ITSM Hype Cycle in Plain English - Episode 9

Welcome to the 9th edition of the newsletter, in this edition we are focusing on measuring and increasing user experience.  We are covering DEX Tools, Multiexperience and Walk Up IT Support.

Dex Tools

The What

Employees will no longer tolerate poor IT systems that make their job harder. Digital Employee Experience (DEX) tools aid their productivity.  Traditional performance tools check the performance of a system on the server.  DEX tools can ensure that performance of an application is good at the point of use. These tools ensure user-friendly, responsive and accessible digital experiences across the full range of devices and platforms. By gathering feedback on user behaviour, organisations can refine their digital offerings to maximize user engagement, satisfaction and productivity.

The Why

Organisations use DEX tools to enhance employee satisfaction, productivity and ultimately overall business success. These tools aim to provide employees, consistent, user-friendly digital experiences across devices. Improving efficiency and reducing frustration. DEX tools enable real-time performance monitoring at the point of use, enabling issues to be promptly addressed. By gathering user feedback, organisations can promote continuous improvement and fine-tune digital solutions. Investing in DEX tools helps to create a positive work environment and helps organisations stay competitive by delivering exceptional digital experiences to their workforce. 

The How

As with all technology changes, implementing DEX tools involves careful strategy to ensure the best return on investment. First, understand the current digital systems and identify the employee pain points that DEX solutions aim to address. Select the appropriate DEX tools based on an organisation's specific needs. Ensure that the selected tools can support future business strategies, are fully open to integration with other systems and are scalable to meet future demand.

Develop a clear implementation roadmap and allocate dedicated skilled resources. Start small, addressing key employee pain points to gain business buy-in and win employee satisfaction. Progress toward strategic goals whilst continuously gathering user input for refinement. Monitor and measure the impact of DEX tools on employee satisfaction and productivity. Periodically revisit and adapt the DEX strategy to compliment the evolving business needs and tooling capabilities. 

Multiexperience

The What

Multiexperience (MX) is the art of providing great user-centric customer experience across different access points; web, mobile apps, Alexa, etc.  MX extends the traditional user interaction that customers had with organisations and enables customers and business users to use a variety of channels based around there working practises.  It’s important to ensure the user experience can be personalised and yet provide consistency across access points. MX systems need to integrate with various back-end systems to demonstrate a unified data approach across the various channels. 

The Why

Businesses adopt MX to cater for evolving user preferences and expectations. MX aims to improve customer engagement and satisfaction by providing a unified digital experience despite the user interface or device being used. MX promotes brand loyalty as users can interact with a business through their preferred channels. If implemented correctly, MX can also improve operational efficiency by streamlining processes and integrating diverse data sources. Companies that embrace MX typically have an enhanced understanding of user behaviour through data analytics which enables them to stay competitive and respond quickly to emerging technologies. 

The How

Having an overall business strategy is key for implementing MX. The two key elements are understanding user behaviours/preferences and having a user-centered approach for data sources and integrations. The research of user preferences and emerging technologies will provide an understanding of the primary channel they will use. This understanding will shape the appropriate selection of MX technologies that align with both user needs and existing system architecture. Investing in user-centric data sources and utilising cross-channel integration will provide a robust platform for future development. A roadmap of change that is supported by the appropriate skilled resources, provides early business success and adopts continuous improvement should ensure a platform for on-going success. 

Walk-Up IT Support

The What

Walk-up IT support centres, such as Genius Bar or Tech Bar, allow users to access in-person assistance and technical support for various devices and technology issues. To support a hybrid working model these centres often facilitate remote support, allowing users to speak with technicians via video calls and screen sharing. To provide a more efficient service and reduce waiting times, these centres often have systems to allow users to schedule future appointments or view live waiting times for drop-ins. It’s common for these centres to also offer services beyond IT troubleshooting including educational training and workshop sessions. 

The Why

Organizations establish walk-up IT support centres with the aim of enhancing user experiences and improving operational efficiency. These centres can provide immediate, in-person technical assistance, improving user satisfaction by providing hubs for troubleshooting, repairs and user education. IT Walk-up centres can also be built to facilitate cross-platform support and accommodate a diverse range of technological needs. Their use can be extended to provide educational workshops, demonstrations and training and the use of scheduling systems can alleviate wait times. In general, IT walk-in centres are built to improve end user productivity and satisfaction. 

The How

To construct an effective walk-up IT support centre, organisations should start by understanding the overall issues and challenges users are facing. The scope of supported services should be defined so users understand the range of systems and technologies supported. The centre should be equipped with essential hardware and software and the technicians need to have both excellent technical knowledge and good customer service skills.  The location of the centre should be easily accessible to maximise convenience for users or delivered remotely via applications such as Teams. To alleviate wait times and support demand management, a scheduling system can be used to manage appointment bookings. The gathering of customer feedback will feed into continuous improvement and promoting success stories will promote the service and feed into future demand.

Thank you for reading this edition of the newsletter and for any questions please contact hello@ktsl.com