Emma Mak • Staff Writer

“The clock is ticking” might seem like an obnoxious blog post title (like we all need another vaguely anxiety-provoking reminder in our day). But while not as big a deal as moving from Windows 7 to Windows 10, planning for the migration and not leaving it until the last minute is beneficial. Not because Windows 11 is a massive departure from Windows 10 feature-wise but because many companies will need significant hardware upgrades. 

From a strategic standpoint, besides planning this migration to coincide with a hardware refresh, you may want to consider coordinating some digital transformation initiatives, as well as look at the benefits of AI PCs . Now is an excellent time to move some services to the cloud and progress to modern endpoint management. Not only will they help with a smooth migration, but they’ll also benefit the efficiency of your IT infrastructure and potentially drive down costs.

Windows 10 End of Support

The Windows 10 end-of-support date is 14 October 2025. After this, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for any version of Windows 10. Without security updates, the operating system will become increasingly vulnerable to security threats, and you may become out of compliance with industry regulations and standards that require supported operating systems. 

Although Microsoft will offer extended support options for those wanting to keep using Windows 10, customers must pay an annual ESU (Extended Security Update) subscription, with an opportunity to renew for up to two additional years. So, a paying customer could potentially extend the life of a Windows 10 PC until 10 October 2028. The cost of the subscription is unknown at this point. 

Critical Preparation for Migration

The most critical issue facing companies for this migration is the new standards and capabilities that make older PCs incompatible with Windows 11. Among other hardware requirements, such as support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, Windows 11 needs a relatively recent 64-bit CPU. Intel CPUs must be at least eighth generation (released in 2017), and AMD CPUs must be Ryzen 2000 (released in 2018) or newer. Microsoft’s reasons for these hardware requirements are to increase security and reliability.  

Research on the enterprise sector, which has around 33 million Windows devices, showed that in October 2023, adoption of Windows 11 stood at 8.35%. The same study revealed that only 67.5% of workstations were ready for the Windows 11 update. For example, two of our customers for whom we’ve checked inventory using a digital experience monitoring solution ranged from needing 10% of their devices upgraded to around 35% (or about 70,000 devices for that customer).

The To-Do List

To get an idea why the current lead-up to the deadline might go quickly, let’s look at what is needed to ensure a smooth transition to Windows 11 with minimal impact on your business:

• Take inventory of your environment to see which devices need replacing or updating and identify applications that are dependent on the operating system.
• Source technology needed to enable Windows 11, including hardware replacements and upgrades.
• Plan a timeline, communicate it to employees, and provide support as they transition.
• Dispose of obsolete equipment sustainably. 

Smarter Migration with a Managed Services Provider (MSP)

There are several services that an MSP can provide that can make Windows 11 migration go more smoothly.

Digital Experience Management

Microsoft tools can provide basic compatibility information to help determine if your current devices will, at a minimum, run Windows 11. However, Digital Experience Management can provide more detailed information regarding hardware readiness and give you a more comprehensive view of your IT estate. It can also track performance impact on the system, applications, and resource consumption as you roll out Windows 11.  

Smart Technology Sourcing and AI PCs

Most companies will need to replace at least some incompatible devices. An MSP with long-term original-equipment-manufacturer (OEM) partnerships with companies like Intel, Lenovo, and HP has better insight into which technology solutions will work for your company. They also have the added benefit of access to negotiated pricing, special discounts, and incentives. It’s also an opportune time to look at whether AI PCs are a good fit for your workforce so you can take advantage of AI integration across various facets of Windows 11.

Device Lifecycle Services

The migration is an ideal time to create a sustainable device lifecycle, including procurement of replacement models that will meet your employees’ needs while right-sizing for power and cost. Compucom’s Device Lifecycle services include IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), which takes care of device decommissioning and disposal and certified data destruction to protect your company’s data from bad actors.

Modern Endpoint Management Tools

While planning for your Windows 11 migration, it’s an opportune time to progress toward cloud-based services and introduce modern endpoint management tools such as Microsoft Intune and Autopilot. Doing so will help determine which devices need replacing for the migration and increase your company’s ability to efficiently deploy, configure, and manage your company’s devices, operating systems, and applications.

Where to Start

Compucom’s professional services team helps customers reach informed decisions regarding Windows 11 migration. A great way to start is with our Modern Endpoint Workshop. The agenda is tailored to be specific to your organization. Within about two weeks, expert architects provide an actionable roadmap to start your journey with modern endpoint management and present findings and recommendations on how to reach your target end state. 

The post The Clock is Ticking for Windows 10 — Plan for Windows 11 appeared first on Compucom.

