Intelligence as a Service

Ongoing strategic insight, reporting, and expert guidance to help your business make smarter technology decisions.

By Michael

• 8 articles

What Intelligence as a Service means at KTS

Summary KTS Intelligence as a Service, or IaaS, is our combined offering for private AI and business intelligence. It brings two capabilities together under a single portal so your team can get answers from your data and from an AI assistant in one place. Who this is for Any customer who uses, or is considering, the KTS IaaS portal, and anyone who wants to understand what is included. What IaaS includes IaaS is made up of three main parts: - The IaaS portal — a single entry point to reach your tools - KTS AI — a private AI assistant interface, built on the open source Open WebUI project and branded for KTS - Business intelligence — dashboards and reporting delivered through open source Metabase You sign into the IaaS portal and from there you can move between KTS AI and your Metabase dashboards without signing in again. What KTS AI is for KTS AI is where you and your colleagues have private conversations with an AI assistant. It is built for business use, not public consumer chat, and supports tasks like summarising documents, drafting emails, asking questions about information you share in a chat, and exploring ideas in a controlled environment. What Metabase is for Metabase is where you view and explore your business data. This includes dashboards for KPIs, ad hoc questions you can ask of your data, and scheduled reports. Metabase is open source, which means the interface is well documented and straightforward to learn. What IaaS is not IaaS is not a replacement for your source systems. It reads from them to give you insight, but the data itself continues to live in the systems it comes from, such as your finance tool, CRM, or helpdesk. When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if you need access to the IaaS portal, if a dashboard or AI feature is not working as expected, or if you want to start a conversation about a new dashboard, report, or automation.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

How to sign into the KTS IaaS portal

Summary This article explains how to sign into the KTS IaaS portal, what to expect the first time you log in, and what to do if sign in fails. Who this is for Any user who has been provisioned access to the KTS IaaS portal by KTS or their internal IT contact. Signing in 1. Open the IaaS portal using the URL provided by KTS during onboarding. 2. Enter the email address associated with your IaaS account. 3. Follow any prompts from single sign on, including multi-factor authentication where enabled. 4. Once signed in, you will see links to KTS AI and Metabase on the portal landing page. First time sign in On your first sign in, you may be asked to: - Confirm your profile details - Accept any acceptable use terms - Complete multi-factor authentication setup After the first sign in, subsequent visits are usually quicker. If you cannot sign in 1. Double check you are using the full email address associated with your IaaS access. 2. Confirm your internet connection is working. 3. If multi-factor authentication is failing, make sure your authenticator app is available and the time on your phone is correct. 4. Try an incognito or private browser window to rule out extensions or saved session data. 5. If you recently changed your password, allow a few minutes for the change to take effect. What KTS may need from you - Your email address - The exact error message shown - The browser you are using - Whether other users at your organisation have the same issue When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if you cannot sign into the IaaS portal after the checks above, if multi-factor authentication is not prompting, or if you need access provisioning for a new user.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

KTS AI - getting started with your private AI assistant

Summary KTS AI is a private AI assistant interface available through the KTS IaaS portal. It is built on the open source Open WebUI project and branded for KTS. This article walks through the basics of starting a conversation, managing chats, and getting useful results. Who this is for New and occasional users of KTS AI who want a practical starting point. Starting a new chat 1. Sign into the IaaS portal. 2. Open KTS AI from the portal landing page. 3. Click the option to start a new chat. 4. Type your question or request in clear, everyday language. 5. Press enter or click send. Getting good results - Be specific about what you want - for example, instead of "improve this", say "rewrite this email in a more formal tone". - Give the assistant context. Paste in any text or background information it needs. - Ask follow up questions in the same chat to refine the answer. - If you change topic completely, start a new chat rather than continuing the old one. Managing your chats KTS AI will usually keep a list of your recent chats on the left hand side. You can rename, revisit, or delete chats. Treat these chats like any other work document - only include information you are comfortable having stored inside KTS AI for your organisation. What to avoid - Do not paste in passwords, full customer records, or anything covered by a strict confidentiality agreement - Do not treat the output as final work - always review it before acting on it - Do not use it to make decisions that need regulated advice, for example legal or medical decisions What KTS may need from you - The exact issue or error message if KTS AI is not working - Whether you can sign into the IaaS portal - Whether the problem is with one chat or all chats - The browser and device you are using When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if KTS AI will not load, if chats are failing to send, if you need an additional user added, or if you want to discuss rolling out KTS AI to more of your team.-

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

Safe use of private AI tools in a business environment

Summary KTS AI is a business-grade private AI assistant, but how you use it matters. This article gives you a short, practical set of rules to follow so you can get value quickly without taking on unnecessary risk. Who this is for Any staff member with access to KTS AI, and any manager responsible for how it is used in their team. Basic rules 1. Treat AI output as a draft, not a final answer 2. Never paste in passwords, secret keys, or one-time codes 3. Be careful with personal data - only share what you genuinely need to 4. Do not upload documents you are not authorised to share 5. Check any numbers, names, dates, or legal claims against the source 6. If you are using the output in customer communication, read it fully first Common good uses - Summarising internal documents you already have access to - Drafting first versions of emails, reports, and meeting notes - Rephrasing content for a different audience - Brainstorming options or ideas - Explaining technical concepts in simpler language Common risky uses to avoid - Asking for regulated advice, such as legal, medical, or financial - Making decisions based solely on AI output - Pasting in content that belongs to a customer without their knowledge - Sharing content covered by strict confidentiality agreements What to do if you are unsure If you are unsure whether a particular use is appropriate, stop and check with your manager or data protection lead before continuing. It is always better to ask early than to undo a decision later. When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if you think something has gone wrong - for example if sensitive data was uploaded by mistake, or if you need to discuss acceptable use for your team.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

