Digital Workplaces for Everyone? Why Frontline Workers Are Often Left Out

In countless organizations, the digital workplace is already considered well established. But a closer look reveals that the transformation does not reach everyone. While office employees work with modern tools, many staff in production, logistics, service, or healthcare remain digitally disconnected. These so-called “frontline workers” or “non-desk workers” make up over 80 percent of the global workforce. And precisely in the areas that keep operations running every day, basic digital solutions are often missing. 

The German Social Collaboration Study 2025 highlights the size of the gap between jobs with traditional PC access and those without. When asked how important a modern digital workplace is for frontline workers, top management gave an average score of only 2.8 out of 7. Middle management, which operates closer to the day-to-day reality, rated the importance at 5.2 points.

This discrepancy reveals a structural problem. The working reality of teams without a desk is often overlooked in strategic digitalization decisions. Yet they are the ones who face process gaps, inefficient communication, and limited access to information on a daily basis. 

The debate around the digital workplace is gaining momentum thanks to advances in generative AI (GenAI). Applications like Copilot and AI-powered assistants promise not only efficiency gains but also entirely new ways of working together. But these opportunities can only be realized if the digital foundation is in place — and all employees are included.

For frontline workers in particular, new possibilities are emerging: knowledge transfer, automated guidance, and handling safety-critical information, to name just a few. Those who fail to act now risk not only inefficiencies but also a deeper divide between office and frontline environments. Companies must rethink their digital strategies and consistently extend them across all areas.

Closing the digital gap requires more than just deploying a few tools. It takes holistic concepts that include every employee group. Strategies that consider staff without a fixed PC workstation. Solutions designed not only for office work. And a corporate culture that actively fosters digital inclusion. 

Campana & Schott has been helping companies for many years to strategically develop digital workplaces — in offices, production, logistics, and customer service. We make sure digital tools are not only deployed but also effectively used. To achieve this, we combine our expertise in Modern Work, Change Management, and Communication with one clear goal: genuine inclusion for all employees.

One key enabler for engaging frontline workers are specialized employee apps. These provide easy access to information, promote team collaboration, and digitize core processes. In this way, digital workplaces emerge that are not tied to a desk but accessible wherever work actually happens.