Case Study: Experience Management and Full Lifecycle Observability (FLO)

David Krauthamer • Staff Writer

Our customer, a leading insurance provider, was grappling with a notable decline in employee productivity. Known for its commitment to customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, it required a robust solution to restore and elevate its productivity levels so that its customer experience was not negatively affected.

Compucom’s Full Lifecycle Observability (FLO) framework underpins all our services. It’s not a standalone product or solution but rather an integration of advanced tools with a customer’s IT infrastructure and workplace technologies.

Through Digital Experience Management, which is a part of FLO, we were able to leverage telemetry and discovery data, find the issues, and rapidly respond. Our customer achieved a remarkable 10% reduction in the time employees are impacted by poor technology and a 20% reduction in workplace and software tickets.

The Problem

Our customer was encountering a series of issues that significantly hampered employee productivity. The primary challenge emerged after deploying an application software update, resulting in system instability and frequent crashes. These crashes were not consistently reported to the service desk, leading to prolonged periods of inefficiency and frustration for employees.

Additionally, simple maintenance tasks such as ensuring “Fast Boot” was disabled and Group Policy Objects (GPOs) were refreshed regularly were overlooked. These oversights posed security risks and led to issues such as incorrect printer mapping.

The Solution

After consulting with our customer, we created a plan using the experience management and full lifecycle observability analysis that are integral to all our services. By leveraging advanced telemetry and discovery data, we identified the root causes of the productivity issues and implemented targeted interventions to resolve them effectively.

Using telemetry data, we discovered that “application crash sensor” scores had spiked significantly, indicating a widespread issue with the new software. Further investigation revealed a problem with a DLL file within the program.

A new version was promptly deployed to resolve the issue and prevent further disruptions. Additional maintenance needs were also identified, such as ensuring GPOs were refreshed regularly and addressing Active Directory (AD) certificate expirations.

To address these issues, we implemented a low-cost solution that included a pop-up notification for users when their AD certificate was about to expire. This proactive approach allowed users to connect to the VPN and renew their certificates, avoiding potential disruptions.

Results

Our customer experienced significant improvements in productivity and overall employee satisfaction following the implementation of the solution. Some key metrics included:

• 10% Reduction in Impact Time: Employees spent 10% less time dealing with technology-related issues, allowing them to focus more on their core responsibilities.
• 20% Reduction in Workplace and Software Tickets: The number of workplace and software-related tickets decreased by 20%, reflecting a more stable and efficient IT environment.

The proactive measures and advanced monitoring tools we deployed led to improved experience scores. Employees faced fewer disruptions, resulting in a smoother and more productive work experience.

Conclusion

The results with this customer exemplify how our advanced Experience Management, as part of our Full Lifecycle Observability framework, and proactive maintenance can dramatically enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. By addressing the root causes of technology-related issues and implementing targeted interventions, we helped them overcome their challenges and achieve remarkable results.

Looking ahead, they aim to continue leveraging our expertise to maintain and further improve their IT infrastructure. This ongoing collaboration promises sustained productivity gains and a more efficient, satisfied workforce.

Ready to see how Compucom can transform your business? Contact Us to learn more.

The post Driving Enhanced Productivity and Employee Satisfaction with Discovery Insights appeared first on Compucom.

Fred Ibrahimsha • Cybersecurity Solutions Practice Lead

The increased pace of digital transformation in healthcare over the past few years, with improvements such as patient record access from mobile devices, has improved patient care and streamlined workflows. However, it has also introduced new data security and privacy risks for electronic health records (EHR). This is especially alarming with the current rate and sophistication of cyberattacks.  

While steps must be taken to protect patients and ensure HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) compliance, it’s vitally important that security measures don’t burden healthcare staff or delay patient care by reducing the usability of their devices.  

Don’t Mess with HIPAA 

HIPAA compliance is not only a legal obligation under federal law but also a business imperative. Failing to comply can result in civil and criminal penalties of over a million dollars per year for each identical violation. Even greater costs can come for healthcare organizations from the resulting reputational damage and loss of business, not to mention harm to the affected individuals whose electronic protected health information (ePHI) may be exposed, stolen, or misused. 

Best Practices to Help Meet HIPAA’s Stringent Requirements 

Users and devices are often the weakest link in the security chain and the most common target of attacks in an industry that is a favorite target for criminals. In 2023, there were 809 incidents involving data compromise in the US healthcare sector — an all-time high.  

Device security is a critical component of HIPAA compliance. With your hardworking healthcare staff already under pressure, it’s unwise to force them to choose between compliance or providing timely patient care, which can happen when staff must jump through hoops for security on their devices.

There are several ways managed services providers (MSP) can help you meet HIPAA’s regulations while ensuring technology is usable and efficient for healthcare staff. 

