Employee mindsets becoming digitally savvy faster than workplace can transform

• Only 61% of business leaders feel that existing technology in their organisation is sufficient
• Less than half of APJ organisations have a remote device management security solution in place

RECENT research on Workforce Transformation has found that in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), only six in ten (61%) business leaders felt that existing technology in their organisation is sufficient to meet their business goals.

In the digital era, enabling the workforce with technology is a deliberate strategy to foster high performance and excellence. It begins with understanding that employee experience, customer experience, and revenue growth are decisively linked.

A key finding from the research was that many business leaders in APJ don’t understand the link between employee experience and customer experience. The commissioned study, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Dell, investigated how a workforce enablement approach can impact business performance.

“We are witnessing the digital-first mindset of customers permeate the workplace and this requires IT and business leaders to embark on a workforce transformation strategy and provide employees with the devices and software which enhance their efficiency,” said Niloy Mukherjee, vice president, Product Marketing, APJ Client Solutions, Dell.

“In order to stay ahead in this digital era, it is critical that organisations view workforce transformation as part of its overall digital transformation strategy.”

According to Forrester Consulting, “Business leaders know that to succeed, they need committed and driven employees who understand the value their work delivers to customers and have the right tools to boost their productivity. But attracting and retaining the best talent is a growing challenge, forcing many organisations to look to ideal technology partners that can help manage device life cycles and, more specifically, PC life cycles.”

Workforce experience: employee experience ultimately determines revenue gains

Engaging employees and empowering them with the technology they need is critical to employee productivity and central to the bottom line. However, only 40% of organisations agreed that their IT department provides them and their teams with the latest devices and technology required to achieve their business objectives.

To enable their workforces effectively, organisations need to better understand the unique requirements of employees and set employee experience benchmarks, but are falling short in their efforts. The study revealed that more than half of the organisations (52%) conducted periodic passive audits to measure employee experience, instead of using more active methods such as end user experience monitoring tools (34%) and conducting surveys (20%).

Workforce security: hardware refreshes to improve security

The complexity of the IT environment due to diverse devices, coupled with growing sophistication of security threats, outdated security policies and easy information access have made endpoint devices increasingly vulnerable.

According to the survey, employees’ demand for multiple operating systems, devices and applications is a major security headache for 71% of APJ organisations. The survey also revealed that only 43% of organisations have a remote device management security solution in place.

Despite their challenges, more than half (54%) of APJ organisations agreed that better security will enhance employee productivity. Almost two thirds of organisations across APJ (63%) felt new PCs, which are equipped with more advanced security technology, are more secure than older hardware.

Workforce enablement: enabling employees through device lifecycle management

Employees want to work from multiple locations and use several different devices, including their personal devices, at work. Thus, they are demanding faster refresh cycles and corporate support for all of their devices. Organisations recognise the issue to some extent, with more than half (53%) of respondents saying they would like to have better remote IT support for the mobile workforce.

Meanwhile, the lack of in-house PC lifecycle management skills is hampering organisations in APJ. Only one third (32%) of respondents said that they are in a position to customise software and configuration of PCs to the needs of an individual or a group.

“Organisations will need to find a balance between managing budgetary constraints, delivering efficient IT support, and enabling enhanced productivity and workforce experience” added Mukherjee.

“The research points to the need for solutions supporting workforce transformation which aligns to Dell’s strategy and solutions. Working with experienced industry specialists possessing in-depth vertical experience and wide-ranging geographical presence can result in cost savings, improved security and ultimately, a better employee experience.”

In order to succeed in the digital era, it is not just about changing devices for organisations. Business leaders to focus on changing the way the company functions. To complement this, CIOs must help with the challenge of employee productivity to in turn enhance customer experience, by providing the tools to better understand and address those diverse needs and requirements.

Companies can use the Dell Workforce Transformation Maturity Assessment Tool to get customised results and recommendations which will provide insights into their organisation’s maturity on workforce technology.

The research findings resulted from a phone-based survey of 327 IT and business decision-makers across China, India, Japan, SEA (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore), Korea, and ANZ (Australia, New Zealand). It was conducted at the end of 2016.     

 
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