Last week, the Optimum PPS team attended Digit Expo West 2025 at the SEC in Glasgow. The event brought together digital strategy, IT infrastructure, and business transformation leaders to share ideas on how to adapt, innovate, and stay secure in a dynamic digital landscape.
Throughout a day of keynote, technical seminar, and panel sessions, three emerging themes were prominent. Here is what stood out to us and why it matters for organisations navigating change in 2025 and beyond.
Harnessing AI for Operational Efficiency in Healthcare
One of the most engaging sessions looked at how the NHS is employing artificial intelligence to make it more efficient and support its workers. The focus was on how AI is already being used in practical, real-life scenarios to reduce administrative burden and improve operational workflows.
For example, clinicians can surface patient information without leaving their existing systems. Case notes and documentation are auto-completed or summarised in seconds, removing pressure from cumbersome routines and allowing teams to focus more on care delivery. In practical terms, the NHS estimates AI will increase efficiency by 2.7% for non-clinical and 1.8% for clinical staff.
While these advances have their roots in healthcare, the learnings apply across multiple sectors. Many public and private sector organisations face the same challenge: stretched budgets and expanding demand. AI provides a solution by freeing up time with automations, improving decision-making, and enabling teams to focus on more strategic or specialist activities.
Strengthening Cybersecurity in the Face of Modern Threats
Cybersecurity was a major theme throughout the event. Cyber threats are more prevalent and sophisticated than ever before. High-profile hacks continue to show how quickly vulnerabilities can be exploited and how severe the consequences can be.
Recent cyber incidents involving Marks & Spencer, Adidas, North Face, and Cartier have highlighted just how serious and widespread digital threats have become. These companies may be global giants, but the weaknesses they faced, including outdated systems, poor identity and password practices, and stretched IT resources, are issues that affect organisations of all sizes and sectors.
The other significant threat that was discussed in the session was the increased prevalence of phishing attacks against employees. Several speakers gave examples of how employees were deceived by extremely convincing-looking fake emails that mimicked internal or external messages. In some cases, employees were fooled into clicking on malicious links or entering their usernames and passwords into fake login websites.
When credentials are intercepted, attackers can access email systems, shared file storage, and other critical internal platforms directly. This has led to ransomware being initiated, confidential data being exfiltrated, or unauthorised transactions being validated.
Key steps organisations should take include:
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on all systems
- Make frequent phishing simulation training mandatory for employees
- Update security awareness programs
- Use least privilege access so that user accounts are limited to only the data and systems they need
- Invest in real-time monitoring and alerting to rapidly detect suspicious behaviour
The wider message from Digit Expo was clear. Cybersecurity is no longer an issue just for IT. It is a business imperative issue that involves people, processes, and technology. Organisations that fail to modernise their infrastructure, develop staff awareness, and protect against identity-based threats are becoming increasingly vulnerable.
Why Digital Transformation Must Be People-Centred
While much of the event focused on systems, tools and platforms, one of the strongest messages was that digital transformation is driven by people, not technology.
Many organisations invest in new systems without thinking through how people will actually use them or whether they actually support the way teams work. The outcome is usually low adoption, sporadic usage and missed opportunities.
To drive meaningful change, organisations must prioritise early engagement, clear communication, and structured implementation. This includes:
- Involving users from the outset
- Designing workflows that align with day-to-day operations
- Providing targeted training and ongoing support
- Collecting feedback and adjusting as needed
Those who adopt a people-focused approach are more likely to realise value in their IT investments. They reduce disruption, improve adoption of the system and achieve more successful long-term outcomes. Technology is just part of the solution. It’s the people who use those systems day in and day out who determine whether transformation is successful.
In Summary
Digit Expo West 2025 offered compelling insights into how organisations across various industries are embracing emerging technologies and confronting new challenges. By embracing AI, safeguarding IT infrastructure, and putting people at the centre of digital transformation, organisations can build smarter, more agile, and resilient futures
If you are planning a change programme or rethinking your systems strategy, Optimum PPS can help guide you through it. Contact us now to see how we can support your transformation goals.
Get in touch at www.optimumpps.co.uk.