Modern Device Management

With Modern Device Management (MDM), a healthcare organization can oversee and control all devices within their network so they can ensure the devices are secure, compliant, and optimized. Key aspects of MDM include:

• Configuration management
• Patch management
• Device inventory management
• Remote monitoring and troubleshooting

Effective device management improves security by preventing unauthorized access, enforcing security policies, and minimizing risks. Ensuring devices are well maintained also helps healthcare staff remain productive.

Device Lifecycle Services

While it’s convenient for clinicians and hospital staff to use smartphones and tablets, loss, misplacement, or theft becomes more common with mobile devices. To protect sensitive data, there must be accountability for these devices throughout their lifecycle.

Device Lifecycle services cover the entire lifespan of a device, from acquisition to disposal. Key stages include:

• Procurement: Selecting devices with security considerations in mind.
• Provisioning: Setting up essential security settings and installing necessary software.
• Maintenance: Regularly updating, patching, and monitoring devices.
• Disposition: Ensuring a secure retirement process, including wiping sensitive data and proper disposal of devices.

Compucom can provide a single chain of custody for your assets with services performed in-house at our secure Advanced Configuration Centers, giving you the accountability and peace of mind you need for compliance with requirements like HIPAA.  

Zero Trust

Zero Trust is a security framework that assumes no implicit trust for any user or device, even from within the network. Unlike perimeter-based security, it operates under the assumption that breaches will happen and takes a more cautious approach. Some main principles of Zero Trust include:

• Least privilege access: Providing users and devices with only essential access rights.
• Micro-segmentation: Isolating network segments to limit lateral movement and minimize the damage of any potential breach.
• Continuous authentication and authorization: Verifying user and device identity for every interaction.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) fits into the Zero Trust model. It requires users to provide multiple authentication factors, such as a password, a one-time PIN, or biometrics, to access resources. By combining something the user knows (a password) with something they have (a smartphone), MFA enhances security. 

Modern Device Management

In our five-part AIOps series, we’ve explained what it is, how it works (part 1 and part 2), and offered advice on how to go beyond the hype to get its full advantages (hint: it’s all about the proper integration of toolsets with your IT systems). Finally, we’ve concluded with some real-world examples of its benefits.

To optimize IT operations, your IT team needs to understand the big picture by correlating metrics, events, and logs and then connecting the dots to figure out solutions. AIOps gives them automation and advanced tools to help them achieve that.

Partner with a provider with real-world experience, like Compucom, and go beyond the buzzword to truly effective AIOps. 

Compucom Helps Customers with Compliance and Usability

We’re focused on our healthcare customers meeting their business goals. This usually means helping them meet strict compliance requirements while simultaneously ensuring their staff have a digital experience that will keep them productive.  

For example, we often recommend and help customers implement Cisco Duo to enhance the usability of Multi-Factor Authentication while maintaining robust security and compliance with HIPAA and EPCS (Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances). Cisco Duo can help achieve this balance through: 

• Non-disruptive and risk-based authentication: A fast and seamless login experience, with increased security for more risky login attempts.
• Quick integration: Easily added to any application on any device from anywhere. This ensures users frictionless access to resources such as Epic.
• Flexibility: Authentication can happen through several methods, such as the Duo Push mobile app, biometrics, or tokens.
• Prescriptions from anywhere: Duo’s MFA allows user to self-enroll and approve e-prescriptions from their smartphones. 

Staying on top of constant threats can be a lot for a healthcare provider’s internal team. Through our partnerships with industry leaders such as Cisco, we can help you stay ahead of the threats. 

A Trusted Partner for Healthcare 

We’ve designed our comprehensive portfolio of IT services to provide the sourcing, integration, and support you need for your technology. Let us be your one-stop shop for all things IT, freeing up time for your internal teams to focus on other critical initiatives that can further improve patient care.  

The post Protect Healthcare Data Without Sacrificing Device Usability appeared first on Compucom.

Emma Mak • Staff Writer

Healthcare urgently needs reliable, secure, and consistent connectivity. Disparities in rural versus suburban care, surging rates of chronic illness, and an aging population are just some of the reasons it’s critical to enhance healthcare efficiency and accessibility.

5G (the fifth-generation mobile network) has finally rolled out, and it’s spurring exciting healthcare innovations. Like a freeway with more lanes, 5G wireless cellular technology has higher capacity — and the potential to hit download speeds and ultra-low latency approaching that of a wired connection.  

The Benefits and Possibilities 

A hospital campus can be massive, with millions of square feet and multiple buildings. Ideally, clinicians can maintain network connectivity without dead spots as they move within facilities and from building to building — 5G networking solutions have this capability. The ability of 5G to transmit large amounts of data quickly and reliably means improvement for existing applications but also drives a lot of potential new use cases:

• Think of seamless video communication between doctors and patients without lag or buffering.
• Picture simulation of real-world situations such as surgeries, emergencies, or diagnoses in immersive AR/VR environments, providing better training opportunities with lower cost and less risk for a wider audience. 
• Imagine the real-time transfer of vital signs data from ambulance paramedics to hospital critical care staff or detailed pictures and HD videos from clinical equipment to a remote clinician for diagnosis.

