Roadmap to achieve digital workspace

Current State:

Enterprises face the challenge of catering to the different requirements of their workers across locations.

Conflict: Flexibility vs. Manageability

It's a paradox: if we give employees the flexibility of choosing endpoint devices, then managing that huge array of devices is a tedious task. On the other hand, providing little or no choice in device use to employees makes management easier, but employees are more likely to view their work as tedious. 

IT departments need to find a middle path which not only provides device-choice flexibility but also makes managing all of those devices easy.

The middle path between the two choices is called “Digital Workplace Infrastructure and Operations” (DWI&O), and the working environment this creates is known as a “Digital Workspace.” 

 Components of a Workspace:

1)            Devices

Organizations use devices ranging from desktops and laptops to smartphones, and tablets. The array of endpoint computing devices is continually expanding with different brands, configurations, and operating systems being added to the list every so often. Most recently, in order to be available to their customers at all times and provide an integrated user experience across devices, organizations are now integrating AR & VR headsets and wearables as part of the array of devices they support. 

2)            Platforms

Not every device runs the same operating system. Managing a heterogeneous mix of devices calls for the ability to manage a wide variety of operating systems too, such as Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. An increase in the diversity of platforms requires a dynamic strategy for managing them all. 

3)             Strategy

An IT team’s major challenge is to have a single strategy that covers all devices and platforms. This strategy must not only cover the current range of available devices, but also account for devices that will be launched in the future. It should be robust and flexible at the same time.

IT Managers need to prepare a roadmap for how computers, mobile devices, wearables, and other computing devices will fit into the company’s future.

 4)            Process

Processes in an organization depend more on the technology adopted to integrate technology into the workplace. The more streamlined business processes are, the more refined the strategies will be, and the more control IT personnel will have over their IT assets.

5)            People   

People are the basic building blocks of a workplace, as the efficacy of any tool or strategy depends on how workers implement and maintain it. Employees responsible for handling/managing business endpoints must be skilled and well-organized, and have a clearly-defined chain of command that allows concerned people to be immediately notified in case any issues arise. 

 6)            IT optimization

Optimizing the way an IT team works revolves around an empirical, continually-improving approach to change. Businesses first need to prioritize the trends they think will be coming in the near future, starting with the most probable and going down to the least likely. For IT optimization to succeed, decision-making must be driven by data. This means that IT optimization is based on 4 key components: 

o  Plan: Prepare the IT optimization strategy based on expected trends and issues.

o  Execute: Implement this strategy across the organization.

o  Check: Monitor the outcomes and compare them against the expected outcomes.

o  Act: Based on this assessment, prepare a list of necessary alterations and then implement them. .

How a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution helps in creating a digital workplace?

To secure devices and ensure compliance with security practices, businesses need to have a holistic view of their devices and users. The financial and reputational damage caused by security lapses can be enormous, so this is extremely important. 

A UEM solution not only provides the option of management in terms of device usage and push for a patch or software upgrade. This helps in not only configuring the device but also in its adherence to company’s processes thus providing controlled management and recommend corrective actions of endpoint devices.

UEM solutions help enterprises protect and control desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, rugged devices, wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, in addition to apps, documents, and data on these devices. UEM platforms support all major OS types, including iOS, macOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows. The right UEM solution also makes it possible for businesses to migrate effortlessly from legacy PC platforms such as Windows 7 to more powerful, modern updates like Windows 10.

Unified Endpoint Management is a guiding force for an organization that wants to create a digital workplace. For an organization that’s looking to take the next step towards creating one, adopting a UEM solution is a necessity.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].