The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has partnered with leading digital transformation provider and data and AI specialist, ANS, to implement a modern data platform in Microsoft Azure. This will support RNIB in maturing their organisational data and analytics capability and, the pursuit of their vision to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives.

Since being founded in 1868, RNIB has worked tirelessly to help blind and partially sighted people build the essential skills, knowledge, and confidence they need. The charity has also campaigned for changes that have made life more equitable for people with sight loss – in everything from education and employment to healthcare and travel and taken a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation that many blind and partially sighted people face.

For many years RNIB has utilised a number of data focused solutions, and with the new capability in place through this partnership with ANS, RNIB will be in an even better position to leverage data, insights and analytics in the future. This new data capability will support RNIB in being even more customer focussed, and to provide optimal services and support to blind and partially sighted people.

This new, modern data will allow RNIB to:

• Support improved organisational reporting and decision making by developing a new data and analytics capability
• Ensure that insight is used to support continuous improvement in the support, activities and services provided by the organisation
• Understand which activities, products or services make the biggest difference and better predict when to offer those products and services for maximum impact
• Support the predicted growth in the number of people expected to experience sight loss over the coming years and therefore needing RNIB’s services

ANS will build and deploy an Azure Synapse modern data platform for RNIB, which will provide centralised data and analytics capabilities, with 10+ data sources initially. This platform will provide a modern, future-proofed, single source of data and analytic capability.

RNIB is approaching the partnership with ANS with a collaborative, ‘hands-on’ approach. This has been achieved by utilising ANS’s professional services and the unique offering of a co-managed data service for proactive support, as well as the ANS Data Centre of Excellence team providing mature data and AI skillsets to work alongside the internal RNIB team.

Dave Harrison, Head of Data at RNIB, said “ANS was the Microsoft partner of choice for us due to their accredited expertise, their collaborative approach, and their track record within the not-for-profit space. This partnership between RNIB and ANS will allow us to continue our cloud-based data journey and, transform the way we use data internally. Over the coming years, we expect to deliver against our ambitious long term strategic objectives and continue to deliver real value to those who are blind or partially sighted, as well as benefitting internal colleagues in our use of data in decision making.”

ANS’s CRO Joe Wolski said: “RNIB hold exciting and ambitious objectives for their data strategy and we’re delighted to be helping them to achieve those over the next few years. This project will enable the charity to reap the benefits of a best practice architecture while also providing access to mature skillsets through the Data Centre of Excellence service to spread the value of maturing their data and AI capabilities around the organisation from day one.”

Check out the RNIB website.