Today’s workers often use up to four smart devices, which quickly adds up when multiplied by the number of hospital staff. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already big in the healthcare industry, with wearable devices and connected medical equipment helping to monitor patients and collect data. All these devices can make for a crowded network. With 5G’s increase in bandwidth, a massive number of high-speed devices can be connected. 

5G Public and Private Networks 

Public 5G networks, owned and operated by carriers, are generally available to everyone; they offer wider coverage and lower costs but don’t offer the same level of control and security as private networks.  

Privacy and security are top concerns in healthcare. Standalone dedicated on-premises networks isolated from public networks are one solution. Private 5G networks can be optimized for specific use cases and offer control, such as prioritizing network traffic to ensure bandwidth for critical applications. Another solution is using network slicing to create a virtual private instance (slice) of a service provider’s public network.  

• Group the alerts – for example, if the EHR system experiences a network outage that affects multiple servers and applications, AIOps groups all the alerts related to the network outage into one incident.
• Filter out irrelevant alerts, such as those expected due to routine maintenance or testing activities for the EHR system.
• Prioritize incidents based on their urgency, importance, or business impact. If the EHR system has some incidents that affect patient safety or privacy, such as data loss or breach, AIOps prioritizes these incidents and assigns them a critical status.

By using AIOps to group related alerts using event correlation, the healthcare organization successfully reduces alert fatigue and improves incident management for their EHR system.

5G Hybrid: Making 5G Fit Healthcare Use Cases 

Hybrid 5G networks use a mix of public and private infrastructure, allowing organizations to benefit from the strengths of both. For example, specific critical use cases could use the private network, while the public network could handle the less sensitive functions.

An example of a 5G hybrid network for healthcare has been developed at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). BCH originally wanted to upgrade its Wi-Fi capabilities; with a footprint of over 19 buildings and 3 million square feet (about the area of a large shopping mall), they chose a 5G environment to provide reliable connectivity anywhere within its system. Mission-critical applications were moved from Wi-Fi to 5G.  

Now, BCH’s internal secure network extends beyond its walls. As clinicians move between facilities, where before they would have lost Wi-Fi, they can now maintain their connection with the 5G network. The solution also provides connection across all their campuses and to remote practitioners. 

Compucom’s Recent Partnership with T-Mobile 

As tech leaders investigate 5G private networks to prepare for the future of healthcare, device readiness is a major consideration.

5G phones are now mainstream, and every year, more and more 5G native devices are released. Samsung and Apple offer 5G tablets, and 5G laptops are becoming increasingly available, with Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung all offering them as an option.

Learn how Compucom recently partnered with T-Mobile as part of T-Mobile Business’ Connected Laptop offering to keep workforces productive and connected. 

The post The Benefits of 5G to Healthcare appeared first on Compucom.

David Krauthamer • Staff Writer

Compucom and Apple – The Right Choice

Apple Just Works – For Business

For some time now, Apple has been making inroads into enterprise organizations. In fact, the use of Apple devices in the enterprise segment has grown by 68% in recent years.

In 2021, the demand for Apple skyrocketed in the enterprise market, driven in part by employee choice and the pandemic-driven rise of remote work. And by May 2022, IDC estimated that Macs make up 23% of endpoints in enterprise organizations, a significant portion of all their endpoints.  

Macs, of course, are only part of the story around Apple devices in the enterprise. According to another IDC survey, iPhones account for 49% of the smartphone installed base among US-based enterprises, and iPads make up the majority of tablets used in the workplace.

The proliferation of Apple devices — macOS devices, as well as iPhones and iPads — is causing many organizations to rethink their approach to overall endpoint provisioning, management, and security. 

What Our Partnership With Apple Means for Your Organization

Compucom has been working closely with Apple for more than 25 years. Our experience and partnership with them help us understand the nuances of their products and the importance of adhering to Apple’s best practices.

Our current Apple-certified credentials include the following:  

• Apple Premium Business Partner (US, Canada)
• Apple Authorized Service Provider (US, Canada)
• Jamf Managed Service Provider and Reseller (US, Canada)

This means that we are trusted by Apple to sell, support, and service their products. That is a true partnership that works to the benefit of all of our customers. Let’s take a look at what these three credentials are and what having them brings to our customers.   

Apple Premium Business Partner

As an Apple Premium Business Partner, Compucom specializes in lifecycle services to support business customers as they procure, deploy, and manage Apple products. Compucom acts a technology advisor and provides a seamless user experience with an established Apple Practice team. 

