In IT, we often measure success through traditional metrics—service level agreements (SLAs), mean time to resolution (MTTR), and ticket closure rates. While these metrics provide operational insights, they fail to answer the most critical question: Are we delivering value to employees and the business?
HappySignals has worked with global enterprises like PepsiCo and Nestlé for over a decade, shifting IT from a process-driven function to an experience-driven one. The core takeaway? IT should be people-first, not process-first.
The Watermelon Effect: A False Sense of IT Success
Many IT leaders find themselves frustrated by the infamous “watermelon effect”—where metrics appear green (on track) on the outside but are red (problematic) beneath the surface. SLAs might show tickets being resolved within agreed times, but employees still feel frustrated and unproductive.
If IT only measures its own efficiency, it risks missing the bigger picture: Does IT enable employees to work effectively, or does it create friction?
Instead of drowning in complex KPIs, the most effective IT teams focus on two North Star metrics:
- Employee Experience – How employees feel about IT services.
- Productivity Impact – How much work time employees lose due to IT issues.
Across HappySignals’ benchmark data, only 13% of IT incidents cause 80% of lost productivity. Imagine the business impact if IT could focus on solving just those 13%!
IT Decision-Making: People → Process → Technology
Historically, IT decisions followed this order:Technology → Process → People (i.e., “We have a new tool; let’s make it work for employees.”)
Instead, a people-first approach reverses this:
- Start with experience data – What are employees struggling with?
- Analyze the processes – Are workflows causing inefficiencies?
- Adjust technology – What solutions will actually improve experience and productivity?
This approach ensures that IT investments directly enhance business outcomes rather than just improving internal IT performance.
The Role of XLAs in Transforming IT
Experience Level Agreements (XLAs) are often misunderstood as just another KPI. In reality, XLAs are about setting IT’s focus—identifying key areas for improvement based on real user experience data.
Instead of rigid contracts, the most successful companies review and adjust XLAs every 6-12 months, ensuring alignment with business goals and evolving employee needs.
What is the cost of ignoring experience? Failing to adopt an experience-driven approach comes with real consequences:
- Lost Productivity – Employees waste hours troubleshooting IT issues.
- Misallocated Budgets – IT invests in initiatives that don’t matter to employees.
- Higher Employee Turnover – Research shows that 48% of employees cite poor IT as a reason for leaving their company.
The Future: Personalized AI in IT
As AI-driven IT support grows, its success will depend on personalization. AI can only deliver meaningful interactions if it understands individual work styles, preferences, and technical ability. Experience data will be the foundation for this future.
Final Thought: Why should IT teams embrace experience data? Some IT professionals fear experience data because it might expose hidden inefficiencies. But the reality is that business leaders already know where IT struggles—the only ones in the dark are IT teams.
By shifting to an experience-led mindset, IT can transform from a cost center to a trusted business enabler. The change isn’t just beneficial for employees—it makes IT’s work more rewarding, focused, and impactful.
Want to learn more about a people-first approach to IT decision making & XLAs? Check out this webinar.
