The digital future of industrial and operational work

Across all these scenarios, IT fundamentals--like remote access, unified login systems, and interoperability across platforms--are being handled behind the scenes and consolidated into streamlined, user-friendly solutions. The way employees experience these tools, collectively known as the digital employee experience (DEX), can be a key component of achieving business outcomes: Deloitte finds that companies investing in frontline-focused digital tools see a 22 % boost in worker productivity, a doubling in customer satisfaction, and as much as a 25 % increase in profitability. As digital tools become everyday fixtures in operational contexts, companies face both opportunities and hurdles--and the stakes are only rising as emerging technologies like AI become more sophisticated. The organizations best positioned for an AI-first future are crafting thoughtful strategies to ensure digital systems align with the realities of daily work--and placing people at the heart of the whole process. Despite promising returns, many companies still face a last-mile challenge in delivering usable, effective tools to the frontline.