Leveraging Advanced Communications and Collaboration Solutions to Empower Frontline Workers, 2024

Leveraging Advanced Communications and Collaboration Solutions to Empower Frontline Workers, 2024


Often Overlooked, Frontline Workers are an Increasingly Important Part of IT Decision Makers’ Plans

Frontline workers play a vital role in the success of numerous organizations, forming the backbone of their operations. However, there is a growing disconnect between frontline employees and their colleagues, partly due to the absence of adequate communication and collaboration solutions.

While decisions regarding work locations are increasingly driven by productivity and collaboration requirements, frontline workers often remain overlooked. Frontline workers have distinct technological needs that greatly influence their day-to-day efficiency and productivity. To foster an effective work environment and achieve better outcomes, companies are starting to rethink their approach to supporting and engaging with frontline workers.

Enhanced communication and collaboration tools that can boost frontline workers' productivity and responsiveness to customer demands, making them more agile and efficient, are increasingly in demand. Expanding the use of such technologies can strengthen the connection between frontline workers and the broader team, encourage career growth, and improve the overall employee experience (EX).

The requirements of frontline workers differ significantly from those of desk-based employees. Vendors that adapt their products and services to meet the distinct needs of this workforce can tap into a vast, often underserved market.

Building on data from a 2024 survey of global IT and telecom decision-makers, this study provides insights into what challenges IT decision-makers face when serving frontline worker needs, what technologies are currently provided by IT and telecom teams to enable frontline workers to achieve their objectives, what technologies are decision-makers prioritising in the future, and how this is driving change to investment in frontline worker technologies. This study also highlights the different approaches vendors are taking to address opportunities presented by servicing the needs of frontline workers.


  • Research Objectives and Methodology
    • Respondent Demographics
    • Frontline Workers in the Organization
  • Introduction, Definitions and Key Technology Use Cases
    • Introduction
    • The Frontline Worker Opportunity
    • Who is a Frontline Worker
    • Equipping Frontliners with the Right Tools
  • Key Findings
  • ITDM Challenges
    • Crucial Challenge and Very Significant Challenge Frontline Workers Experience
    • Crucial Challenge and Very Significant Challenge Experienced by Frontline Workers: By Vertical
  • Technology Barriers to Frontline Workers Achieving Goals
    • Factors Preventing Organizations from Meeting or Exceeding Frontline Worker Empowerment Goals
    • Factors Preventing Organizations from Meeting or Exceeding Frontline Worker Empowerment Goals: By Vertical
  • Technology Adoption Today and by 2026
    • Technologies Organizations Provide to Frontline Workers Today
    • Technologies Organizations Provide to Frontline Workers Today: By Vertical
    • Technologies Organizations Provide to Frontline Workers Today or Plan to Provide by 2026
    • Technologies Organizations Plan to Provide to Frontline Workers by 2026: By Vertical
    • Technologies Organizations Do Not Plan to Provide to Frontline Workers by 2026
  • Future Investment Plans Among Current Adopters
    • Technologies in Which Organizations Plan to Increase Investments to Enable Frontline Workers
    • Technologies in Which Organizations Plan to Sustain Investments to Enable Frontline Workers
    • Technologies in Which Organizations Plan to Decrease Investments to Enable Frontline Workers
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Banking, Financial Services & Insurance
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Healthcare
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in High Tech
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Manufacturing
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Retail and Wholesale
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Education
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Government & Public Administration
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Professional Services
    • Investments to Enable Frontline Workers Among Current Adopters in Travel & Hospitality
  • Vendor Capabilities
    • Importance of Provider Capabilities When Selecting Communications Solutions to Support Frontline Workers
    • Crucial and Very Important Provider Capabilities When Selecting Communications Solutions to Support Frontline Workers: By Vertical
  • Examples of Vendor Vertical Strategies
    • Communication Provider Vertical Strategies
    • Avaya
    • Cisco
    • Microsoft
    • Mitel
    • RingCentral
    • Spectralink
    • Wildix
    • Zebra
    • Zoom
  • Appendix
    • Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine
    • Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow?
    • The Strategic Imperative 8TM
  • Next Steps
    • Benefits and Impacts of Growth Opportunities
    • Next Steps

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