Apple Authorized Service Provider (ASP)

Apple products are known for fostering innovation. Simplifying your operations, lightening the load for your IT teams, creating an employee-focused experience, and maximizing productivity requires keeping them up and running. And while Apple products are known to be more reliable, sooner or later, all technology needs some type of service.

Apple Authorized Service Providers meet strict business, operations, and technician certification requirements to offer in-warranty and out-of-warranty repair services for any Apple product. This authorization gives us access to genuine Apple parts, tools, training, service guides, diagnostics, and resources to perform the repairs necessary to keep your devices working their best. 

Apple and Compucom – A Partnership You Can Trust

The pandemic accelerated digital transformation, causing IT teams to support more remote workers, add more security services, and offer users more device choices. These choices resulted in more Apple devices in the workplace.

While today’s IT environment has grown increasingly complex, supporting Apple devices has become simpler, offering greater flexibility, lower technical support costs, and allowing your IT teams to focus on more strategic projects.

When it comes to Apple in the workplace, Compucom has the expertise to make it all work. We know Apple. Let’s talk.

To get started, please reach out to your Compucom representative.

The post Apple in the Workplace: A Partner Perspective appeared first on Compucom.

6 Benefits of this Viable Digital Transformation Strategy

Effective Digital Transformation for Your Hybrid Workforce

Optimizing technology for your hybrid workforce is like transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Progressing to modern workplace technology is akin to developing wings; it empowers your workforce with the freedom to work productively from anywhere.

Just like metamorphosis, digital transformation can be an arduous process. It should be carefully planned and executed — partnering with an experienced managed services provider (MSP) can help.

The Benefits of DaaS

For a cost-effective, efficient digital transformation initiative, you may want to look at Desktop as a Service (DaaS). It’s a cloud computing model in which a third party, such as a managed services provider (MSP), hosts and manages the virtual desktop environment, including the operating system, applications, and data. With DaaS, users can access their virtual desktops remotely from anywhere.

DaaS offers an efficient, flexible way to deliver desktop computing resources that will provide your users with an accessible, secure, and consistent desktop experience, all while reducing infrastructural management.

Key benefits of DaaS include:

• Cost Savings – DaaS can help you implement “bring your own device” strategies and extend the lifespan of your older devices by leveraging the processing power of virtual desktops. Also, it reduces the upfront costs of expensive hardware because the DaaS provider hosts and manages the virtual infrastructure. A predictable, consumption-based subscription model moves costs from capital to operating expenditures.
• Security – It improves security by centralizing applications and data in a controlled environment. Storage in the cloud reduces the risk of bad actors accessing sensitive information, even if a device has been lost or stolen.
• Flexibility & Scalability – DaaS provides employees the flexibility to access their work on multiple devices, such as a desktop, laptop, or tablet, from any location. Companies can quickly add or remove virtual desktops based on current needs — no need for manual hardware provisioning.
• Centralized Management – With DaaS, everything can be centralized, even security, making it easier for your IT to maintain control and secure data.
• Accessibility – Your virtual desktops can be accessed from any device.
• Access to Advanced Features – DaaS providers often offer additional capabilities and features that might be complex or expensive if implemented in an on-premises environment.  

Now that you know the benefits of DaaS, it’s imperative that you know who can help transform your organization from end to end.  

DaaS and Your Digital Transformation Journey

Wanting your organization to evolve and do it in an efficient and cost-effective way is entirely understandable. We understand that in order to make this big move seamless for your organization and employees, it is better to do it with a managed service provider.

Let our experts help. By choosing Compucom as your MSP, we believe you’ll be off to a great start dis DaaS and with your digital transformation initiatives. 

The post Desktop as a Service: Freedom and Flexibility for Your Workforce appeared first on Compucom.

Troy Baldwin • Director, Offering Management

Good Digital Employee Experience (DEX) is more than a “nice to have” that will help retain and attract talent; it underpins many top business initiatives. Consider the priority of many businesses today: resilience — the ability “to deal with adversity, to withstand shock, and to adapt fast.”  

The Consequences of Not Championing Good Employee Experience 

Companies wanting to build resilience will adopt policies and systems to prevent sources of disruption, such as cybersecurity threats. But suppose no attention has been paid to DEX, and employees are saddled with a consistently poor user experience. Out of sheer frustration, they may start to cut corners, adopt risky workarounds, or use their unmanaged devices to get things done.

Not considering employee experience can, sometimes dangerously, undermine other critical policies and directly influence your customers’ experiences for the worse. Who hasn’t heard sighs of frustration or outright complaints as a customer-facing employee grapples with slow or subpar technology?

