How IT Leaders Can Give Employees The ‘Magic Touch’ with Tech

Most employees have had moments when workplace technology lets them down, and they wish they were someone with the ‘magic touch’ to make tech work and fix any problem. But what if IT departments had a helping hand that could give everyone the ‘magic touch’?

Ironically, many of the apps that are meant to make life simpler for employees are doing the exact opposite. In Malaysia, the digital skills gap among employees presents a significant challenge. A survey revealed that 74.5% of respondents identified a substantial gap between entry-level and advanced digital skills required in the workplace. This puts a burden on IT administrators to simplify the digital landscape wherever possible, removing hurdles and supporting employees in their day-to-day work.

Delivering the Magic Touch

For system administrators and people who are naturally ‘good with tech’, the ‘magic touch’ often comes from years of experience, technical qualifications and a willingness to try everything until something works. But can the digital workplace be delivered in a way which makes all employees feel like they have that ‘magic touch’ too?

AI-powered workplace solutions offer ways to make employees feel less frustrated with their technology while delivering a more personalized service. Harnessing AI ensures that IT teams are not overwhelmed with demands from colleagues. For the end user, generative AI chatbots let them make device decisions using plain language, with AI-infused device intelligence able to predict and fix software issues before they cause major problems, making managing and using their workplace IT feel effortless.

Harnessing the Power of AI

The power of AI can help smooth over the sometimes counterintuitive processes that seasoned IT professionals are so accustomed to. At Lenovo, we have first-hand experience of these tools’ power as we use them ourselves. For example, our Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition that is operating on Windows 11 Pro. Seize the moment with the security to thrive anywhere and the performance to meet your boldest goals. Windows 11 Pro devices are easy to use and manage, with AI-enhanced efficiency and compatibility with existing technology including mission-critical apps and hardware. Devices with AI-guided knowledge bases can deliver ‘self-help’ and ‘self-heal’ solutions, regardless of whether employees are working at 10 am or 2 am. It is a bit like having your very own IT manager available on-call 24/7. For hybrid workforces, this powerful, instant support can be a game-changer, meaning that minor IT problems never progress to the point where they stop people working.

For service desk workers, AI can also bring powerful analytics, increasing the number of issues that can be solved pre-emptively, remotely and without the need for a ticket to be raised. This simplifies the day-to-day work of IT service desk teams, with an easy-to-use ‘single pane of glass’ portal delivering actionable insights in an easy-to-understand fashion.

Generative AI-powered platforms also anticipate the management of critical tasks to keep environments secure, while persona-based configuration means IT leaders can rapidly tailor suites of apps and services for different types of users. IT teams can ensure their colleagues get to work faster with the right tools at their fingertips, offering seamless and personalized digital experiences, removing hassle on both sides and freeing up IT teams to work on projects that will drive improvements and efficiencies across the workplace. In fact, 83% of CIOs expect AI to drive productivity gains within the next one to two years, further highlighting the transformative potential of AI in optimizing workflows and enhancing productivity.

Solving Problems Before They Happen

AI is also being used to predict common problems before they happen. This means devices are configured and patched so that employees always have the most up-to-date, secure and stable version of the software they need. IT managers can be freed from chasing seemingly endless day-to-day IT issues, and focus on transforming the way their businesses use technology. Managers are provided with proactive device insights and AI-driven predictive analytics which help keep devices running at peak performance, while they focus on the bigger picture and employees have a device that ‘just works’.

A Smarter Workplace

The workplace has changed beyond recognition in recent years, and today’s hybrid employees are switching between dozens of apps and learning new skills. Choosing the right managed service, such as Lenovo’s Digital Workplace Solutions, provides an AI-powered helping hand to both frontline employees and the IT managers helping to oversee their devices. For employees, this means personalized services and IT problems that are solved first time, making them feel like they have that ‘magic touch’ with their work PC. For IT departments, this spells a shift away from reacting to problems to anticipating them, and the freedom to focus on transforming the business through new technologies such as AI. Most importantly, more people benefit from the ‘magic touch’ and minimize downtime because of common IT issues.

Varinderjit Singh

Varinderjit joined Lenovo in 2019 as the Country General Manager of Lenovo Malaysia. He leads the consumer and commercial segments including the full spectrum of end-to-end solutions from consumer tablets and PCs, to commercial products for larger-scale business implementations. One of Varinderjit’s key focus is driving the adoption of Lenovo’s managed services and “Device-as-a-Service” solutions. Additionally, Varinderjit also manages the business objectives and relationships with channel partners of Retail and Commercial Enterprise as well as Small & Medium Enterprises to ensure Lenovo continues to perform strongly. In his role, Varinderjit is leading the charge in Malaysia to bring “Smarter Technology For All” through Lenovo’s innovative products and solutions while keeping customers at the heart of everything. Before joining Lenovo, Varin was the Managing Director for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, based in Malaysia. He has also previously overseen markets such as Asia, the United States, and Europe. He started his career as Systems Engineer at Mesiniaga Malaysia and has since worked at other global technology companies include 3Com, NEC Computers, Dell, Samsung, and Microsoft. Varin has over 28 years experience in the technology industry.