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Measuring What Matters: XLAs and the 2026 Digital Workplace

Publisher IDC
Published Mar 12, 2026
Length 8 Pages
SKU # IDC21003524

Description

This IDC Perspective examines how experience-level agreements (XLAs) have evolved since 2021 from experimental concepts to a mainstream practice, becoming essential for measuring and improving employee experience in AI-enabled workplaces. Standardization, advanced analytics, and AI-driven remediation have addressed early adoption barriers, making XLAs a strategic imperative for organizations seeking to boost productivity, retention, and engagement in the digital workplace."In 2026, vendors need to ask themselves the following: Are you helping clients measure what truly matters in their AI‑enabled workplace, or are you still just watching dashboards turn green?" says Associate Director Meike Escherich, AI-Enabled Future of Work, IDC.

Table of Contents

8 Pages

Executive Snapshot

Key takeaways

Recommended actions

New Market Developments and Dynamics

XLAs: The new standard in AI-enabled workplace experience management

Why XLAs matter in 2026: The business case

Addressing adoption barriers: What's changed

Barrier 1 — EX capture: From wrong time to right time

Barrier 2 — From legal complexity to standardization efforts

Modern XLA implementation

From nascent pilots to mature XLA programs

The XLA framework in 2026

Modern XLA implementation: Best practices in 2026

Looking ahead: "Edge" XLAs and the future of work

Conclusion

Advice for the Services Provider

Learn more

Related research

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