Prioritizing User Experience in DEX

Getting DEX right, so your workplace technology is all about the users, means good business outcomes will follow. Gartner predicts DEX and general employee experience will continue to rise in importance for companies. By 2025, they predict 50% of organizations will have established a DEX strategy, team, and management tool, up from 15% in 2022. 

Compucom prioritizes user experience across all our offerings to create the ideal experience for our customers’ employees by: 

• Understanding user needs: Understanding what your users need is the first step in designing a positive experience. We gather information about employees’ work processes, challenges, and preferences to create personas. Then we work with the customer to design a digital environment that aligns with these requirements. Finally, we use DEX tools to collect data such as telemetry and user sentiment, giving us a window into employee experience that would otherwise be missed.
• Providing consistency: Employees should have similar experiences across all digital channels and tools to avoid confusion and improve their experience. We specialize in getting the hybrid work environment right, and part of that is providing solutions to ensure employees stay productive as they move seamlessly between devices located in the office, home, and the field. 
• Offering choice and personalization: Personas are a solid starting point, but we recognize that maximizing user autonomy is an important part of good experience, so we ensure our offerings facilitate choice and personalization for your employees. From enabling device choice and “bring your own device” policies to having multi-channel support (voice, chat, text, self-service), we ensure that wherever possible, users are free to select devices and services that best suit their situation and preferences.
• Driving continuous improvement: Technology changes constantly and so do the expectations and needs of your employees. DEX should be a continuous improvement process so that it keeps up with the evolution of your business. Compucom uses Digital Experience Management (XM) across all our services to continuously measure, analyze, and improve how users perceive our services. 

Forget Taco Tuesday and Foosball

Put Employee Experience at the Center of Business Strategy

Burnout levels are high, and technology failures exacerbate workplace stress. Having XM to monitor DEX can identify pain points before they become an issue for employees, lowering stress levels. When employees have the right tools for the job that perform well, they’re less likely to cut corners and will have more time for the fun and challenging parts of their jobs, leading to greater job satisfaction. Your high-performing employees will be more likely to stick around. 

Our XM Focuses on Providing a Great Hybrid Employee Experience

Compucom’s XM collects useful user experience data, such as endpoint telemetry, service and support metrics, event sensors, targeted surveys, and user-sentiment analysis. We generate performance indicators from the data, which are then analyzed against Compucom’s four dimensions of a successful hybrid workplace, which all center around the user. We measure and improve how our services enable: 

• Technology-enabled workers
• Self-sufficient workers
• Well-supported workers
• Workplace flexibility

The User is at The Center of Everything We Do

To be their most productive and creative, your employees should feel empowered by their workplace technology. By partnering with an MSP such as Compucom, enterprises can offer greater choices to workers, enabling access to the devices and services that best fit their work style while allowing them to integrate personal technology easily and securely when needed. And the continuous improvement of our services through our XM ensures that as the goalposts for a great employee experience shift over time, we keep your users at the center of everything we do.

The post Effective DEX Prioritizes Users appeared first on Compucom.

David Krauthamer • Staff Writer

Experience Really Is Everything

As we conclude this blog series on Digital Employee Experience (DEX) and Digital Experience Management (XM), we’ll look at how to measure experience to discover areas for improvement to overall employee sentiment across an organization.

XM: Measuring DEX

This is the point in the conversation where many ask, “How do you accurately and effectively measure something that, in many ways, is subjective?”

While there is no industry standard or de-facto set of experience metrics, we’ve spent several years defining ours and determining what the “experience mathematics” should be. This has helped us determine what an ideal employee experience looks like, knowing that some of that is perception and that we can influence only specific aspects of the user’s experience.

XM: Traditional and Experience Metrics

Manage Service Providers (MSPs) trying to maximize the workplace experience often work toward operational metrics (SLAs) that don’t necessarily align with the end-user experience.

Traditional metrics that mostly measure service delivery and performance, when met, may not create happy users. In comparison, experience metrics measure the outcomes and value of managed services. They’re customized and aligned with user expectations based on a human-centric approach to managing business goals.

Digital Experience Management (XM) takes both types of metrics into account, allowing for better persona alignment and organization-based customization so that experience indicators can evolve into Experience Agreements (XLAs) based on deeper insights.

XM: How it All Works

So how does Digital Experience Management work? Here is an overview of the steps that make up XM:

1. Gather useful and accurate user experience data – endpoint telemetry, service metrics, event sensors, targeted surveys, and user-sentiment analysis
   
2. Generate performance indicators from the data
   
3. Analyze Compucom’s four dimensions of Digital Experience Management – geared to the hybrid workplace, to measure and improve how services are enabling:
   • Technology-enabled workers
   • Self-sufficient workers
   • Well-supported workers
   • Workplace flexibility
     
4. Develop insights from collected data – including the use of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) analytics
   
5. Take action to improve employee experience – service changes such as automation, knowledgebase content, self-serve responses, endpoint policies, and operational activities across the range of offerings

At Compucom, we’ve created an easy-to-understand dashboard view, based on these steps, for our customers. It shows how the four dimensions of XM, and their associated indicators, are performing at any given time in their organization and what actions can be taken to improve them.

