There are real-world examples of seamless DEX in action: Swiss energy and infrastructure provider BKW, for instance, recently built a system that lets their IT team remotely assist employees experiencing technical difficulties across more than 140 subsidiaries. For employees, this means no more waiting for an in-person technician when their device freezes or software hiccups; IT can swoop in remotely and solve problems in minutes instead of hours.
The insurance company RLI faced a different but equally frustrating issue before switching to a centralized, remote IT support system: Technical issues like device lag or overheating were often left unreported, as employees didn’t want to disrupt their workflow or bother the IT team with seemingly minor complaints. Those small performance issues, however, could snowball over time, sometimes causing devices to fail completely. To get ahead of this phenomenon, RLI installed monitoring software to observe device performance in real time and catch issues proactively. Now, when a laptop gets too hot or starts slowing down, IT can address it right away—often before the employee even knows there’s a problem.
Ultimately, the organizations making the biggest strides in DEX recognize that digital transformation is as much about experience as it is about infrastructure. When digital tools feel like helpful extensions of workers’ expertise—rather than obstacles standing in the way of their workday—companies are in a better position to realize the full benefits of their investments.
Smart systems and smarter safeguards
Of course, as operational systems become more interconnected, security vulnerabilities multiply in turn. Consider this hypothetical: In a busy manufacturing plant, a piece of machinery suddenly breaks down. Instead of waiting hours for a technician to arrive on-site, a local operator deploys a mobile augmented reality device that projects step-by-step diagnostic instructions onto the machine. Following guidance from a remote specialist, the operator fixes the equipment and has production back on track in mere minutes.
This snappy and streamlined approach to diagnostics is undeniably efficient, but it opens up the factory floor to multiple external touchpoints: live video feeds streaming to remote experts, cloud databases containing sensitive repair procedures, and direct access to the machine’s diagnostic systems. Suddenly, a manufacturing plant that used to be an island is now part of an interconnected network.
Smart companies are getting practical about the challenges associated with this expanding threat surface. For instance, BKW has taken a structured approach to permissions: Subsidiary IT teams can only access their own company’s devices, outside contractors get temporary access for specific tasks, and employees can reach certain high-powered workstations when they need them.
Bühler, a global industrial equipment manufacturer, also uses centrally managed access controls to govern who can connect to which platforms, as well as when and under what conditions. By enforcing consistent policies from its headquarters, the company ensures all remote support activities are fully monitored and aligned with strict cybersecurity protocols, including compliance with ISO 27001 standards. The system allows Bühler’s extensive global technician network to provide real-time assistance without compromising system integrity.
The power of practical innovation
How do you help a technician troubleshoot equipment when the expert is 500 miles away? How do you catch IT problems before they shut down a production line? How do you keep operations secure without burying workers in passwords and protocols?