SVL and NCFE are proud to have received the Partnership Award at The Forum Awards 2026.

The Partnership Award recognises the essential role collaboration plays in a successful digital transformation. Our work with NCFE has been guided by that principle from the outset, and it’s an honour to see our partnership recognised at such an important industry event.

A huge thank you to The Forum and the judging panel, and congratulations to all the other nominees.

Together, SVL and NCFE have worked to simplify complex systems, improve service performance, and build a stronger foundation for future innovation across the contact centre.

In this blog, we take a closer look at the partnership, the outcomes achieved so far, and the impact of a collaborative approach to transformation.SV

Building a Partnership Around Long-Term Improvement

Founded in 1848, NCFE has been supporting education for generations. At the heart of that work is a busy Customer Support team handling voice, email and web chat, often at pace and under pressure, where every timely answer can make a real difference to someone’s learning journey.

Like many long-established organisations, NCFE’s contact centre environment had evolved over time. Multiple systems, manual workarounds and disconnected processes were making service delivery more complex than it needed to be. As part of a wider move to cloud infrastructure, NCFE saw an opportunity not just to refresh the technology, but to rethink how customer support could work better.

SVL had already built a trusted relationship with NCFE through previous workforce management support, creating a strong foundation for the next stage of transformation.

Working in partnership, SVL helped NCFE replace legacy systems and implement NiCE CXone as a single, unified CCaaS platform, giving advisors one connected environment and creating a smoother experience for customers end to end.

Delivering Measurable Results

The new platform has already delivered clear operational improvements across the contact centre, including:

  • Voice service levels increasing by 10%, with average speed of answer reduced by 33 seconds
  • Chat service levels increasing by 17%, with first response time reduced by 5 seconds
  • Email service levels increasing by 18%, with average speed of answer reduced by nearly 80%
  • More than 80 hours saved annually by reducing recurring system outages

Behind each of these improvements are real learners, tutors and suppliers getting quicker answers and more consistent support when they need it most.

By simplifying the technology landscape, NCFE has created a more sustainable operation for its team and a better experience for the learners, tutors and providers who rely on the service every day.

Another standout example is NCFE’s rollout of Expert, NiCE’s knowledge management tool, known internally as CHASE. As one of SVL’s early adopters of the solution, NCFE embraced the opportunity to innovate, and the implementation has since been recognised as an example of best practice in knowledge management.

More Than a Technology Project

The success of this project is due in no small measure to the strength of our partnership.

Our collaborative and forward-looking approach has helped ensure the project continues to deliver value beyond go-live, with both teams focused not only on current performance but on future opportunities to enhance service delivery further.

SVL has supported NCFE not only through implementation, but through optimisation reviews, roadmap planning and access to a wider community of organisations on similar journeys. That sharing of experience has helped NCFE move faster, make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls along the way.

The relationship continues to evolve. With contract renewal approaching, both teams are already exploring what comes next, from tools like Auto Summary and Co-Pilot to further quality and analytics capabilities that can reduce admin time, provide real-time guidance and make the advisor experience even smoother.

While the technology continues to evolve, the overall aim remains the same: to use it in ways that genuinely support advisors, improve customer experiences and make service delivery stronger for the future.

“From the outset, this partnership has been defined by openness, trust and a shared ambition to make meaningful improvements. NCFE had a clear vision for the future of its contact centre, and it’s been a privilege to work together to help bring that vision to life. We’re incredibly proud to see the partnership recognised at The Forum.”
— Anne Holmes, SVL

Ready to Transform Your Contact Centre?

Whether you’re looking to modernise legacy systems, improve agent experience or explore the role of AI in your contact centre, SVL can help you build the right foundation for the future. Get in touch for a chat today.