5 Ways IT Ops Can Lead Workforce Productivity Outcomes in 2020

---

One thing is clear in the aftermath of COVID-19 — the ‘do more with less strategy’ is here to stay. Organizations worldwide are adopting belt-tightening measures. And now more than ever, IT decision makers (ITDMs) need to simplify core operations by fully leveraging the potential of technologies that help cut costs, boost productivity, and ensure IT security — elements essential to success in a challenging economy.  In addition to all that the complexity of managing the operational continuity in today’s highly distributed, mobile environment on lean budgets is not entirely lost on IT Operations teams! 

As companies move to re-open offices in a phased manner and support hybrid environments to keep employees connected and productive, IT managers need to rethink investments around core areas such as workplace productivity, security and asset modernization.  

In a recent Forrester studyOpens a new window , How PCs Will Drive the Future of Work, 88% of business continuity decision makers¹ said that provisioning employees with remote access technologies that enabled them to connect and work from any location was a key component of their workforce continuity strategy. 

‘Remote’ Beyond Collaboration: the End-Point Challenge

But remote tools are not limited to collaboration software — endpoint devices, which are the most functional asset in use by almost 100% of employees, are crucial to driving employee experience (EX) and productivity, and also impact security vulnerabilities significantly. 

With people working outside the traditional enterprise boundary, organizations need to put together an end-point infrastructure that can meet the needs of the mobile, decentralized workforce, and allow them access to company applications and data securely, from anywhere. Security attacks against companies are only getting more frequent and innovative, and out-of-date endpoint devices won’t do users any good. Slower, aging systems account for new threats, and if a company’s PC fleet is several versions behind, attackers can easily hack systems by exploiting newer vulnerabilities. 

“Per Forrester’s Future of WorkOpens a new window report, 91% of ITDMs believe that PC refresh is an important driver for enterprise and endpoint security. Yet, only 54% of companies refresh their PC hardware every three years or more, thereby undercutting security effectiveness.”

Workforce Transformation Beyond the Crisis

In the face of a global crisis, workforce transformation has become the biggest talking point, forcing ITDMs to retool PCs and their approach to software standardization,and embrace automation to simplify  help desk support and cut costs. There are other big changes afoot — the workforce is evolving. Pandemic or not, 42% of millennial workforce² are willing to quit their job over poor technologies, Dell and Intel’s 2016 The Future Workforce study found.  It’s safe to say that millennial workforces expect employers to seamlessly integrate the latest technologies and devices, and provide secure endpoints and digital workplace tools. 

So what role can IT OPs play to help business leaders navigate these inevitable workplace and workforce transformations? 

Five Ways IT Ops Can Lead Workforce Productivity Outcomes in 2020 

1. BIOS-Level Protections for the High-Risk Environment

Firmware vulnerability issues aren’t new, but they have become a pervasive threat. A Forrester report, BIOS Security – The Next Frontier for Endpoint Protection, found that 63% of companies have experienced a data compromise or breach³ within the past 12 months due to an exploited vulnerability in hardware- or silicon-level security.  In the current high-risk scenario, there’s always a threat to worry about; and legacy hardware with outdated software can simply add to the trouble. Older business PCs and laptops lack built-in security essentials like secure boot and file-level information loss protection, which help prevent Operating System (OS)-level malware attacks that potentially lead to data thefts. New, modern devices are configured with advanced security features that can fix devices remotely at the BIOS level in case the OS has crashed and even when the PC is powered down. This is invaluable in preventing data loss and ensuring continuity. 

The traditional approach to endpoint device management falls short of preserving enterprise and end user security. Instead, the PC-as-a-Service approach can relieve some of the demands placed on IT Ops teams for refreshes and software upgrades, and help keep modern distributed workforces humming.

2. Proactive Remote Maintenance

Until yesterday, the work from anywhere (WFA) trend may have sounded like a perk rather than a norm. But as this trend takes root, enterprise security and manageability has suddenly become more high-stakes.  With companies officially announcing WFA policies, a slow return to physical workplaces may result in employees demanding smooth remote management of their PCs to stay productive. A Forrester Total Economic Impactâ„¢ studyOpens a new window commissioned by Intel found that the Intel vPro® platform’s streamlined device management and enhanced security can help eliminate an estimated 28,160 hours of lost employee time⁴. That adds up to nearly USD 1.3 million in labor costs over three years. Now is the time for IT teams to shift away from manual on-site service calls to a more proactive, remote maintenance setup that can minimize downtime, reduce the burden of support tickets and add the much-needed flexibility to IT operations. By  leveraging modern management tools that allow IT teams to repair, patch and even wipe PCs remotely, organizations can manage and support modern workforces faster and more efficiently.

