Everyone’s talking about artificial intelligence, bots, and digital transformation, but what do IT pros in the trenches actually think when it comes to the trends and technologies that are likely coming to an office near you? The results may surprise you.
We surveyed* global IT professionals on some of the most pressing questions related to how technology is slowly, but surely, transforming experiences for employees everywhere.
So, what did they have to say? We’ll break down the key findings worth paying attention to.
Knowledge Sharing Is the Driving Factor for Enhancing Employee Experience
79% of IT professionals indicated knowledge sharing as a feature most critical to enhancing the employee experience in the next year.
It’s easy to understand why sharing information is a big deal. As organizations continue to grow and scale, it becomes less and less sustainable to keep information siloed or to continually duplicate efforts when resolving repeat issues.
While knowledge sharing can be a broad concept, there are practical applications within ITSM when it comes to knowledge management and providing employees with a robust
knowledge base through the service portal. Tech pros that provide services can also benefit from a knowledge base by having one-click access to solutions articles—expediting ticket resolutions.
There’s room for innovative technologies like artificial intelligence to play a key role here as well, using machine learning to point employees toward specific knowledge base articles when they search for resources or by suggesting relevant (and already existing) solution articles to service desk agents before they begin working a ticket.
Integration of IT With Other Departments Is Widespread
92% of IT pros are integrated in some way with other departments in the organization.
It turns out IT isn’t just a standalone entity ready to tackle problems as they arise. They’re becoming integral to the operation of other departments, like finance/operations (53%) and human resources (17%).
Integrating with other departments helps IT teams better align with the business. Nearly half of IT pros indicated that this integration with other departments has been a key driver in the evolution of the role of IT.
This evolution is helping to reshape how services are delivered, focusing on providing a
unified experience to employees, regardless of which department is fulfilling a request or resolving an issue. Since IT has decades of experience with service management, it makes sense that these tech pros can bring that expertise to the rest of the organization.
It will be interesting to watch how IT continues to integrate with the rest of the business as leaders look for new ways to empower other departments with the tools they need to provide exceptional employee services.
Automations and Mobile Are Key, Chatbots Not Yet
Less than one-third of IT pros surveyed said that AI-driven tools like chatbots and virtual assistants are critical to enhancing the employee experience in the coming year. IT pros are gravitating toward
automation and
mobile much more so than adopting technologies like chatbots for internal or external use right away.
This could be an indicator that many organizations are still playing catch-up to the consumer experience employees have come to expect outside of the workplace. As internal services continue to mature, it will be interesting to see how priorities continue to evolve when it comes to technologies like virtual assistants and AI-powered chatbots.
IT Pros Recognize Their Importance in Supporting the Business Long-Term
An overwhelming majority (91%) of IT pros indicated that IT is either somewhat or fully aligned with the long-term goals of their company. A similarly large group
(85%) said IT is either “mission critical” or “very important” to driving the overall employee experience over the next year.
At the same time, the required skills needed to work in IT are constantly evolving and playing a bigger role in the success of the business.
And if you’re thinking there is a lot to learn...you’re not alone. This year’s
IT Trends Report highlights that training is an ongoing challenge for many IT professionals in today’s modern office.
Are You Equipped for Digital Transformation Success?
As an IT professional, the ongoing digital transformation isn’t slowing down. Those outdated, spreadsheet-driven processes that many departments still rely on are slowly being replaced, and your role in contributing to better employee experiences is more important than ever.
Don’t put off auditing your ITSM strategy for next year.
Request a free consultation with an ITIL-certified professional today and see how SolarWinds
® Service Desk can help make supporting all of this new technology easier.
*
ITSM Survey on THWACK.com of global SolarWinds customer base in September 2019; 215 total responses. 
