IMP Software has added an ASOT benchmarking dashboard to its finance platform through a collaboration with ISBL, bringing ISBL’s benchmarking framework into existing school trust finance workflows.

The dashboard lets academy trusts view benchmarking metrics for individual schools or across a multi-academy trust using data already held in IMP. It presents the information through RAG-rated indicators, trend lines and national threshold ranges.

ASOT, the Advanced Strategic Optimisation Tool, is an independent benchmarking framework developed by an ISBL panel of school finance and resourcing specialists, with input from ISBL Fellows and Department for Education school resource management advisers.

Until now, school and trust finance teams using ASOT have generally relied on a separate spreadsheet-based tool. That meant extracting figures from their systems, entering them manually and maintaining the analysis outside their usual reporting processes.

Under the integration, metrics are calculated automatically using ISBL’s ASOT definitions and reflect the latest budget position held in the IMP system. Trusts can also filter views by school, school type, hub and region.

Will Jordan, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of IMP Software, said: “IMP partnered with ISBL to make it easier for trusts to engage with ASOT benchmarking and understand what ‘good’ really looks like. That vision has now taken a significant step forward. Trusts no longer need to extract figures or paste data into a spreadsheet. Instead, ASOT benchmarking is built directly into IMP’s reporting suite, with a dedicated dashboard that shows how their data compares against ASOT thresholds across a number of key metrics.”

The change is aimed at finance leaders seeking a more regular view of spending and staffing patterns across schools in a trust. For Chief Finance Officers and Chief Executive Officers, it is intended to provide a common basis for discussing resource use across multiple schools.

Warren Porter, Head of Education Strategy at IMP Software, said: “Schools and trusts using ISBL’s ASOT framework have until now had to rely on a separate Excel-based tool to calculate and review their benchmarking metrics. This means manually extracting data from their systems, entering it into the ASOT spreadsheet, and managing the tool outside their normal workflows – a time-consuming process that is prone to error and easy to deprioritise. For trust finance teams, this creates a gap between the data they already hold in IMP and the benchmarking insight they need to assess how efficiently their schools are using resources. Without a straightforward way to view ASOT metrics, trusts either invest significant time maintaining the standalone tool or go without the insight altogether. This release therefore takes the first significant step towards closing that gap.”

Sector focus

ISBL serves school business leadership professionals and acts as the central hub within the Centre for Education Operational Excellence. The integration reflects a wider push across the education sector to make financial and operational benchmarking part of routine management rather than an occasional review.

Bethan Cullen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at ISBL, said: “This integration marks an important step in making ASOT benchmarking a practical, embedded part of how trusts operate. By bringing robust, evidence-based metrics directly into financial workflows, leaders can better understand how resources are deployed and use data-assured actuals to inform forward-looking planning aligned to their strategic priorities. Crucially, these insights provide a shared foundation for informed dialogue across business, educational and governance leadership. In doing so, it strengthens the systems and data foundations required to deliver sustainable operational excellence, as set out through the Centre for Education Operational Excellence OpEx for Education framework.”

The ASOT framework was designed to help schools assess efficiency and compare themselves against recognised measures. The integration allows benchmarking to sit alongside existing planning and reporting data rather than in a separate tool.

Andrew Hamilton, who designed the ASOT framework, said: “The inclusion of ASOT within IMP marks the beginning of something genuinely transformative for schools. By automating complex analysis and drawing data directly from existing systems, we are removing the barriers of time and resource that often prevent schools from undertaking meaningful efficiency reviews. This is far more than a metrics tool – it helps schools to understand what they can realistically afford, quantify inefficiencies, and make informed choices based on their unique circumstances rather than relying solely on benchmarking. The partnership with IMP unlocks the full potential of ASOT, creating exciting opportunities to support smarter decision-making and operational excellence across the education sector.”

User view

One trust finance chief said the combination brings together two established tools used in school financial planning and benchmarking. The integrated format also gives trusts a way to keep benchmarking current as their organisations grow.

