How to create a seamless IT experience for digital workers
As we head out of the pandemic, it’s clear that remote working is here to stay — whether that might be an employee based at home full-time or a new, hybrid model that sees colleagues attend a workplace on a part-time basis.
In fact, a study by CIPD predicts that remote working on a permanent basis is set to double from pre-Covid levels, which means that organisations now need to look to long-term IT strategies to help support these new operational practices.
One year on from the outbreak of the crisis, businesses are finding that the ‘knee-jerk’ systems put in place to quickly allow employees to do their roles from the safety of their own homes are not sustainable going forward and are now assessing what infrastructure is needed to support a secure and effectual user experience.
But why is a seamless experience important?
It is said that the best technology is that which the everyday worker doesn’t even notice, as it runs so efficiently. This means that the user should be able to log on from home and the office — or theoretically from anywhere, within policy parameters — and still have access to all the same systems, files, and platforms that allow them to do their role.
This means that any employee, no matter their level of skill with digital technologies, will have enhanced productivity — creating dynamic operational processes and ultimately, an improvement on the bottom line.
How can I go about cultivating this?
It can be difficult to know where to start, but every plan needs a solid foundation — that’s where your business strategy comes in. Assess your current roadmap, objectives, and company vision and ask yourself, ‘what infrastructure will I need to meet these goals, now and in the future?’
Next, you must perform a review and audit of your current environment, to consider where you are now. Are the systems currently in place suitable? Will they stand the test of time?
Once you have gathered all this data and carried out a gap analysis to identify what needs changing, you can then embark on the design phase. This stage will help you understand exactly how you can bring about that change — including the scope and cost of the work that needs to be carried out — to help meet your business objectives.
How do I know I have achieved a great user experience?
The only way to know if you’ve accomplished your goal of creating a seamless experience is by asking the users themselves — again! The user groups should reconvene to provide feedback on if the targets were met, and if the issues brought up in the initial sessions have now be worked out.
Another way to identify if the project has been successful is through the monitoring of service desk enquiries. Considerably fewer support tickets raised is usually a sign that employees are having no problems with the new systems — teething issues notwithstanding.
If you’re looking to create a seamless user experience for your team, our experts at RABC can help. Our end-to-end support means that you’ll have access to our group of experts who can help you design and implement your business change to create a future-proof IT infrastructure.