Most firms have little to no idea how people get their work done

Many companies remain unaware of how their employees’ digital workplace experiences impact productivity, according to a new report by Scalable Software [registration]. The report suggests that nearly half of organisations (45 percent) do not conduct “employee journey mapping,” leaving them uninformed about how digital friction -the difficulties people have working with technology – affects people’s ability to perform tasks at work. The report claims that this limits their understanding of the challenges people face when working with tech.

Scalable Software surveyed 400 senior IT decision-makers (ITDMs) and found a significant disconnect between how IT leaders perceive the digital employee experience (DEX) and how employees experience it. While 92 percent of these IT leaders believe they have sufficient data to optimise digital experiences for workers, employees disagree. Previous research among knowledge workers suggests that over half (52 percent) rate their company’s digital tools as either poor or just adequate, with many feeling that their digital work conditions are getting worse.

Mark Cresswell, co-founder of Scalable Software, emphasised this growing gap. “Our analysis clearly shows an emerging disconnect between how useful ITDMs see traditional tools in the DEX context, and the benefits that employees are receiving,” he said. This suggests that while IT departments may feel equipped to manage digital experiences, workers are not experiencing the improvements that these tools should deliver.

A key finding from the research is that companies focus too much on technology-centric Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The report argues that organisations should also track factors like employee burnout, engagement, isolation, and overall sentiment—none of which can be effectively monitored using traditional IT tools. It suggests that these employee-focused metrics are critical in understanding how digital tools are truly impacting worker productivity and morale.

According to the poll, less than 60 percent of IT leaders are sharing this data with their HR departments, meaning many employees may not be receiving the right support. This lack of communication between IT and HR is concerning, as 88 percent of IT leaders acknowledge the need for improved collaboration between the two departments. Without the right systems in place, however, efforts to improve communication and employee experience may remain inefficient.