HSBC UK and WIRED Consulting have today launched Business Services Spotlight 2026: People-Driven, Tech-Focused, a new report examining how UK business services firms are using technology to improve productivity, manage rising costs and create new opportunities for growth.
The report focuses on four critical subsectors: freight and logistics, facilities management, testing, inspection, certification and compliance, and recruitment. Together, these people-led industries provide essential infrastructure for businesses and communities across the UK.
While artificial intelligence and other technologies are transforming how work is organised, the report finds that the most successful businesses are using technology to augment their people, not replace them. Firms that combine strong customer relationships, specialist expertise and structured data are best placed to improve efficiency, enhance customer experience and scale sustainably.
Rob Brand, Sector Head, Business Services at HSBC UK, said:
“The business services sector is a true enabler of the UK economy, providing the essential infrastructure that allows other businesses to function and society to operate. The sector is navigating skills shortages, wage inflation and technological disruption, but businesses are responding with resilience and creativity.
“Technology is helping firms make labour more productive, improve operational leverage and unlock new opportunities. At the same time, the human element remains central to their success. HSBC UK is proud to support businesses as they grow, expand internationally and manage the complexity of their working capital and banking needs.”
The report highlights the scale and importance of the sector:
- Freight and logistics contributes £175 billion to the UK economy each year and employs 2.6 million people.
- Facilities management employs more than 1.3 million people and generates an estimated £65 billion in annual value.
- The TICC sector employs more than 50,000 people in outsourced technical testing and analysis and generates an estimated £6 billion in revenue.
- Recruitment employed 236,470 people directly in 2024 and contributed £40.6 billion to the UK economy.
Across all four subsectors, businesses are contending with labour shortages, higher operating costs and increasingly complex regulation. Technology is emerging as a practical response, supporting areas such as route optimisation, predictive maintenance, automated testing, data analysis and candidate screening.
In freight and logistics, internet of things technology, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence are being used to improve inventory management, optimise routes and reduce fuel consumption. The sector is also seeing rapid growth in fourth-party logistics platforms, which help businesses coordinate networks of specialist carriers.
Facilities management providers are using artificial intelligence, building-management systems and digital twins to optimise staff rotas, improve energy efficiency, support ESG reporting and enable predictive maintenance. The report also highlights the importance of employee engagement in a sector where service quality depends on motivated and skilled people.
In testing, inspection, certification and compliance automation, robotics and drones are helping firms improve the efficiency of laboratory testing and remote inspections. However, human judgement remains essential, particularly where regulations require inspections and reports to be reviewed and signed off by qualified professionals.
Recruitment firms are using artificial intelligence to manage high volumes of candidate data, improve matching and reduce administrative workloads. The report finds that this can free consultants to focus on relationship-building and the human assessment of candidate suitability—activities that technology cannot easily replicate.
The report identifies several routes to growth for business services firms:
- Investing in data and technology to improve productivity and protect margins.
- Developing specialist propositions and deeper sector expertise.
- Using mergers and acquisitions to expand capabilities and geographic reach.
- Offering value-added services based on operational and building data.
- Expanding internationally to access more buoyant markets.
- Maintaining a clear focus on people, culture and customer relationships.
HSBC UK supports businesses across the sector through lending, working-capital solutions, invoice discounting, foreign exchange, credit insurance, credit facilities and international banking infrastructure.
The report features case studies of HSBC UK clients, including CCL Techlogix Group, Atlas FM, Certek and Finatal. Their experiences demonstrate how tailored banking support can help businesses fund acquisitions, manage working capital, invest in technology and expand internationally.
David Harrison, Founder and CEO of Certek, said:
“The revolving credit facility gives us the flexibility to manage projects with significant working-capital requirements. Having that relationship gives you confidence to pursue a new deal, invest in capital equipment or recruit new staff.”
Tom Clarke, CFO of Finatal, added:
“We moved our global banking and treasury across to HSBC specifically to support our international expansion and scaling. Day-to-day banking and currency management is simple and streamlined, while HSBC has provided funding and credit lines across our global locations.”
