Ivanti, a global enterprise IT and security software company, released its 2025 Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Report, which surveyed over 3,300 IT professionals and end users around the world.
The research draws attention to the widening disconnect between organisations’ perceptions of their digital maturity and the real-world tech challenges faced by office workers and IT professionals alike.
Over the next three years, 92% of companies plan to increase their AI investments, according to McKinsey. However, Ivanti’s research shows that just 21% of office workers say AI is significantly improving their productivity.
Digital friction
Office workers already endure 3.6 tech interruptions and 2.7 security update disruptions per month
In the age of AI, digital friction threatens to undermine AI’s potential, exacerbate tech problems and have a corrosive effect on employee productivity.
Office workers already endure 3.6 tech interruptions and 2.7 security update disruptions per month. This equates to nearly $4 million in lost productivity annually for a company with 2,000 employees.
The number of workplace tools is exploding faster than employees can master them, yet nearly half of office workers say they're left to teach themselves how to use new technology — a source of frustration for employees and inefficiency for the business. For instance, among the 93% of companies that haven't banned AI use, only 40% have provided training, while another 24% plan to offer it soon.
AI investments
“As organisations accelerate their AI investments, it’s clear that realising AI’s promise requires a deeper understanding of the employee experience and impact on productivity.”
“Tools that monitor and analyse how employees interact with technology in real time, like Digital Employee Experience (DEX) solutions, offer data-driven insights – revealing workflow bottlenecks and initiating self-healing actions,” said Dennis Kozak, CEO of Ivanti.
“By embracing DEX, organisations can take their AI initiatives further and truly empower their workforce, moving from reactive problem-solving to proactive improvement. DEX is more than a strategy for improving the employee experience; it’s the engine that embeds AI into company culture, productivity and daily operations.”
Key findings
Additional key findings from the report include:
The newest office perk is employee technology autonomy:
- A new frontier in workplace benefits is emerging, giving employees greater autonomy over their technology. On average, office workers rate their workplace tools at just a “B-.” Tellingly, 65% report that frustrations with these tools can negatively affect their mood and morale. Device choice is also a pressing concern; while 67% note that having a say in the devices they use is important, only 36% currently enjoy this freedom.
H3The help desk is evolving thanks to AI:
- AI is transforming help desks, moving them beyond the break-fix cycle that has defined IT support for decades. While most companies have automated basic IT operations such as security patch management (72%) and IT ticket routing (67%), significant opportunities remain. Nearly 40% still haven't automated password resets, missing an easy win that could eliminate countless routine support tickets.
As AI adoption accelerates, organisations must move beyond piecemeal DEX adoption and invest in strategies that deliver measurable improvements to both employee satisfaction and the bottom line.
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