On 17 January 2026 the UK government launched CustomerFirst, a new modernisation unit inside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Tristan Thomas, previously at Monzo, will lead the team, with Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson named as first co‑chair. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is the opening partner. DSIT’s aim is faster responses and simpler services for millions of users. ([gov.uk](Link

CustomerFirst will operate from the Government Digital Service within DSIT, with a brief to rebuild services end‑to‑end at speed and test new approaches away from legacy constraints. The unit is being set up to combine public service purpose with startup‑style delivery discipline. ([customerfirst.campaign.gov.uk](Link

The leadership mix is deliberate. Thomas helped scale Monzo and later co‑founded logistics venture Packfleet; Jackson brings deep experience running high‑volume, tech‑enabled customer operations and, since July 2025, serves as a non‑executive on the Cabinet Office board. Together, they add private‑sector operating know‑how to a civil service delivery core. ([publictechnology.net](Link

DVLA will be the first real‑world testbed. The brief is to strip friction from licence and vehicle‑registration journeys and trial modern contact‑centre tooling to raise first‑time resolution and cut wait times. If the model works, it will be packaged for reuse across departments. ([publictechnology.net](Link

The business case matters. Government material flags potential taxpayer savings of up to £4bn by shifting processing from phone, post and counters to digital channels. The biggest wins typically come from fewer handoffs and errors, plus clearer rules baked into services-not just new interfaces. ([publictechnology.net](Link

There is a clear operating pattern to emulate. At Octopus Energy, techUK reports generative tools assist with roughly 35% of customer emails and achieve around 70% satisfaction, while summarising millions of calls for agents. That is the kind of assistive model government wants to adapt-with people kept in the loop. ([techuk.org](Link

Ministers say this programme is about equipping frontline teams as much as serving citizens. DSIT has also committed to retain telephone and face‑to‑face routes for those who need them-important safeguards as automation expands. ([gov.uk](Link

CustomerFirst sits inside a wider Roadmap for a Modern Digital Government, which targets joined‑up services, responsible AI adoption and funding geared to outcomes rather than activity. Alongside this, DSIT has opened expressions of interest for senior specialists in service design, solutions architecture and product. ([roadmap-for-modern-digital-government.campaign.gov.uk](Link

Our take for operations leads: if DVLA can show materially shorter call waits, faster licence renewals and higher first‑contact resolution by mid‑year, expect rapid copy‑and‑paste across other agencies. If policy and data constraints block change, momentum will fade and the unit risks being seen as another committee.

For SMEs and mid‑market vendors, the signal is clear. Procurement will value measurable outcomes-cost per contact, response accuracy, accessibility improvements-over feature lists. For citizens, success will be obvious: fewer hoops, faster resolutions and services that remember previous interactions without asking you to repeat your details.