Microsoft on a mission to empower the ‘deskless workforce’

Microsoft on a mission to empower the ‘deskless workforce’

A Microsoft sponsored study with IDC has shown that there is an urgent need for digital transformation in heavy industries such as energy and manufacturing.

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