The dashboard allows in-depth insight into employees’ technology experiences that has not been available before. Employers now have a view into employee sentiment, burnout, and frustration that was lost when the workforce went hybrid.

This greater insight into how best to fix potential productivity pain points, sometimes before the user is even aware of the issue, is crucial to improving and maximizing the employees’ workplace experience in your organization.

XM: What it Can Do for Your Organization

XM is about discovering actionable insights that deliver value to our customers so that they and their employees can reach their full potential, helping them:

• Improve employee productivity through expedited issue resolution and optimization of IT Services
• Understand how endpoints, applications, and related workplace infrastructure are performing end-to-end
• Boost endpoint health and longevity through automated remediation and scheduled maintenance
• Elevate the support experience with Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled automation and insights for root cause identification, improvement, and issue resolution
• Optimize cost savings through right-sizing and enabling performance-based refreshes

XM: Experience Really is Everything

If our over 35 years of experience in the IT managed services industry has taught us anything, it’s that experience really is everything. That is why we believe that Digital Experience Management (XM) should be the bedrock that any effective Digital Employee Experience (DEX) initiative is built on.

The way we see it at Compucom, the end user is at the center of everything we do. To be their most productive and creative, your employees need to feel comfortable with the technology they use at work.

By partnering with an MSP such as Compucom, enterprises can offer greater choices to their workers. Our offerings enable access to the devices and services that best fit their work style, while allowing them to integrate personal technology easily and securely when needed.

The Digital Experience Series:

• Digital Experience Management: What is It, Why it Matters
• Digital Experience Management: The Role of Technology
• Digital Experience Management: The Role of Support

The post Measuring and Improving DEX with Digital Experience Management appeared first on Compucom.

David Krauthamer • Staff Writer

Self-Service and Expert Support

Previously, we introduced the four dimensions of Digital Experience Management (XM) that Compucom has identified and how effective management through data gathering and analytics can help to create the ideal hybrid workplace for your employees.

These four dimensions are divided into two main categories: technology-based and support-based. Our last blog looked at the two technology-based dimensions of XM: Technology-Enabled and Workplace Flexibility. This blog will explore the support-based dimensions of Self-Sufficiency and Well-Supported.

These four dimensions can be divided into two main categories: technology-based and support-based. Let’s begin by looking at the two technology-based dimensions of XM: Technology-enabled and Workplace Flexibility.

DEX: How Different Support Models Affect Experience

From the CEO to the mailroom clerk, like it or not, you’re going to occasionally need IT support — and likely when you can least afford the interruption.

When we make a support request, we’re looking to rapidly regain control through a comfortable support experience that fits the urgency level. Fortunately, IT support services come in a variety of flavors to suit different preferences. There are support channels to accommodate everyone, from the DIYer who thrives in forums and search engines to the not-so-tech-savvy senior manager who calls the “IT Guy” for almost everything.

With the prevalence of hybrid and remote work, IT support touches almost every area, from hiring and onboarding to the offboarding process. Support models have evolved to ensure that every touchpoint along the employee journey creates the right experience for employee retention and productivity.

It’s about keeping your employees happy. Whether driving self-sufficient support or providing expert high-touch experiences, XM measures, analyzes, and ultimately offers service improvements throughout your employees’ tenure.

Support: Self-Sufficiency Drives Productivity

Self-sufficiency means different things to different people. Some of us DIYers like to do everything ourselves, while others just prefer easy access to help when needed. No matter how a person uses self-service support solutions, their goal is maintaining productivity.

Determining how well self-service support drives end-user self-sufficiency requires asking and answering some key questions:

• Do your employees have quick and easy access to self-service support solutions?
• What is their perception and satisfaction with the self-support solutions your organization provides?
• Are the self-service support options effective in restoring optimal productivity and increasing job satisfaction and loyalty to your company?

For today’s hybrid employees to work efficiently, they must have easy access to trusted self-service technical help through their preferred channels (apps, knowledgebase articles, forums, or AI-enabled). Having a robust selection of easy-to-use support options that enhance self-sufficiency will go a long way in keeping your people happy and productive.

Support: A Great Support Experience from Day One

Making sure your workers are well-supported shows them they are valued; it demonstrates your belief in their ability to succeed when given the right tools, such as readily available expert guidance when they need it most. And this should start from day one.

