Is service and support papering over the cracks in workplace productivity?

An SCC survey found that support for end-users is very good on the whole – but there is a real concern that this may only be masking the need for more urgent changes to workplace productivity and applications modernisation. While a recent survey of 550 individuals gave us a lot of food for thought, it also uncovered some good news and demonstrated that, in some areas, organisations are adapting well and making good use of their IT resources. The most outstandingly positive results were in the area of support and how the effort and investment being made here are really helping organisations to deliver a better user experience and thus enhance productivity. In the survey, four out of five respondents agreed that their organisation is providing the support they need to help them better use technology for remote working; and 75 percent of organisations have a service desk that is available outside their normal business hours. Furthermore, 71 percent are already using a virtual assistant and self-help to manage service or support requests, even though we also find evidence to suggest that many are still learning how to make the best use of chatbots and other self-help techniques. Underlying concern While this is good news, there is also an underlying concern here. The service and support may be perfectly good. But there has perhaps not been enough focus on making the actual user experience as good as it could or should be. There is a real desire amongst workers to have really good, effective remote working capability. But 79 percent also think they would be more efficient if the technology provided by their organisation replicated what they use in their personal life. There is an urgent need for organisations to modernise their applications and services and provide the tools and secure access that will enable the emerging generation of workers to make the very best and most productive use of technology in the workplace. The fact that most organisations are doing a great job of supporting end-users might, we suspect, be simply masking the inefficiencies that lie beneath. If users can get their problems solved, they are very likely to soldier-on and get their work done with whatever technology is at their disposal. But that does not mean that the technology or the experience is good enough. A better experience This is why we think many organisations may need to look again at how much effort and emphasis they are placing on the fundamentals of workplace productivity, at remote and mobile technologies and application modernisation, against that being placed on support. The balance may need to be adjusted. As more digital natives arrive in the workforce, user expectations will change and there will be a need to provide a better, more interactive and collaborative experience. For now, the high standard of support being provided may simply be papering over the cracks. At SCC we have over 45 years’ experience in Making IT Work as a business enabler. We have helped numerous organisations similar to yours adapt to the ever changing workplace by designing, implementing and managing innovative technology solutions that address productivity needs and providing the flexibility employees need to work effectively anywhere and at anytime. Our consultative approach helps to identify what your core challenges are and allows us to build workplace solutions that address these needs. Our portfolio of services to support the modern workplace include: 

• Unified End-point Management
• Collaboration and Communication
• Application Modernisation
• Microsoft Consultancy
• Product Provisioning
• Service Desk
• IT Service Management
• End User Support

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