Kate Davison, Chief Finance Officer at Yorkshire Causeway Trust, said: “ASOT and IMP’s ICFP solution are two tools I have relied on for years, so bringing them together in a single platform is a really exciting development. What ASOT has always given me is a clear diagnostic view of school performance and a valuable benchmark for what ‘normal’ looks like across staffing and spending. Combined with the depth of analysis already available in IMP’s planning tools, the new ASOT benchmarking dashboard has the potential to make that insight far more accessible and actionable.

“In the past, benchmarking has often been a point-in-time exercise that quickly becomes out of date across a growing trust. The real value of this new dashboard is having live, integrated data that can be incorporated into regular reporting and used to support more informed conversations with headteachers and business managers. For trusts like ours, that means less time spent updating spreadsheets and more time focusing on the decisions that will have the greatest impact on educational and financial sustainability.”

Research published by ReLondon, in partnership with the University of Oxford, shows that London households buy almost twice as much electrical and electronic equipment as they discard.

The average London household buys about 57.8kg of new electrical and electronic goods each year and gets rid of 30.2kg, the findings show. Between 2023 and 2024, the volume of these items held in homes across the capital rose by 4.4%, leaving an estimated 700kg in the average home.

The report tracks the movement of electrical and electronic equipment across London from purchase and use to disposal. It covers household goods as well as products used by businesses and institutions, from smartphones and laptops to washing machines and solar panels.

Consumption has risen sharply. In 2024, households, businesses and institutions in London bought 255,600 tonnes of new electrical and electronic equipment and discarded 134,500 tonnes, according to the analysis.

Households accounted for most of what was thrown away, with 80% of electrical and electronic items discarded in London during 2024 coming from homes rather than businesses or public bodies.

The research also points to a large reserve of products that could stay in use for longer. It estimates that around a quarter of the 134,500 tonnes discarded across the capital could have been reused or repaired rather than thrown away.

Had those items been redistributed instead of disposed of, they could have met close to 10% of London’s total demand for new electrical and electronic goods. The analysis also found that households currently repair or pass on only 21% of products at the end of their first life.

Waste routes

The study also highlights disposal methods. Of the electrical and electronic items discarded in 2024, 47.5% went through formal routes such as commercial collections, retail take-back schemes, council collections, household waste recycling centres, and doorstep or bring-bank services.

Another 52.3%, equal to 70,700 tonnes, went through non-official routes. Of that amount, 62.3% was placed in residual waste.

Households were responsible for 63% of the total volume of improperly disposed electrical and electronic items. Businesses and institutions, however, discarded more per unit: the average London business sent the equivalent weight of 24 laptops to non-official routes each year, compared with six laptops for the average household.

The research also examined emissions linked to the production and disposal of these products, excluding emissions created during use. It found that London households’ electrical and electronic goods generated 5.9 million tonnes of CO2e in 2024, rising to 9.1 million tonnes when business and institutional equipment was included.

According to the report, that footprint is larger than the carbon impact of the capital’s packaging and clothing sectors, though smaller than that of its food system. Five categories made up 41.9% of the household carbon footprint: small IT equipment, games consoles, flat-panel televisions, photovoltaic panels and washing machines.

Repair potential

The report suggests that diverting more discarded items into repair and reuse would materially change the picture. It estimates that household repair rates could rise from 1.7kg to 4.8kg per household if reusable and repairable goods now being thrown away were recovered, while reuse could increase from 8.1kg to 12.4kg.

Lamia Sbiti, Director of Business and Sector Support at ReLondon, said: “While this research highlights a gap between our current habits and our true potential, the exciting reality is that the foundations for a circular future are already here. From the everyday Londoners engaging in repair and redistribution to London’s growing ecosystem of innovators and repairers, the ingredients for change are in place. By tapping into these forces, we have a unique opportunity to shape a system that unlocks social value for residents, drives economic growth for the city and tackles climate change head-on.”

Mete Coban, Chair of ReLondon, said the study clarifies the scale of the problem in the capital. “Londoners are using more electrical items than ever before, from laptops and phones to kettles and air fryers. As we use more of these products, ReLondon’s new report helps us understand the impact they have on waste and pollution and shows where we can make a difference. Too many electrical items are still being thrown away when they could be repaired, reused or recycled. By helping people keep products for longer and recycle them properly, we can cut waste, reduce pollution, create green jobs, support our transition to a low-carbon, zero-waste city and continue building a greener, fairer London for everyone.”

