CustomerFirst unit to reimagine service design with tech and AI

The government has unveiled CustomerFirst, a new unit within the Government Digital Service (GDS), designed to rethink how public services are designed, delivered and experienced by citizens. 

It aims to modernise critical government services by harnessing technology like generative artificial intelligence and adopting transformation practices more typical of leading private sector organisations.

CustomerFirst responds to longstanding user frustrations with slow, fragmented and legacy-bound services across government. Long waiting times, multiple form submissions and inconsistent service outcomes have eroded trust and placed unnecessary strain on both customers and frontline staff. The new unit is explicitly charged with redesigning services around users, delivering “faster, simpler, more joined-up customer services at scale.”

Operating under the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, CustomerFirst aims to combine the agility of a start-up with the scale and purpose of the public sector. Led by Tristan Thomas, former Monzo executive, and co-chaired by Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, the unit brings together civil servants and private sector technology experts to drive rapid innovation and cultural change.

CustomerFirst teams will partner with priority departments to redesign processes end-to-end, making greater use of digital tools to reduce routine manual tasks and streamline core transactions. The approach draws on best practices from sectors such as digital banking and online retail to mirror private-sector service excellence.

The first phase of the programme will concentrate on early adopter services, with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) selected as a pilot partner. Improvements here will form a blueprint for broader transformation across other high-impact services, helping establish repeatable models and shared capabilities.