Troy Baldwin, Compucom’s Director of Digital Experience Management, when asked about the importance of providing employees a great experience from day one, said, “I’d put it right at the top. We commissioned a survey last year that found user frustrations with technology had caused more than 60% of those asked to look, apply, or leave for other jobs, and 12% of enterprise respondents actually switched. So, is it important? Yes.”

To help determine how well-supported your employees are, XM analyses key experience indicators based on these questions:

• How was your onboarding experience?
• What has your experience been like for your device lifecycle services?
• When engaging expert support, how was your support experience?
• How do you feel about the overall experience from beginning to end?

These questions and the indicators associated with them help us to understand and improve how users consume and perceive IT services without having to repeatedly tap them on their shoulders to ask: how’s it working now?

Four Dimensions. One Great Experience.

Compucom’s focus is helping our customers achieve a productive, distributed workforce, and Digital Experience Management is one way we achieve this. By harnessing the power and insights of key experience indicators, we are able to drive employee productivity and satisfaction.

But don’t just take our word for it; Gartner also understands that “near real-time processing of aggregated data from endpoints, applications, employee sentiment, and organizational context helps surface actionable insights” that help drive continuous improvements.

In our next post, we’ll bring the Four Dimensions of Digital Experience Management together and find out how implementing XM foundationally across managed services and solutions is a win-win for employers and employees.

The Digital Experience Series:

• Digital Experience Management: What it is, Why it Matters
• Digital Employee Experience: The Role of Technology
• Measuring and Improving DEX with Digital Experience Management

The post Digital Employee Experience: The Role of Support appeared first on Compucom.

David Krauthamer • Staff Writer

DEX: Productivity, Access, and Continuous Improvement

In our previous blog, we introduced the four dimensions of Digital Experience Management (XM) that Compucom has identified and how effective management through data gathering and analytics can help to create the ideal hybrid workplace for your employees. They are:

• Technology-enabled
• Workplace Flexibility
• Self-Sufficient
• Well-Supported

These four dimensions can be divided into two main categories: technology-based and support-based. Let’s begin by looking at the two technology-based dimensions of XM: Technology-enabled and Workplace Flexibility.

Having a clear understanding of each will help us answer two very important questions about the Digital Employee Experience (DEX) in your organization:

• Can your employees work how they want, and do they have what they need to be productive?
• Can they be productive and secure, regardless of work location?

Technology: Enabling the Experience

Technology is a catalyst of innovation; it has brought some of the greatest advancements in human history. And technology is what all companies and their employees depend on each and every day to get work done. Technology is a great enabler.

But users need to feel comfortable with the technology their employer provides. Thankfully the technology landscape has evolved to a point where organizations can often provide more device choices to their workers. This allows users to access the devices, data, and services that best fit their work style and needs while allowing them to easily and securely integrate personal technology when needed.

This is what it means to be Technology-enabled. And managing this dimension means understanding and learning from the insights gathered from employees’ experiences with their applications, devices, virtual machines, and connectivity.

Technology: Driving Workplace Flexibility

The sudden shift to remote work brought on by the pandemic gave employees a taste of the work-life balance they’ve always wanted. Companies must take this into account, providing what their employees want or risk losing them to a company that will.

Whether your organization has a hybrid, flexible, fully remote, or mixed workplace model, you must ensure your employees have easy and secure access to the technology and services necessary to be productive. Basically, make workplace flexibility easy for the employee while securing your company’s assets and data – making sure that the highest level of security is always maintained and that it does not affect the productivity and collaboration capabilities of your workforce.

As part of the Technology-enabled dimension of Digital Experience Management (XM), we work to answer questions like:

• Do users have access to the same digital tools and peripherals at home or in the office?
• Do users have access to the data they need (via cloud or VPN) to do their jobs no matter where they are?

Analysis of these and other key experience indicators allows us to drive consistency and relevant service improvements across our managed services, ultimately resulting in a better user experience regardless of location.

End User and Digital Experience Come First

Enabling your employees with the right technology to be productive and ensuring they are able to work from any location are critical factors in their digital employee experience. Like any other key business initiative, effective measurement, analysis, and management are necessary to achieve the results you are looking for.

At Compucom, the digital employee experience is central to everything we do. All of our solutions and services are designed and implemented with an end-user-first mindset. Any data we can gather and analyze creates opportunities for continuous service improvements (CSI), resulting in a better overall experience, increased productivity, and happy employees who want to come to work every day and do their best.

In our next post, we’ll look at the remaining two of the Four Dimensions of Digital Experience Management – the support-based dimensions of XM: ensuring workers are Self-Sufficient and Well-Supported.

The Digital Experience Series:

• Digital Experience Management: What it is, Why it Matters
• Digital Experience Management: The Role of Support
• Measuring and Improving DEX with Digital Experience Management

The post Digital Employee Experience: The Role of Technology appeared first on Compucom.