Heavy-industry workers in UAE call for digital transformation

Heavy-industry workers in UAE call for digital transformation

- Study shows urgency on the frontlines of the energy and manufacturing industries and urgent calls for digital transformation in the form of automation and the streamlining of workflow management, scheduling and approvals

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Most field workers in the UAE’s energy and manufacturing sectors report feeling hampered by inflexible daily routines, but a majority believe technology can help them alleviate their burdens, a Microsoft-sponsored IDC study has revealed.

“The ‘deskless workforce’, as we call them, number 427 million worldwide in the manufacturing sector according to the International Labour Organization (ILO),” said Ahmad El Dandachi, Enterprise Channel Lead, Microsoft UAE. “We must come up with ways to remedy what they face on a daily basis, and technology can play a pivotal role in this endeavour. Enhancing the employee experience is a critical step in preventing a second wave of the Great Resignation.”

In compiling “Empowering Field Workers in the UAE Manufacturing and Energy Industry”, IDC researchers interviewed field workers and their line managers across both sectors. Their work unveiled stress among field employees. Some 66% of those polled said on-the-job stress was leading to workforce attrition and that the source of that stress was long working hours and rigid schedules.