With distributed work becoming the new reality, modern manageability tools will become a business imperative to drive workforce transformation and free up IT budgets.

3. Expanded Security and Wi-Fi Features:  

Remote work has surely allowed workforces worldwide to gain flexibility back, but poor connectivity and performance issues during video conferencing – a key collaboration tool – still plague workers. Employees need end-point devices that can deliver business-class performance and responsiveness from remote home offices or any location.  Upgrading to a new fleet of PCs paves the way for better performance as well expanded security and Wi-Fi features. This allows the mobile, on-the-go workforce to operate in dense environments effectively, with minimum disruptions. Additionally,  Wi-Fi 6 technology also packs WPA3 security features for authentication and encryption. 

In the new, sudden remote environment, provisioning an endpoint device isn’t where the job ends for IT Ops. To fulfil mobile computing needs, organizations need to tap devices with  integrated Wi-Fi 6 connectivity that can power superior video conferencing experiences and address performance and security issues. 

4. Streamline Deployment for Reduced Interruptions

Part of the appeal of remote management capabilities lie in its ability to help IT teams deliver software updates and patches remotely to mobile workforces. From large enterprises to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) IT managers can easily monitor device health and securely deliver critical apps, updates or patches to end users. By simplifying remote management, organizations can also uncover hidden cost-saving opportunities. 

Modern workforce expects smooth support and simple deployment without any interruptions. Upgrading to a new fleet of endpoints can drive speed and ease of IT delivery, ensuring a uniform end-to-end user experience across the organization.

5. Endpoints with Improved Battery and Speed

Digital workplace technologies need to meet the diverse needs of the workforce — from high computing demands of a Machine Learning engineer to faster data processing for a Business Analyst and increased application responsiveness for an on-the-go field worker. As devices age, some of the core in-demand features such as rapid responsiveness, long battery life and  overall application performance simply don’t line up as per user expectations. Newer systems powered by Intel vPro® processors pack instant resume features and also allow analysts and IT pros to analyze and visualize data 44% faster relative to a 5-year-old desktop⁵, as per a recent Intel product updateOpens a new window . 

Employees want to take advantage of collaboration applications that let them get more done in less time. Business-class devices that have a longer battery life enable faster processing, and boost employee productivity. 

The Takeaways 

Be it average computing tasks or high-intensive graphics editing, workforces demand hardware and digital solutions that can meet their  needs and workstyles. On the other hand, IT staff is looking for ways to standardize fleet management in a cost-efficient manner without breaking a bank. And as the need to improve employee experiences increases, IT teams will need to drive endpoint and software standardization efforts to transform PC fleet stability, management and performance and improve the overall mobile workforce experience.  The 5 areas discussed in this feature highlight opportunities that IT Ops can leverage for quick wins, enabling a smooth transition to a world where effectively managed remote workforces and virtual workspaces can deliver a real competitive edge.

_Notes

_{Notices and Disclaimers}

_{Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors.}

_{Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more complete information about performance and benchmark results, visit http://www.intel.com/benchmarksOpens a new window}

_{Intel technologies may require enabled hardware, software or service activation.}

_{No product or component can be absolutely secure.}

_{Your costs and results may vary.}

_{Intel does not control or audit third-party data.  You should consult other sources to evaluate accuracy.}

_{© Intel Corporation.  Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.  Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.}

_{¹ Source:  How PCs Will Drive The Future of Work, Forrester Consulting Study Commissioned by Intel, January 2020Opens a new window}

_{² Source:  The Future Workforce Study by Dell and Intel, July 2016  Opens a new window}

_{³ Source: BIOS Security – The Next Frontier for Endpoint Protection by Forrester Consulting Commissioned by Dell, June 2019Opens a new window}

_{⁴ Source: Total Economic Impact Study: Intel vPro Platform Helps Enterprises Save Costs, Boost Productivity, May 2019Opens a new window . As measured by MS PowerBI Workload on pre-production 10th Gen Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-10700 vs. 6th Gen Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-6700. This workload measures the time it takes to change the data source for a Power BI Dashboard, and update the dashboard with the new data. Performance results are based on testing that concluded May 4, 2020 and may not reflect all publicly available updates. ⁵Source:  New Intel vPro Platform Enables Uncompromised Productivity And Performance For The Modern WorkforceOpens a new window}

Opens a new window