I’ve worked in IT for over 20 years and specifically in End User Computing (EUC) for the last 10 years, notably working for Citrix and Dell Technologies. I want to share with you what some of the key differences are from a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform and a Digital Employee Experience (DEX) platform (such as Nexthink Experience), and how they complement one another, and where there is overlap. This content will be particularly useful for customers or partners who have teams that focus and manage End User Computing, Devices, IT Operations, Service Desks and Transformational Project Teams.
What is UEM?
Unified Endpoint Management allows organizations to manage their end user device estate. Any device that runs Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS etc., can be managed. Applications can be deployed to those devices, and Operating System updates can be distributed or blocked, for example. Specific corporate policies can be enforced like stopping copying and pasting or using data within undefined applications. With UEM platforms you can see what has been deployed, to whom and when. It’s an “inside-out” view of your device estate, what IT “thinks” is the reality. UEM is ultimately a progression of toolsets over the last several years, see the following resource for further context.
What is DEX?
Digital Employee Experience is an employee’s holistic experience with the digital workplace provided by IT. It is based on the performance of one’s device(s), applications, networks, and end-user sentiment. DEX is a concept that extends beyond IT—it is a key component of the modern Employee Experience and it relates closely to a company’s culture, Employee Engagement, Human Resources (HR), and ability to innovate.
What is Nexthink Experience?
Nexthink Experience helps IT deliver a great DEX in three powerful ways.
- Proactively manage and improve digital experience. Stop guessing and see what matters. Nexthink shows you where to focus with experience scoring and issue prioritization. It identifies the root causes underlying issues and shows you how to solve them step-by-step. Continuous service improvement becomes part of your daily operation.
- Find and fix IT issues faster. IT teams rely on Nexthink to solve problems in minutes instead of days. With a unified view of experience across devices, applications, and networks, you can rapidly zero in on the cause of any issue. The solution’s unique event-level visibility and advanced visualizations make troubleshooting dramatically easier. Make tedious manual investigation a thing of the past.
- Provide the right workplace technologies to every employee. One size does not fit all, so give your employees the technologies they need – while ensuring the success of your IT initiatives. See how to improve employee satisfaction with applications and devices. Increase the adoption and success of technology rollouts, from planning to piloting to deploying. You can even reduce software and hardware costs by identifying unused licenses and hardware that doesn’t need to be replaced. Nexthink helps you save money while delivering the best experience to every employee.
Comparison
*UEM does not represent a specific vendor.
** This is not a complete list of capabilities for either UEM or Nexthink.
Complementing UEM with Nexthink Experience
Let’s cover a few examples of where we can complement UEM with DEX:
Windows 11
With the recent release of Windows 11, we naturally see many of our customers looking to refresh the current incumbent Operating System (OS) Windows 10. UEM can help you deliver on that transformational project a great deal. Once a standard image and system specific policies have been agreed, it’s a case of identifying users’ machines which are capable of Windows 11, this is where UEM may start to struggle because UEM typically doesn’t offer a “Readiness” assessment, how do you identity how many or which machines are capable and ready to be upgraded? Furthermore, EUM doesn’t take employee sentiment and adoption satisfaction into account. For instance, if we fast forward to Windows 11 having been deployed to a department, or a business unit, just because the deployment has been successful it doesn’t mean your departments or users are happy with their new experience.
For Example:
- The start menu has moved, and peoples muscle memory has them moving the mouse cursor over to where the start menu used to be, bottom left, but it’s now middle
- Many control panel items have been moved or renamed making it harder to find what you are looking for in terms of customization
- Some applications may not work
All of these points (and many more) can result in a loss of productivity, which for the user is critical and fundamental to performing their job or role. Naturally, we would then expect the Service Desk (L1) to receive many calls about these changes. The Service Desk may not even be aware that these migrations are or have taken place either.
Nexthink developed a free, tailored Library pack, including customized dashboards, remote actions and engagement campaigns to offer Support, transformation, and EUC teams with a Windows 11 readiness assessment solution, which can identify devices to keep, upgrade, or replace. You can then Engage with your users throughout the project to inform and facilitate feedback to understand:
- Do they have any concerns about the upgrade?
- When is a good time for the upgrade to take place?
- Would they like to receive training before or after the deployment?
- Do they have an important event that would mean it is critical the upgrade is postponed for weeks?
- Or since upgrading, is there something that your user(s) need some further assistance with?
With Nexthink Engage we have a unique capability whereby you can target those specific users who may have been upgraded or are due to be upgraded with a customized, purposeful communications to allow for a great experience before, during and after an upgrade. This completely transforms the way in which IT or a project team may be interacting with the employee because now you are considering them by driving a personalized & tailored experience.
Product Demo: Assessing Windows 11 – readiness. Find out more
Out of Box Experience (OOBE)
Many vendors offer what is known as Out of Box Experience (OOBE) for devices such as laptops, having your corporate device fully configured when employees onboard for the first time or receive their new IT asset from corporate. UEM can be configured to deliver on this workflow, ensuring once the user enters their corporate provided credentials they sign on and receive all of the applications, policy and access they need to be productive from day 1. What UEM is unable to deliver on is understanding if everything has worked, as expected.
For example:
- Your employee(s) might be missing a key application that they were expecting, meaning they cannot be productive from day 0
- They may have a newer version of windows delivered, and may not be used to using it as their previous company was still running on Windows 7 or 10
At Nexthink we offer Library Packs that enable you to take advantage of preconfigured templates, with our Onboarding Library pack: https://www.nexthink.com/library/Onboarding-Experience-Management/
Conclusion
Today for many organizations and employees it can feel like there is zero flexibility and many compromises when it comes to the way IT equipment is deployed and managed, an inward way of approaching employees’ needs. A hope that with this perfect setup that has been through countless revisions and reviews that it will reduce IT tickets because a system is configured in such a way it’s impossible for there to be any issues with it.
If you are using a UEM solution, it’s worth considering how Nexthink DEX can take your organization to the next level of employee satisfaction, productivity and delight people at work. A great experience is about being focused on people, first. A personalized, customized and tailored workspace to their needs not IT mandates.
For further information Nexthink DEX and how we can help your organization & employees visit: https://www.nexthink.com.
Related posts:
- The Ultimate List of Digital Employee Experience Job Titles
- How a company saved 32k hours of IT support and $1.6M on their Windows Migration
- The Nexthink Library: Q4 Overview
- How to Keep Your Digital Devices Current | Engagement & Automation