Metabase basics for business users at KTS

Summary Metabase is the open source business intelligence tool KTS uses to deliver dashboards and reports. This article covers the basics most users need on day one. Who this is for Anyone viewing dashboards through the KTS IaaS portal who is new to Metabase. Getting to your dashboards 1. Sign into the IaaS portal. 2. Open Metabase from the portal landing page. 3. Use the left hand menu or the home screen to find your dashboards. 4. Click a dashboard to open it. Reading a dashboard A dashboard is usually a collection of charts, numbers, and tables. Each item is called a question in Metabase. You can: - Hover over a chart to see exact values - Click a point in a chart to drill into the underlying data - Use filters at the top of the dashboard to narrow what you are looking at, for example by date, team, or site Saving views you use often - Bookmark a dashboard in your browser for quick return - Use Metabase collections to find grouped dashboards for your team - Ask KTS to add a dashboard to your default landing page if you use it every day What KTS may need from you - The name of the dashboard you are looking at - The filter values you have set - The exact issue, for example data missing, error message, or unexpected number - A screenshot where possible When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if a dashboard is not loading, if data looks obviously wrong, or if you need a new dashboard or change to an existing one.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

Exporting a Metabase question or dashboard to share

Summary Metabase lets you export the contents of a question or dashboard so you can share it in a meeting, email, or wider report. This article covers the most common export options and some sensible rules for sharing data. Who this is for Business users who need to take Metabase output and use it somewhere else. Exporting a single question 1. Open the question from your dashboard or directly in Metabase. 2. Look for the download option, usually shown as an icon in the corner of the visualisation. 3. Choose the format you need, for example CSV, Excel, or JSON. 4. Save the file to a location you trust. Exporting a dashboard - Use the dashboard sharing or export options, depending on what has been enabled for your account - For visual snapshots, a screenshot may be the simplest option - For raw data, export each underlying question Sharing safely - Only share exports with people who are entitled to see the data - Save files to your organisation's secure storage, not personal drives - Label exports with the date they were pulled, as data may have changed since - Delete old copies you no longer need What KTS may need from you - The name of the question or dashboard - The format you tried to export - The exact error shown on screen, if any When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if exports are failing, if a format you need is not available, or if you need help setting up a scheduled export.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

How to request a business intelligence dashboard

Summary A good dashboard request starts with a clear question, not a list of fields. This article explains how KTS scopes and builds dashboards in Metabase, and what to send us when you are ready to ask. Who this is for Anyone responsible for reporting, performance, or KPIs who wants a new dashboard built, or an existing dashboard changed. What to think about first Before sending the request, try to answer: - What decision will this dashboard support? For example, "should we hire another person on the support desk?" - Who will use it? A single manager, a team, or leadership - How often will they look at it? Daily, weekly, monthly - What would make it successful? A specific question you want to answer each time you open it What to send to KTS - A short description of the decision or question - The main audience - The time period you care about, for example last 30 days or year to date - The data source, if you know it, for example "our CRM" or "our helpdesk tool" - Any sample numbers you already track manually You do not need to know field names or have a mockup. KTS will work with you to clarify the detail. What KTS will do next 1. Acknowledge the request and assign it to the IaaS team 2. Confirm the data source is available and reachable 3. Propose a scope for a first version 4. Build a first draft in Metabase 5. Review it with you and refine based on feedback Important Dashboards are most useful when they answer a clear question. Avoid asking for "everything we have" - this usually leads to a slow, confusing dashboard nobody opens. When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk when you are ready to submit the request or if you want help scoping it before you send it in.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026

How reporting and dashboard requests are scoped at KTS

Summary KTS follows a simple scoping process for reporting and dashboard work to keep requests practical and avoid rework. This article walks through the stages so you know what to expect. Who this is for Customers who are about to raise, or have already raised, a reporting request through KTS IaaS. The stages 1. Intake — You describe the decision you want to support and the audience. 2. Data check — KTS confirms the data source exists, is reachable, and is accurate enough to support the question. 3. Scope agreement — KTS proposes what version one of the dashboard will include, and what is out of scope for now. 4. Build — KTS builds the first draft in Metabase. 5. Review — You look at the draft with KTS and give feedback. 6. Handover — The dashboard is published to the right Metabase collection and documented. What keeps a request moving - A clear owner on the customer side who can answer questions - Agreement on one main question the dashboard should answer - Willingness to start with a smaller version rather than waiting for a perfect one - Access to the underlying data source being confirmed early What slows a request down - Too many contributors with different views on what the dashboard should do - Requests to change the data at the source, which is a separate project - Unclear data in the source system, which needs tidying before reporting on - Changing scope after build has started What KTS may need from you - A named owner or point of contact - Access to or details of the data source - Sample outputs or mockups if available - Clarification questions answered within a reasonable time When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk when you want to start, change, or close a reporting request.

Last updated on Apr 11, 2026