(Opinion) As the demands of remote and hybrid work environments grow, traditional IT monitoring tools are no longer enough says Rob Dobson from Lakeside Software.
The rise of remote and hybrid work has exposed the limitations of traditional IT monitoring tools, which focus on infrastructure rather than end-user performance. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) need tools that give them real-time insights into how applications, devices, and networks perform from the end-user’s perspective. This is where AI-driven end user experience management (EUEM) solutions are transforming how service providers optimise technology performance, enhance the digital employee experience, and keep clients’ employees productive.
Historically, IT monitoring focused on backend infrastructure, including server uptime and network performance. While these metrics are important, they don’t tell the whole story. For end-users, a perfectly functioning server means nothing if they’re dealing with slow, unresponsive applications.
AI-driven end-user experience monitoring flips this traditional model by focusing on tracking and analysing what users are actually experiencing when interacting with IT systems. In general, AI has the potential to boost employee productivity by as much as 40% by 2035, according to PwC. AI can be used to mature a proactive IT strategy, driven by its ability to analyse data from endpoints, devices, and applications, and identify potential issues before they affect the end-user experience or have a direct impact on their productivity.
This user-focused approach has become essential as more companies embrace remote and hybrid work and are under pressure to retain employees. It also can significantly reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency. In fact, organisations that have adopted proactive IT monitoring tools have reported up to a 259% return on investment over three years, with payback periods as short as six months, as well as a 15-20% improvement in mean time to resolution (MTTR).
Our Digital Workplace Productivity Report found that poor digital experiences (that is, engagement with workplace devices and tools) have a major effect on employee retention. In fact, 36% of employees have thought about leaving their job due to inadequate workplace technology, and 14% have actually followed through and quit because of it. This survey result clearly highlights how essential it is to improve digital employee experience (DEX).
While EUEM is closely related, DEX goes beyond just monitoring; it looks at the overall influence technology has on employee satisfaction and productivity. EUEM offers detailed technical insights that fuel proactive DEX initiatives.
Of course, digital employee experience recommendations are only as strong as the data they rely on. Collecting device performance data in real-time enables IT teams to proactively address issues before they escalate. Both the depth and breadth of endpoint data matter to give IT a complete picture of the end user’s experience with the endpoint. Armed with this level and quality of data, IT can shift from reactive to proactive IT.
The CrowdStrike outage earlier this year serves as a clear example of why this proactive approach is essential. Although CrowdStrike’s outage caused significant disruption, it gave the channel an opportunity to demonstrate its value by responding quickly to minimise the impact on customers. Whether it’s CrowdStrike or any other technology that causes wide-scale outages, when a major disruption takes place, IT teams need to pinpoint the issue and deploy fixes by priority user, and this proactivity is what service providers should be looking to achieve.
Pinpointing an issue, however, is not always easy. Working with clients with complex IT environments requires real-time insights into the health, usage, and performance of the entire digital estate. Here, EUEM plays a key role in driving optimal performance across devices and networks. Indeed, collaborators in our partner ecosystem have supported organisations in deploying AI-driven monitoring tools that significantly improve user satisfaction.
A global law firm recently used AI-driven recommendations to address early complaints about computer performance. By using predictive analytics, the firm identified a CPU issue caused by a video driver and restored productivity for 10% of its workforce, preventing up to 800 helpdesk tickets. This proactive monitoring helped the firm avoid major disruptions and improve overall performance.
One of the biggest advantages of AI-driven end-user experience monitoring is the ability to detect issues before they impact business operations. AI-powered monitoring tracks real-time user interactions with IT systems, flagging anomalies within seconds, preventing downtime and productivity loss. Whether it’s an unstable network connection or a slow-loading application, the issue can be alerted early by a sensor, enabling swift action.
AI-driven EUEM also supports the automation of issue detection and resolution. IT teams are often overwhelmed by support requests, especially in large organisations. AI can automate the resolution of common IT problems, freeing up time to focus on more complex issues.
As part of our SysTrack platform, capabilities for self-help automations and helpdesk ticket avoidance enable users to resolve simple issues without needing to contact IT support. For instance, a major health insurance company reduced incidents by 35% by using a helpdesk ticket avoidance blueprint, empowering employees to resolve common issues before submitting tickets. Additionally, by using machine learning for root cause analysis, predictive IT helps pinpoint the exact cause of an issue faster, leading to better prioritisation, quicker resolutions, and improved digital employee experience.
AI doesn’t just make resolving issues easier, though; it also helps channel stakeholders optimise their own operations. By analysing trends in user behaviour and system performance, AI helps fine-tune offerings to deliver even more value to clients.
For example, MSPs can use proactive IT ops resolution to fix problems before users even realise they exist. Whether managing a Windows 11 migration, maintaining endpoint compliance and governance, or handling complex transitions like mergers and acquisitions, MSPs can use AI to enable service providers to stay ahead of operational challenges.
The demands of today’s hybrid work environment are driving a necessary shift from traditional IT monitoring to more user-focused insights, with the market for end-user experience monitoring projected to grow at an annual rate of 5.7% CAGR from 2023 to 2030 to approximately $5.5 billion, fueled by the need for real-time visibility into user experience.
It is here that AI-driven end-user experience monitoring tools detect and resolve issues faster, optimise IT systems, and improve the user experience. By working with partners, we’ve seen how service providers are using AI-driven end user monitoring to improve employee experience and reduce downtime. By adopting these tools, MSPs can offer a competitive edge, ensuring their clients and their own teams gain optimal IT performance in the rapidly changing work environment.
