From people lists to position-level control: how ICS used Orgvue to support workforce decisions

The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) is responsible for strengthening the UK’s energy security, protecting consumers, and helping the country achieve its net-zero goals. Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) provides the corporate services that enable departments to deliver on those priorities.

Like many organizations, DESNZ has undergone significant change in recent years. Government restructuring, the creation of a new department, and ongoing internal transformation presented a challenge that many leaders face: how do you maintain a clear understanding of your organization when the organization itself is constantly evolving?

Building a position-based view of the workforce and creating a shared source of truth

Before this work began, understanding the organization required considerable manual effort. Workforce information was spread across multiple systems, spreadsheets, and local reports, making it difficult to create a consistent and reliable view of the workforce.

DESNZ developed an internal position management system and, alongside it, used Orgvue to provide a visual and trusted view of positions, both filled and vacant, as well as reporting lines and organizational structures. This made it easier to understand spans of control, management layers, vacancies, and broader business structures.

The result was a single view of the organization that teams across the business could trust and work from. While that may sound straightforward, it fundamentally changed the nature of workforce conversations.

When information is scattered across multiple sources, discussions often focus on the data itself. Different reports produce different answers. Leaders question where the numbers came from. Time is spent validating information rather than acting on it.

By bringing workforce information together in one place, that friction is removed. Teams can see the positions that make up their area, understand who occupies them, and operate from a shared understanding of the current organization.

From debating data to making decisions

One of the most significant impacts has been on leadership discussions.

ICS increasingly uses Orgvue during senior leadership meetings to support conversations about workforce structures, vacancies, reporting lines, spans of control, and resource allocation.

Previously, much of this information was presented through tables and spreadsheets. Today, leaders can view their part of the organization visually, making it easier to understand what is happening and where attention is needed.

As Craig explained:

“We now talk about what’s the insight, what’s the data telling us, rather than just having a conversation about, well, is that data right or wrong?”

Instead of spending valuable meeting time validating data, leaders can focus on vacancies, resources, and organizational issues that require action. The result is greater transparency, stronger accountability, and more productive discussions.

Making the invisible visible

In one example, Orgvue highlighted an individual with an unusually large number of direct reports. At first glance, the structure appeared incorrect. After investigating, however, the team discovered a logical explanation: all contractors were managed through that reporting line.

The value wasn’t in identifying a problem. It was in making the structure visible enough for teams to ask the right questions and determine whether it was the most effective arrangement.

The same principle applies to reporting lines, spans of control, management layers, staffing levels, and vacancies. Leaders can quickly identify areas that merit discussion and understand them in context.

As Craig noted:

“We wouldn’t have spotted that. We wouldn’t have been able to have that conversation without using Orgvue.”

Creating a stronger foundation for workforce planning

The combination of position management and Orgvue’s visualizations has also made recruitment and workforce discussions easier to navigate.

Historically, conversations about approved positions, vacancies, budgets, and recruitment controls often required significant investigation and back-and-forth between teams. Today, leaders can more easily see which positions belong to their business area, whether those positions are filled or vacant, and how those positions have changed over time.

Again, the value comes from helping conversations move more quickly from information gathering to action.

While Craig’s team is not directly responsible for strategic workforce planning, it manages workforce data, produces Orgvue visualizations, and configures reporting outputs that workforce planning teams across DESNZ rely on. This provides planners with a consistent foundation for future workforce requirements and organizational design initiatives.

A foundation for future change

By making position information visible through Orgvue, ICS has established a foundation that supports day-to-day decision-making while helping the department adapt to future change.

Today, DESNZ is working toward a clearer understanding of the positions, structures, vacancies, and reporting lines that underpin the organization. With that visibility comes the ability to make workforce decisions with greater confidence.