Academic researchers involved in the work said the study provides a first broad picture of how products move through the capital’s economy. Lucia Corsini, Head of the Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab at the University of Oxford, said: “We are delighted to have undertaken this complex analysis of London’s electrical and electronic equipment system in partnership with ReLondon. For the first time, the study quantifies first-life and second-life pathways across a diverse range of household and non-household products – everything from a kettle to a washing machine to a solar panel – while also shedding light on informal and improper waste handling and treatment. We hope these findings provide an evidence base to support more informed industry and policy decision-making, helping to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy.”

Hannah Jameson, Corporate Director for Delivery, Innovation and Climate at London Councils, said: “This report provides a valuable evidence base for understanding how London can reduce waste, recover more value from electricals, and build a more resilient circular economy. It highlights the importance of working together across boroughs, businesses and communities to increase repair, reuse and proper collection of electrical and electronic equipment.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Dentsu has published research showing that 65% of UK consumers are uncomfortable with AI making purchases on their behalf, highlighting a limit to consumer trust as AI shopping tools become more widely used.

The survey of 2,003 UK adults found that more than a third of Britons use AI shopping tools, rising to more than half among Millennials and Generation Z. Almost 40% said they use AI to find the best product, compare brands and look for cheaper alternatives.

Even so, traditional sources still carry more weight in final decisions. Customer reviews were cited by 54% of respondents, followed by friends and family at 48% and in-store information at 45%.

The results suggest AI is becoming part of the product discovery process rather than replacing established buying habits. Consumers appear willing to use automated tools for research, but many still want control over the final transaction.

Social media showed a similar pattern. Two-thirds of respondents said social platforms make it easier to discover products, yet retailer websites scored higher on nearly every other part of the shopping experience, including personalisation, product information, convenience and pricing.

Trust was the clearest dividing line between the two channels, with 80% of respondents viewing retailer websites as more trustworthy than social media.

Store appeal

Physical shops also retained a strong role in the retail mix. Around 80% of consumers said they enjoy browsing in store, while roughly two-thirds said it is something they look forward to.

Store visits remain an important source of discovery. The research found that 83% of respondents discover products while browsing in person, indicating that bricks-and-mortar retail continues to shape purchasing behaviour despite the growth of online tools.

This creates a more complex picture for retailers than a simple shift from physical shopping to digital channels. Online services may offer convenience, while stores continue to play a broader role in browsing, discovery and brand experience.

The findings suggest retailers must balance several consumer habits at once: growing use of AI, heavy use of social media for discovery, continued reliance on retailer websites for trusted information and a lasting preference for physical browsing.

Neilson Hall, Managing Director, Commerce Media, Dentsu UK&I, said the spread of digital discovery is changing what shoppers want from brands and retailers.

“The last decades have been defined by making shopping journeys as smooth and easy as possible, with brands investing heavily into discovery. But now that discovery is everywhere, consumers are looking for something new: guidance. The future of retail will be shaped by reducing friction, simplifying decision, and building confidence and trust,” Hall said.

Blended journey

The findings indicate that in-store retail is not being displaced so much as repositioned. While eCommerce remains central for speed and ease, shops still provide a setting many consumers associate with inspiration and browsing.

Matthew Higgins, Managing Partner, Retail Media Activation, Dentsu UK&I, said physical stores now serve a different purpose from one-click online shopping.

“The store isn’t dead; it offers something different. Consumers visit physical stores to browse, to experience, to be inspired – in-store shopping now is something they actively look forward to as it offers them more than a smooth one-click online purchase can. These moments are extremely commercially valuable and complement the digital experience. The brands winning in physical retail in 2026 are the ones treating it like a media channel and an emotional connector,” Higgins said.

The research presents a retail market in which consumers are adopting new tools without abandoning older habits. AI may be gaining ground in search and comparison, but trust, reassurance and the appeal of browsing in person still shape how many Britons decide what to buy.