Customer since 2017

NHS service provider supporting two merged hospital trusts and 80 GP practices

SDI 4-star rated and Service Desk of the Year finalist

Product: ITSM

Mid Mersey Digital Alliance (MMDA), supporting over 16,000 NHS users across Merseyside and West Lancashire, has achieved major efficiency gains and improved user satisfaction by introducing Sunrise’s AI-powered Teams chatbot, D.A.V.E. (Digital Assistant Virtual Engineer). By streamlining IT support processes, cutting call handling times, and making it easier for staff to interact with IT services, D.A.V.E. has transformed day-to-day operations across the organisation.

What Mid Mersey Digital Alliance was looking to achieve:

Mid Mersey wanted to increase self-service adoption and cut the number of routine service desk calls. Their goal was to give NHS staff a fast, familiar, and accessible way to log issues, check status updates, and receive communications — all without leaving Microsoft Teams.

Andy Jones, ITSM System Developer at MMDA explained:

“We always wanted something like this. We looked at a few different chatbots, then Sunrise sent us an email about their Teams chatbot and it sounded perfect. We went live in May 2025, and although it’s still early days, the data and feedback so far have been really positive.”

How Sunrise helped them achieve this:

Working in partnership with MMDA, Sunrise built D.A.V.E, the Sunrise Teams chatbot, using Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Automate. Fully integrated with the Sunrise IT service management platform, D.A.V.E replicates 180 service desk presets with keyword search functionality for quick and easy issue logging.

Staff can log or update calls in seconds, list assets, view current service issues, or subscribe to updates — all directly in Teams. Notifications for approvals, updates, surveys, and feedback keep communication flowing in one familiar place, eliminating the need to jump between systems or chase answers by phone or email.

Andy added:

“One of the biggest amendments we made was adding keywords to the presets so staff can quickly find what they’re looking for. We can tweak and improve it over time, based on feedback. That’s really powerful.”

The Results:

Since launch, D.A.V.E. has had a significant impact:

• Average time to log a call reduced from six minutes to just one – saving staff five minutes per call.

• Proactive communication means fewer calls chasing updates, as users now receive real-time notifications in Teams.

• Teams-based approvals are speeding up decision-making and reducing reliance on email.

• Integrated surveys and feedback are boosting engagement and helping the service desk capture instant user sentiment.

Andy described the impact D.A.V.E. has had on the service desk, highlighting how much time it has saved staff and improved daily workflows. “The Sunrise Teams chatbot has been a game changer for us. Staff can log issues in a minute, get instant updates in Teams, and approvals happen faster than ever. It’s saving us time every day,” he said.

The positive feedback hasn’t stopped with the IT team. End users have quickly embraced the chatbot as their go-to method for IT support, praising its speed and ease of use. One staff member said, “Love D.A.V.E — my preferred method of contacting you!” while another added, “Very impressed at the speed and simplicity. The job was logged in a few steps.” A third user commented, “Quick, efficient, and very easy to use.” These responses highlight just how much D.A.V.E. is improving the day-to-day experience for NHS staff.

Looking ahead:

MMDA is already planning to expand D.A.V.E’s capabilities, including knowledge search for instant resolution, product catalogue integration, and even automated software rollouts once requests are approved.

Andy reflected that staff who had used the chatbot really liked it, but the next step was encouraging wider adoption. He noted that with new features and awareness, small efficiencies would quickly add up, showing the value of D.A.V.E.

Meanwhile, the Sunrise team is continually working behind the scenes to make our chatbot even better, refining workflows, adding new features, and ensuring it evolves to meet the needs of both IT staff and end users. This ongoing development guarantees continued efficiency gains and a smoother experience for everyone.