Doing More with Less: Modernising End User Compute for the Future

By Howard Hall – Group Managing Director, DTP Group

With insights from Owen Dickenson – Head of Workplace Technology Services, University of Leicester

From “Break-Fix” to “Fix-Before-Fail”

In many IT departments, the operating model hasn’t changed much since the days of Alan Turing: a device fails, a ticket is raised and an engineer fixes it. This is costly, disruptive and frustrating for end users.

By contrast, industries like aviation now use predictive maintenance to fix components before they fail, using sensor data and real-time analytics. The impact? Lower costs, reduced carbon footprint, and better user experience.

Our approach brings that same model to our customer’s End User Compute (EUC) estate, a critical element of today’s Digital Wor kplace Solutions that directly impacts digital employee experience (DEX) and productivity:

Automated hardware and software asset management for compliance
Auto-remediation of common faults cutting blue screen incidents by up to 40%
Proactive device repairs, based on predictive analytics, before users experience downtime
Right-sizing device specifications to actual workloads, avoiding overprovisioning
Auto-ticket creation via ITSM integration, removing the need for users to report known issues

A Case Study in Transformation: University of Leicester

In 2019, the University of Leicester faced the familiar challenge:

Too much reactive support
Device lifecycle decisions based solely on age
Negative customer interactions driven by frustration and downtime

Owen Dickenson, Head of Workplace Technology Services, wanted a different future, one where IT could see problems before users reported them, and where device replacement was driven by data, not guesswork.

Working with DTP and HP’s workforce modernisation platform, Leicester began with a small pilot in their IT department. Within weeks, they had a clear picture of their EUC health and prioritised fixes that would deliver the biggest impact.

The results:

Blue screen and crash rates dropped significantly through better driver and firmware management
Proactive maintenance became the norm, such as replacing failing batteries before they died
During COVID, the team was able to remotely identify and schedule repairs for shielding staff, avoiding disruption
Lecture theatre downtime from PC failure was virtually eliminated

Perhaps most telling is the cultural shift; staff now trust IT to be proactive.

“It’s an amazing conversation to have when you call someone to say, ‘we’ve already got the part you need - when’s a good time to swap it out?' We're stopping that interruption, and our customers can be on that planned productivity cycle.”
Owen Dickenson, Head of Workplace Technology Services, University of Leicester
“WXP helps me to fix things that haven’t caused our customers a problem yet. People are impressed with our ability to see issues before they have a problem, and they like being able to make an appointment to have something fixed around their schedule.”
Mo Afzal, DTP Engineer

The People Factor: Why On-Site Engineering Still Matters

For Leicester, one key to success has been their dedicated on-site DTP engineer, Mo Afzal. Embedded in the team for over a decade, Mo provides continuity, expertise and a friendly face for staff.

While predictive technology drives efficiency, human relationships maintain trust, especially when introducing new processes.

The ITAD Opportunity

Modernisation doesn’t always need new budget lines. Through transparent IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) rebate models, organisations can channel the residual value of retired devices directly into funding predictive maintenance and DEX initiatives.

It’s part of what we call tackling the “Great ITAD Rip-Off” ensuring devices enter the circular economy and rebates are maximised, rather than written off.

What’s Next?

For Leicester and other modern adopters, the journey continues:

AI-powered fleet interrogation to surface hidden trends
Smart Refresh cycles based on performance and user experience data
Sentiment analysis to combine technical health with real user feedback
Integrations with Power Automate, Power BI, and Entra for richer automation and insight

The lesson is clear:

When you modernise EUC with a predictive mindset, you not only cut costs, but also build trust, improve productivity and free your IT teams to focus on higher-value work.