transform how they work today without spending an extra penny. We’ll also highlight where premium tools could take things even further for those willing to invest. 

 

1) Meet Tom: The Policy Advisor Drowning in Data 

Tom spends hours every month manually pulling data from spreadsheets, formatting charts, and updating reports. By the time everything is ready, the numbers are already out of date. 

What Tom can use today (no extra cost): 

• Power BI Free – Tom can create interactive dashboards to automate reporting, pulling live data rather than manually updating spreadsheets. 

• Copilot in Excel – Copilot can summarise trends, flag anomalies, and generate insights automatically, reducing human error. 

• Live Power BI integration in PowerPoint – Instead of copy-pasting charts, he can embed live, automatically updating visuals into presentations. 

What requires an additional licence: 

• Power BI Pro – Allows collaborative dashboards, so Tom’s team can view, edit, and comment on live data together. 

Time saved: At least 16 hours per month allowing Tom to focus on policy analysis rather than spreadsheet maintenance. 

 

2) Meet Rachel: The Team Leader Stuck in Endless Meetings 

Rachel spends most of her time in back-to-back meetings, taking notes, sending follow-ups, and manually tracking tasks. She knows some meetings could be emails, but there’s no system in place to manage updates efficiently. 

What Rachel can use today (no extra cost): 

• Copilot in Teams – Automatic meeting summaries and action point tracking, eliminating the need for manual minutes. 

• Power Automate Free – Rachel can set up automated email reminders for deadlines and approvals, reducing unnecessary check-ins. 

• Copilot in Word – Can draft briefing notes from voice recordings or existing documents, speeding up paperwork. 

What requires an additional licence: 

• Power Automate Premium – Unlocks AI-driven process automation, such as extracting data from emails and updating spreadsheets without manual input. 

Time saved: 18+ hours a month—giving Rachel more time to lead rather than just manage admin. 

 

3) Meet Jordan: The Caseworker Managing Too Many Requests 

Jordan handles public inquiries, tracking cases in a shared spreadsheet and juggling emails from multiple departments. Information is often lost, and re-entering data across different systems takes hours. 

What Jordan can use today (no extra cost): 

• Power Apps Developer Plan – Allows Jordan to build a simple case management app for free, replacing spreadsheets. 

• Power Automate Free – Can automatically notify team members when case statuses change, reducing email overload. 

• Copilot in Outlook – Can draft responses based on previous cases, cutting down repetitive typing. 

What requires an additional licence: 

• Power Apps Premium – Allows Jordan’s team to deploy the case management app to a wider group for everyday use. 

• Premium Connectors (SQL Server, Dynamics 365, ServiceNow, etc.) – Allow Power Apps to integrate with official databases, making it a long-term enterprise solution. 

Time saved with no extra cost tools: 32+ hours per month helping Jordan focus on solving cases rather than tracking them. 

Let’s look at those tools in a bit more detail. 

 

AI-Powered Productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot 

The government’s Microsoft deal includes Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI assistant designed to reduce admin burdens. It can: 

• Summarise reports and policy documents in seconds. 

• Generate first drafts emails and responses, briefings, and presentations. 

• Transcribe and organise meeting notes and highlight key actions automatically. 

This is exactly the kind of AI-driven efficiency the government wants to see more of. Yet, many civil servants aren’t using Copilot simply because they haven’t been shown how. 

Power BI: Real-Time Data, Not Spreadsheet Chaos 

For a government focused on eliminating waste, decision-makers need clear, real-time insights—not outdated spreadsheets that take hours to update. Power BI, partially included in Civil Service Microsoft 365 licences, allows Civil Servants to: 

• Automate reporting, so data updates itself rather than requiring manual input. 

• Spot inefficiencies faster by combining financial, operational, and workforce data in a single dashboard. 

• Share insights easily across departments and agencies without drowning in email chains. 

Power Apps and Power Automate: Cutting Waste by Automating Repetitive Tasks 

From tracking approvals to managing cases, many government processes still rely on outdated systems or manual workarounds.  

Power Apps (with a free Developer Plan for testing) allows civil servants to build simple digital tools, without needing coding skills, to replace inefficient processes. With the free license you can create unlimited apps for development and test purposes, connecting them to Office 365 and Dropbox, and using them up to 750 times per month, which means you could build a digital form to replace paper-based submissions within your team, reducing errors and speeding up approvals.   

You’ll need to upgrade your licence to use Power Apps with a large group of people and connect to external applications by using the 1,000+  certified connectors to applications like your case management or CRM systems, and the options then become extensive. For example: 

• A workflow app could track policy consultations, ensuring nothing gets lost in email chains. 

• A case management tool could automatically pull together data from different systems, reducing duplication. 

If you do start building test apps, we recommend quickly establishing an app Centre of Excellence to deal with the proliferation that will no doubt ensue when people understand the potential at their fingertips. 

These aren’t hypothetical ideas, some departments are already using Power Apps to eliminate waste and improve services. The opportunity is in scaling this up across government. 

 

Bridging the Skills Gap 

If these tools are so useful, why aren’t they being used more? Part of the issue is awareness, but another is confidence. Many civil servants don’t feel they have the skills or the time to learn. 

You can get started by:  

• Checking what’s available – Civil servants should explore their Microsoft 365 licence to see what’s included at no extra cost. Ask your IT service desk for information. 

• Experimenting with automation – Start with small improvements, like automating a repetitive email or using Copilot for quick document drafting. 

• Targeted training and support, not just for IT teams, but for everyday users can also make a huge difference. Helping people see how these tools can save them time in their own roles is key to unlocking their potential. 

 

That’s where Hitachi Solutions can help. 

 We work with civil servants to: 

• Understand where they are on their digital and AI journey through a skills maturity assessment and suggestions. 

• Run hands-on training to help teams use Power BI, Power Apps, and Microsoft 365 Copilot in their daily work. 

• Identify quick wins where automation can immediately save time and reduce manual effort. 

• Help departments make a plan for rolling out digital tools in a way that works for their teams. 

 

Our goal isn’t to introduce more complexity, it’s to make work simpler, smarter, and less frustrating, easily accessible and affordable.  

The Real Opportunity: Eliminating Waste Without Waiting 

The government’s drive to eliminate inefficiency and embrace AI isn’t about futuristic technologies—it’s about using the tools civil servants already have in smarter ways. 

Hitachi’s ambition is clear: to equip public and civil servants with the skills they need to drive this change, become more productive, and deliver better outcomes for the citizens of the UK.  

By unlocking the full potential of Microsoft solutions and productivity tools today, the Civil Service can reduce waste, increase automation, and free up valuable time without waiting for additional funding or major system overhauls. 

The goldmine is already there. It’s time to start digging.