Blog The new expectations of a modern workforce are all about user experience
By Insight Editor / 23 May 2023 / Topics: Devices Modern workplace Hybrid workforce
By Insight Editor / 23 May 2023 / Topics: Devices Modern workplace Hybrid workforce
Just four years ago, getting in the car and driving through frustrating traffic jams to go to work was the most normal thing in the world. Today, hybrid working is part of any successful organisation’s DNA. Whereas cloud used to be a leap of faith, most companies have now migrated much of their data and operations. While this is a positive evolution, there is still a long way to go. After all, you cannot implement a Modern Workplace without looking at the expectations of your workforce.
One of the trends we have seen since the pandemic is the move to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). In the post-covid era, companies have to decide whether they continue to allow BYOD or switch back to providing enterprise devices. Either way, even more important than the device is the user experience it supports.
Younger workers in particular have developed a habit to focus on results rather than the devices they need to achieve those outcomes. They are accustomed to walking around with a smartphone in their pocket and using that device for almost anything that comes their way. While earlier generations see tools as something they can use to facilitate their work, a modern workforce expects to be at the centre of each experience. Instead of working around the limitations of a tool, they want an application that directly addresses their challenges, regardless of the device they have or want to use.
A great example of this trend is Microsoft Copilot, a new digital assistant that Microsoft is launching. Copilot uses Artificial Intelligence to get to know the user and generates results that perfectly meet your expectations. The idea behind the technology is that we as humans spend too much time on tasks that consume our creativity and energy. Therefore, we do not want yet another solution that improves the way we work, we need an entirely new way of working. This is exactly how a modern workforce thinks.
Copilot understands natural language, so no technical knowledge is required. You just tell the tool what you need and it will translate your simple requests into more sophisticated output. It can automatically access files in your Microsoft 365 suite. Unless you ask the application to use specific files, it will not even distinguish between sources like Word, Excel or PowerPoint. Because it knows how you usually handle things, it will use that knowledge to generate the results you expect.
The digital assistant thinks about where it can get the information, what the outcome should look like, and how you work. And like the users in a modern workforce, it attaches no importance to the applications or devices it needs to use.
In the near future, we will all have a digital butler like Copilot. They will make our professional and personal lives a lot easier. Applications will shape around the user and focus on the user experience. Therefore, the future is device-agnostic. Of course, access to powerful devices remains important. But unless you are an engineer or architect who needs to use specialised technology and software, we are moving toward a world where the device becomes secondary to the user experience. To support this trend and ensure that performance should never be an issue, more and more organisations are turning to high-end devices, such as laptops and other hardware from the Microsoft Surface family.
While most companies have taken their first steps toward a modern workplace, navigating this world can be challenging. That’s why it is important to have a partner who understands how the industry is evolving; a partner who knows what trends and technologies are coming our way and how to use them to support your workforce.
Are you looking for a partner like that? As a solution integrator, Insight Technologies has the experts who understand what it takes to stay one step ahead of the competition. We follow the latest trends and assess how they will impact your business, people and the way you work.
