Editorial
Technology is evolving faster than you can spell AI. As a solutions engineer for a global software company, I have a front-row seat to what’s happening in IT departments around the world. And when you look at the big picture, one thing is clear: traditional IT has run its course.
For decades, IT has been reactive. Techs wait for an employee to submit a ticket when something breaks, then scramble to fix the problem and close out the ticket. This break-fix model worked because it was the best system we had. But, with more advanced tools — and higher expectations from employees — we need to change.
The increasing importance of DEX
Employees want to be productive. They're happier and more engaged when they’re getting results and in the flow. But being productive means their technology has to work seamlessly, without distractions or disruptions.
That’s why organizations measure and track the digital employee experience (DEX), which includes performance metrics of devices and systems — as well as more subjective measures of user sentiment, feedback and other factors. According to Gartner's research, “by 2026, 50% of digital workplace leaders will have established a DEX strategy and tool, up from 30% in 2024.”
A growing workplace trend is the demand for diverse device and laptop choices, with 82% of Millennials and 75% of Gen Z believing that technology boosts productivity, and 42% considering the latest tech essential to job satisfaction, as offering such options enhances efficiency, gives employees control over their work environment, and helps attract and retain top talent, especially among remote workers.
Leadership may think they’re choosing employee-friendly tech, but employees disagree. “While 92% of C-suite execs say they’re satisfied with the technology experience their company provides for making progress on their most important work, only 68% of staff agree,” according to a PwC report. However, this goes beyond simply involving employees in the process or giving them more device choices. Employees’ technology needs vary greatly, so enterprises must rely on their IT teams to have the data to inform what the right device is for each employee. This will become especially important with the rise of AI PCs and identifying who truly needs the added compute power of an NPU. The goal is to get the right device to the right employee at the right time.
As part of the recent World Economic Forum Future of Work initiative, Janet Truncale, Global Chair and Chief Executive Officer, EY, noted that Gen Z’s “experiences outside the workplace are also spilling into shifting workplace demands. For example, Gen Z expects tech tools at work to match the ease of use of social media apps.” Recognizing this imperative, 60% of Global 2000 companies are expected to upgrade hardware and software to enhance worker retention through personalized experiences and improved collaboration by 2025.
Underperforming IT isn’t just a drain on productivity; it’s a significant factor in employee retention and company success. In fact, more than one-third of employees “admit that they’ve considered leaving their employer because of poor digital experience — and 14% actually have.”
Why the Break-Fix Model Is Broken
In the current system, tickets get submitted and escalated from L1 agents until they get resolved, often with little understanding of the underlying cause of the issue. While IT teams frequently rely on dashboards filled with (hopefully) green status indicators, these tools don’t capture the whole digital employee experience.
Consider one study that found 80% of lost employee productivity is caused by just 13% of IT tickets. What’s really interesting is that the 80% is perceived as lost productivity. Perceptions matter. Similarly, a global research report found that each time a help desk ticket is reassigned, end users feel that they’ve lost more than an hour and a half of productivity. These perceptions — which you can measure with DEX — are crucial to improving your IT department's impact.
Unfortunately, increased dissatisfaction with IT is one reason why many employees don’t even bother to report their IT problems anymore. One productivity study found that 40% of employees don’t submit a ticket for technology problems. These “silent sufferers” deal with slow devices, connectivity issues and outdated tools — leading to even more stress, disengagement and lost productivity.
The Shift to Proactive and Predictive IT
IT has to move beyond an outdated, reactive support model and adopt a more modern approach if it is going to support employees. Yes, this can be scary. After all, it’s a major shift in how most organizations manage technology. But the benefits are well worth the investment in change.
- Proactive incident avoidance: The best time to fix a problem is before it starts. For example, retailers can use telemetry data and perform AI-driven anomaly detection to see which self-service kiosks have brewing performance issues and may be about to experience a failure — then address the issue remotely before the kiosks disrupt operations.
- Self-healing technology: As I wrote about in trends to watch for this year, AI-powered self-healing systems detect performance issues and automatically apply fixes, often before employees notice a problem. If you want to address the “silent sufferer” problem, this is a great place to start.
- AI-driven, self-service help desks: If there is a problem, self-service portals enable employees to resolve common issues instantly, reducing dependency on IT support—and lowering both actual and perceived wait times. Many companies are implementing AI-based chatbots, which can improve DEX and “increase AI adoption throughout your organization.”
- Persona-based IT planning: Many problems are caused by misalignment between employees and their devices. Incorporating data-based persona planning into your onboarding process allows you to match employees with the hardware and software they need, starting on day one, to improve productivity and morale while maximizing your IT budget.
The Future of IT: Seamless and Always Available
The ultimate goal of modern IT isn’t just to fix problems faster — it’s to make IT an afterthought for employees. Technology should work so smoothly that employees don’t even think about it. When you put the right pieces in place, the benefits are undeniable:
- Lower mean time to resolution and reduced downtime: AI-driven monitoring and predictive maintenance minimize disruptions.
- Higher productivity: Employees spend less time troubleshooting and more time getting work done.
- Improved retention: Employees who have positive technology experiences are less likely to leave their jobs.
- IT efficiency gains and greater ticket deflection: By eliminating or automating low-level tasks, IT teams can focus on high-impact initiatives rather than constantly putting out fires — and perform deep root-cause analyses that allow for continual improvement.
Organizations that ignore this shift risk falling behind. With a 75% IT talent shortage, teams must move beyond reactive, ticket-driven work to focus on strategic initiatives. The AI skills gap is just as critical — CIO highlighted companies using internal training programs to reskill IT and other employees, a strategy IT and HR leaders see as more sustainable than relying solely on hiring.
Finally, whenever you’re thinking about AI and other IT solutions, remember to focus on the quality of your data. The foundation for effective AI is clean data, so you want to ensure your data is accurate, consistent and well-structured.
I’ve seen firsthand how frustrating outdated IT can be — but I’ve also seen how a great digital experience can transform an organization at nearly every level. The good news? The tools and technology to make this shift already exist. Now, it’s time to put them to use for your organization.
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Editor's Note: Learn how digital workplace leaders are approaching IT in the interviews below:
- PG&E's Spencer Mains on Why IT Needs to Be Part of the Onboarding Experience — In this inaugural episode of Reworked TV's Three Dots, PG&E's Spencer Mains discusses the vital role of IT integration in employee onboarding. Tune in now!
- Frank McAloon on What CVS Health Is Doing to Enhance Digital Employee Experience — Frank joins the show to discuss his work with the Experience Management Office, a cross-departmental initiative aimed at proactively resolving IT issues.
- The Campbell's Company's Kristy Litchford on the Foundations of a Digital Workplace — Kristy Litchford joins Three Dots to discuss her work as the first digital workplace leader at The Campbell's Company.
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