Powering better frontline worker technology experiences

[Jason_Roszak]

Frontline workers are essential to every industry and deserve technology solutions to support their work. To tailor these digital tools to this diverse population, Microsoft conducted research to define frontline workers and identify endpoint management trends. This blog will explore findings from a survey and interviews of 324 IT decision makers (ITDMs) that manage frontline organizations. This research focused on healthcare, manufacturing, and retail industries in the United States. Then, we will share how this research aligns with Microsoft’s endpoint management solution for the frontline.

Defining frontline workers

Frontline workers can be defined as “customer-facing and task-oriented roles”. This definition can be further broken down into the five categories detailed below.

There are a variety of roles filled by frontline workers, from tasked-based floor workers who work onsite in locations like warehouses and are highly mobile to customer service professionals who are more stationary in their location.

Device use cases

Floor workers (task-based and customer-facing) make up the bulk of the frontline workforce and primarily utilize shared devices. Floor managers and sales professionals demonstrate greater need for productivity apps and tend to utilize dedicated devices. Customer service professionals use shared and dedicated PCs, depending on the type of customer information they access. Decisions regarding device type (i.e., PC or mobile) are determined by task intensity and mobility.

Frontline workers who are highly mobile like task-based floor workers and customer-facing floor workers are typically assigned shared mobile devices and PCs, while customer service professionals, floor worker managers, and sales professionals are more likely to use dedicated devices.

Microsoft's frontline solutions for device management

IT admins need a unified endpoint management solution that simplifies their management strategy, protects their workforce, and powers better user experiences for all types of users in every scenario. Microsoft Endpoint Manager is that solution.

Simplify endpoint management

Cut costs and complexity by managing any device with a single, unified tool that’s already integrated into Microsoft 365. Get complete visibility to stay on top of the health, compliance, and security status of your cloud and on-prem endpoints. Devices supported include, but are not limited to, mobile, laptop/desktop, tablet, VR/AR headsets, virtual desktops, and rugged devices. Learn more about the Microsoft’s management support for Android AOSP devices here.

Protect your workforce

Bolster your Zero Trust security architecture with preventative maintenance and rapid resolutions to improve productivity and reduce downtime. Automatically detect and repair popular device complications with proactive remediations. For larger inefficiencies that cannot be autonomously resolved, Endpoint analytics leverages Microsoft Cloud to offer timely alerts and actionable insights. If an issue persists, remote help enables IT to remotely view, control, troubleshoot, and fix devices and applications remotely.

Power better user experiences

Keep apps and devices working seamlessly, and users productive and supported. During work hours, scheduled maintenance windows maximizes productivity by ensuring that devices remain online and uninterrupted by automatic updates. While online, Managed Home Screen enables users to easily find the applications they need. Outside of work hours, Quiet Time increases end-user satisfaction by muting work-related notifications.

Learn more about what Microsoft Endpoint Manager has to offer here.