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The work-from-home and hybrid workforce models will likely continue for the foreseeable future. In a recent study by Conferenceboard.org, 26% of US-based companies indicated that they are willing to hire a 100% virtual workforce. A similar report by UpWork suggests that 23% of teams/departments in the US plan to be working remotely in some capacity even five years from now. This new dynamic presents a set of challenges to ensure workforce productivity and engagement.
Some remote and hybrid team members are already experiencing some changes in their overall experience, because systems designed to be accessed locally may behave differently for virtual users. This can have a significant impact on the user experience, as user interfaces and workflow are not familiar to the users. Users may be struggling and experiencing more errors.
End-User Experience Management (EUEM) tools such as User Experience Management (UEM) by Knoa are helping companies to ensure a positive and consistent user experience for their employees, regardless of their location.
Here are some recommendations for companies interested in using UEM to make the most of their employee experience in 2021 and beyond:
Planning Successful Migrations
Key Knoa Metric(s): System Errors, System Performance
Many companies have used UEM by Knoa to facilitate their digital transformation projects. It provides companies with real insights to help with all phases of the transformation. Teams can use these insights to more effectively define the scope and planning of a migration, identify key users and applications that need to be tested as part of each phase, and monitor user and system performance during hyper care.
The same insights that drive the planning can also be used to measure User Adoption and the return on investment (ROI) of the migration after go-live.
Employee Engagement and Productivity
Key Knoa Metric(s): User Activity, User Errors
One of the benefits of being in the office is the ability to collaborate and support team members in real-time. When users have a question, they can walk over to another team member and work together to resolve an issue. Managers can more easily assist struggling team members, build them up, and help them succeed.
A hybrid workforce presents a more challenging dynamic for employee development and performance. It is much harder for managers to identify which employees are struggling. System users may be more reluctant to raise their hands and ask for help.
It is not practical to set up generic training programs or multi-day training seminars for large groups. Managers and learning teams instead need to focus on targeted training initiatives that improve the overall user experience, as well as performance and productivity.
UEM by Knoa can help teams build these targeted training programs to help struggling users address the areas giving them the most trouble. Managers and learning teams can identify where a user or group of users are struggling and customize a plan to address these needs.
As part of the learning plans, managers may want to look across their team(s) and identify potential super-users. In doing so, a manager can:
- Provide struggling team members with another resource for help
- Identify trends and qualities of super-users and use this knowledge to create a super-user program.
- Identify which components of the software are causing work slowdowns and frustration.
As it becomes safe and practical for companies to re-open offices, Knoa can be an important tool for helping managers create a positive and consistent user experience for their employees, regardless of their location.
Proactive Response to Support Inquiries
Key Knoa Metric(s): System Errors, User Workflow
For many support teams, the support process is reactive: Teams will address issues as they come, via a support ticketing system. Once the ticket is received, they will investigate and work towards a resolution. The reactive nature of this process is disruptive for users and may impact their ability to complete specific tasks. This situation is further exacerbated by employees working from home.
UEM by Knoa can serve as a first line of defense to help IT and support teams identify potential system-related issues that are impacting a user’s experience. Support teams can identify trends in system performance and errors and look to mitigate these types of issues before they come up. If a ticket has already been created, teams have access to user workflows, which present a step-by-step account of the user’s experience up to the point at which they encountered an error.
Knoa is not a replacement for tools such as an Application Process Management (APM) or IT Service Management (ITSM) systems. It is a complementary solution providing user-centric data that can help teams reduce both the number of support tickets and the amount of time spent on them.
Summary
The hybrid workforce is likely to become a permanent trend in the workforce. This presents an exciting opportunity, as well as different challenges for ensuring a consistent and positive experience for all employees. UEM by Knoa allows companies to get a unique view into how their users interact with their enterprise software systems day-to-day. These insights enable companies to make more informed decisions around how to improve employee productivity and the overall employee experience. According to a 2019 study by IDC, companies that have adopted UEM by Knoa experience 15% gross productivity gains across impacted users as well as 30% more efficient management of their business processes.
About Knoa Software
We provide software and services that enable global organizations to align people and processes with enterprise solutions – increasing technology adoption, user engagement and delivering business value. Our mission is to be an essential solution provider for every enterprise that is serious about user experience management. We are transforming the user experience management market, providing a new level of insight, technologies, and services to improve enterprise software usage and efficiency. For more information, please see our website, www.knoa.com.