Desktop transformation is high on the agenda of many organisations for a variety of reasons including cybersecurity, optimising DEX (digital employee experience), and improving productivity. Ultimately desktop transformation is about ensuring your organisation is not only competitive today but remains competitive in the future. This is the third blog in our series on optimising how you achieve desktop transformation success in enterprise organisations:
- Blog 1 – using the example of a Windows 11 migration project, we highlighted how this type of large-scale desktop transformation project is dependent on many other projects and decisions. The end result of these dependencies is more often than not delays, mistakes, compromises, and increased costs because of a lack of collaboration and alignment between dependent projects and decision processes.
- Blog 2 – the second blog in the series offered an alternative, optimised approach to the norm that exists in most enterprises working towards desktop transformation goals. This fully optimised approach involves initiating an overarching programme with a set of rules and guidelines defined at the outset (or as close to the outset of the project as possible). It also calls for increased collaboration and a requirement for all stakeholders to consider how decisions impact the overarching desktop transformation objectives.
- Blog 3 – in this blog, we’ll look at the real challenges that exist in not only desktop transformation but also the challenges of the fully optimised approach we are advocating. We’ll also offer solutions to those challenges as well as the benefits you can expect by utilising a more structured, strategy-driven approach to desktop transformation.
Desktop Transformation Challenges
Let’s start with the challenges of desktop transformation in general, as well as the challenges of moving to a more structured approach to project delivery.
Aligning Technical Strategy with Business Objectives
One of the first steps that is required in a more structured and strategy-driven approach to desktop transformation is to align the technical strategy with business objectives. However, this is often easier said than done with competing priorities, the fast pace of change, and the next challenge on our list – the fact desktop transformation projects are often highly complex.
Key factors to resolving this challenge include understanding not just the objectives of the business, but the technical needs of the business both today and projected into the future.
It is also then important to take critical decisions as early in the process as possible. Examples include decisions on VDI targets and application format and delivery strategies. These two examples often result in technical strategies becoming misaligned with business objectives. Despite this, they are often pushed to the side until there is no choice but to address them.
Working through key decisions like this as early as possible will help to align the technical desktop transformation strategy with business objectives.
Project Complexity
Desktop transformation projects can be complex, especially when you consider the various dependencies at play. For example, you can’t migrate users to Windows 11 until you do a hardware refresh, decide your VDI strategy, agree on application format guidelines, etc.
Breaking projects into their component parts helps reduce the complexity but it is also important to come back to the point mentioned earlier. So, rather than focus on the complexities, make key decisions that allow all strands to move forward within preset guiderails. It then also helps to adopt lean methodologies to project delivery where scopes and requirements can evolve as projects progress.
Ability to See the Bigger Picture
Related to the problem of project complexity is the challenge of being able to see the bigger picture. Breaking down siloes between project teams and improving collaboration will help to resolve this challenge.
Limited Resources
A lack of resources is a common challenge for all major IT and technical projects, including the implementation of desktop transformation strategies. Working with key strategic partners is often the solution.
The ideal situation is to partner with vendors and solution providers who not only offer expertise in their particular field but can also see the bigger picture. At Access IT Automation, for example, our Access Capture product is specifically designed to automate application packaging, testing, and publishing. However, our team also has expertise supporting major desktop transformation projects (such as Windows 11 migrations) across the full project lifecycle.
Lack of Skills
Related to resource challenges is the challenge of skills availability. Again, working with the right partners will give you the skills you need. Utilising automation tools is also part of the solution, as automation can replace previously required skills.
Manual Processes
Manual processes can be a serious strain on major desktop transformation projects. Take our field of expertise, application management, as an example. Using manual processes to assess, package, test, and publish the thousands of applications that exist in enterprise organisations is enough to stop or cause significant delays to any desktop transformation project.Automation is the solution. Using our application management example, automation tools like Access Capture cut the time it takes to make applications ready for a Windows 11 migration from months to days.
Legacy Systems
Legacy systems that are difficult to manage but essential to operations are another challenge that needs to be addressed when implementing a desktop transformation strategy. Freeing up resources so they have time to resolve issues with legacy systems is an important part of the solution. Automation and working with the right partners will help to free up resources.
Resistance to Change
Resistance to change is a common problem that can be resolved through good communication and proper planning that considers the impact of the project on end users. For example, barrelling into a Windows 11 migration without considering the difficulties this might present to users who can no longer open a critical application on their new Windows 11 machine is a fast track to change resistance.
Siloed Approach
Project teams are often accustomed to operating in siloes where they focus on their own project without much consideration of anything else. Implementing an overarching strategy and structured guidelines, alongside improved communication, are essential parts of the solution.
The Benefits of a Fully Optimised Approach to Desktop Transformation
What about the advantages to your organisation of putting in place a more structured approach to desktop transformation? Here are the benefits you can expect:
- Improved user experience both during and post-transformation
- Elimination of double work across different project teams
- Reduced process and project errors
- Access to continued support (for example, Microsoft will soon stop providing support for anything other than Windows 11)
- Enhanced cybersecurity
- Modernised infrastructure
- Improved collaboration
- Efficiency savings
Conclusion
Desktop transformation is essential to your organisation’s overall digital transformation success. Therefore, it makes sense to adopt strategies and an approach that will deliver on your desktop transformation goals and objectives. There are challenges that will need to be overcome, but a structured and properly planned approach to desktop transformation that considers all the dependent parts is the best path to success.
