Service Standard

11. Choose the right tools and technology

Choose tools and technology that let you create a high quality service in a cost effective way. Minimise the cost of changing direction in future.

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Why it’s important

When you make a decision about technology, you’re making a significant investment. The choices you make will have a huge impact on your ability to create, iterate and operate the service in a sustainable way.

What it means

When considering technical architecture, choice of programming languages, development toolchain and other technology choices, service teams should:

  • use appropriate tools and technologies to create and operate a good service in a cost effective way - for example, by automating things where possible
  • be able to show that they’ve made good decisions about what technology to build and what to buy, including use of common platforms where appropriate
  • understand how the technology they use works, including emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI)
  • understand total cost of ownership of the technology and preserve the ability to make different choices in future - for example, reducing the chances of getting locked into contracts for specific tools and suppliers by using open standards
  • have an effective approach to managing any legacy technology the service integrates with or depends on
  • consider how the technology will impact user experience and inclusion - for example, avoid situations where your technology choices might reduce the reliability of information given to users or decisions made about them

Choosing technology

Using common platforms

Working with open standards

Moving away from legacy systems

Service standard points

1. Understand users and their needs

2. Solve a whole problem for users

3. Provide a joined up experience across all channels

4. Make the service simple to use

5. Make sure everyone can use the service

6. Have a multidisciplinary team

7. Use agile ways of working

8. Iterate and improve frequently

9. Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy

10. Define what success looks like and publish performance data

11. Choose the right tools and technology

12. Make new source code open

13. Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns

14. Operate a reliable service

Updates to this page

Published 8 May 2019
Last updated 29 January 2026 show all updates

  1. Updated to be clearer that understanding technologies includes understanding AI technologies. Service teams are also now required to assess the impact of technologies on user experience, inclusion, and the reliability of information and decisions.

  2. Added a reference to considering use of common platforms, where appropriate

  3. Added links to related guidance and other standard points. There is no change to the content of the standard point itself.

  4. Guidance first published