Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management: the key to productive and secure work

21. January 2025, Robert Klinger

Satisfied employees are productive employees: That’s a principle that has become indispensable in the modern working world. Managing and optimizing the Digital Employee Experience (DEX) with intelligent endpoint management tools makes decisive contributions toward achieving user satisfaction while strengthening IT security and compliance.

Short & sweet

Digital Employee Experience (DEX) is a key factor for employee satisfaction and productivity and has a direct impact on a company's IT security.
Common IT problems such as outdated software, inconsistent configurations and underperforming devices jeopardize both DEX and IT security.
DEX management tools such as Argus Experience help IT teams proactively identify and fix endpoint problems at an early stage using automated processes.
Additional measures such as training, obtaining regular user feedback and proactive troubleshooting are important for balancing DEX and security.

Digital Employee Experience (DEX) and security/compliance: a harmonious relationship for a secure IT environment

Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management has become a decisive factor in the business world. It not only influences employee satisfaction and productivity, but also plays a significant role in strengthening IT security and compliance.

DEX describes employees’s overall experiences with the digital tools and technologies they use for work. Positive experiences can increase efficiency and employee loyalty. Poor experiences marked by frequent or untimely system and app crashes, unreliable network connections and other common performance issues instead lead to frustration and inefficient work processes. Moreover, frequent and recurring negative experiences may also indicate underlying security weaknesses and lead to user behaviors that compromise compliance.

Three common IT problems and their impact on security

Here’s how three common sources of user frustration can jeopardize IT security and compliance:

Outdated software: unpatched and out-of-date software is often targeted by cybercriminals. Regular updates and patches are essential to minimize risks.
Lack of standardization: Different software versions and configurations make administration more difficult and increase the risk of security incidents. A consistent and transparent IT environment is crucial for maintaining security.
Lack of user-friendliness: Slow systems or hard-to-use software can lead employees to circumvent security measures and use shadow IT devices, software and services that they feel will help them work more efficiently.

The importance of DEX tools like Argus Experience

DEX tools such as Argus Experience enable IT teams to proactively identify and fix common device and software problems even before they affect users. They provide a combination of subjective user feedback and objective system data that admins can use to detect potential vulnerabilities and security risks. For example, DEX tools can identify which programs crash most frequently or whether blue screens indicate security problems such as malware. IT teams using the baramundi Management Suite can then implement fixes such as installing a clean copy of Windows or distributing app updates and patches to affected endpoints quickly and efficiently using its built-in automation tools.

The connection between user frustration and security issues

Poor digital experiences can increase user frustration and security risks simultaneously. If frustrated employees regularly struggle with crashing apps, slow connections or inadequate software, they’re more likely to become lax about security measures. They also may implement their own workarounds in the form of unauthorized – and unmanaged -- devices, software and cloud services that violate security policies. A DEX solution can make it much faster and more efficient for IT teams to spot problems, implement fixes and take other targeted measures to improve the digital working environment.

DEX as part of a broader IT security strategy

While valuable by themselves for improving employee satisfaction, DEX tools add even more value when used in conjunction with other strategies and practices to strengthen IT security:

Security training and awareness: Regular training and reminders about best cybersecurity practices can help employees feel engaged as partners in safeguarding infrastructure security and reduce the chances of mistakes that lead to cyberattacks.
Establish feedback loops: Encourage employees to regularly share their experiences with digital tools. Such feedback can provide valuable insights into ways to address problems, optimize IT performance and close potential security gaps.
Proactive analysis: Data analysis tools can reduce troubleshooting time and enable faster identification and remediation of potential vulnerabilities before they lead to security incidents.

Conclusion

The link between DEX, IT security and compliance is stronger than many companies may realize. Tools such as Argus Experience and the baramundi Management Suite offer comprehensive solutions that seamlessly integrate user experience management with day-to-day IT maintenance tasks such as software distribution, vulnerability scanning, and OS and app updating and patching. That connection is becoming increasingly important with the widespread adoption of remote and hybrid working environments.

DEX and security go hand in hand

When it comes to managing both the Digital Employee Experience and IT security, one does not work without the other. An optimal environment combines both practices not only without placing additional burdens on IT teams, but also by enhancing operational performance and efficiency with automation, intelligent tools and data-based insights.

Download the whitepaper now and optimize DEX!

View all posts