Q+A with Birdie's product leadership: tech foundations for the care sector

In their talk at the Care Show in London, Birdie's Chief Product Officer Raj Tanna and Product Principle Dr. Jo Barlow discussed the tech foundations all care agencies need. We caught up with them to discuss further.

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Your talk at the Care Show was called Not (Another) AI Talk. What’s that about?

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Raj: We called it Not (Another) AI Talk because, right now, AI is everywhere. But often the conversation skips straight to hype without addressing the real, practical needs in sectors like care. We wanted to focus on what's actually happening in the care sector today: mounting costs, agency closures, and administrative overload. Before we get swept away by promises of AI, we need to build strong foundations with tech that works together, helps make better decisions, and supports agencies to share knowledge and make the most of their tools.

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What is the industry getting wrong with AI?

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Raj: When it comes to AI, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype cycle. We get it, it happens across any industry where new tech has the potential to change things. But that risks distracting from the very important need to really determine whether that tech is the right fit for solving a problem. 

Building AI on scattered, incomplete, or poor-quality data won’t solve things. In care, that’s dangerous, because AI can only be as powerful and safe as the systems and workflows it’s built on. If agencies are juggling paper files or disconnected digital tools, AI can’t help. It will be a sunk cost, and just amplify the chaos. Care has only recently moved to digital, and we need to solve the fundamental problems first. And for that, agencies need easy to use software that ensures seamless workflows and high quality data. 

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How should care agencies approach incorporating technology into their work?

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Jo: Care agencies need to think about working smarter, not just harder. That starts with well-integrated technology systems, which save time on critical tasks like rostering and care planning, and provide real visibility into agency performance. It's about laying pragmatic, usable tech foundations today that will also prepare them to harness AI tomorrow, when they're ready. If done correctly, that will mean better decision-making, lower costs and more engaged teams that understand their impact.
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How do you decide what to build at Birdie?

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Jo: We stay very close to providers, running fortnightly codevelopment calls and bi-annual customer advisory boards. We work hand-in-hand with over 1,000 agencies and listen to their real-world needs. Our focus is on tools that are usable, impactful, and save time– not tech for tech's sake. If it doesn’t help agencies work smarter, reduce admin burden, and deliver better care, we don’t build it. We also believe insights should be accessible: no PhD needed to use your own data. We think big in terms of impact, but iterate quickly and move fast so that agencies aren’t waiting forever to see value.
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Is there a role for AI in homecare?

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Jo: Absolutely, but the key is timing and context. AI can power things like care plan transcription. But to be safe and effective, AI must be built on connected, high-quality data and workflows. It’s not a magic button, it’s a tool to extend agencies’ capability when the right systems are already in place.

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What more immediate challenges should be addressed?
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Raj: Many agencies are in survival mode. They’re wasting time on admin that could be automated, and jumping between systems and losing data along the way just to manage their operations. They don’t always know how to make the most of the technology they have, and have little community to exchange knowledge. Agencies need to bring people and processes together, have better oversight to prevent and respond to challenges, and the support and community to truly thrive. 

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What does working smarter, not harder mean in practical terms?

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Raj: It means using technology to eliminate duplication, manual admin, and using immediate insight to work smarter. In practical terms, it’s things like integrated rostering and care planning to avoid repetitive data entry, using real-time dashboards to spot issues early, or automating compliance checks so teams can focus on actual care, not paperwork. It’s about giving hours back to teams, improving the quality of care, and making sure staff energy goes where it matters most: supporting clients.

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How is Birdie approaching oncoming challenges for this sector?

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Jo: We approach the agencies we work with as true partners, building with them, and ensuring that we’re facilitating an ongoing conversation with them and the wider care community. We believe that technology should be simple and easy to use, so people can get things done without confusion. Good data should help agencies make smart decisions quickly, without needing expert skills. Social care matters just as much as healthcare, and it deserves the same support and tools. We design our tech to help share knowledge, improve care, and set better ways of working. Most importantly, we always remember we’re building Birdie for carers and the people they care for.

We’re helping agencies work smarter now, with deeply integrated tools and actionable insights. We’re also supporting them as partners through training, community, and hands-on customer success. Our approach is simple: think big, start small, move fast. By helping agencies today with pragmatic solutions, we're setting them up to thrive tomorrow, even as costs rise and regulatory demands grow. And the results speak for themselves: Birdie customers have seen a 40% increase in profit after implementation, 76% have been able to better evidence their quality of care, and at 48, Birdie’s NPS is 60% higher than the industry average. 

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What should agencies look for when selecting technology?

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Raj: Well firstly, they should see whether their tech is truly integrated. Is it integrated from day one, or are different products bolted together inelegantly? The same goes for their analytics and insights: do they get a full view of their business performance, or just snippets of separate workflows out of context? And thirdly, what support are they getting? Is training free? Is it on demand? Are customer success managers available? Tech providers should be partners, not vendors. And they should be advocates for the industry that put agency and client needs first. 

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