German Firms Redesign Work for Effective Use of AI

German enterprises are rewriting hybrid work models to integrate AI into daily tasks and improve employee experience while meeting regulatory requirements, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2026 ISG Provider Lens^® Future of Work — Services report for Germany finds that workplace strategies now extend beyond devices, connectivity and support to the design of work across human, digital and physical environments. Germany’s regulatory and labor context requires organizations to consider transparency, human oversight and works council readiness before expanding employee-facing AI. Scarce IT and digital skills are also increasing the need for managed services and automation.

“AI can become part of daily work only when employees understand how it is used and organizations remain accountable for its outcomes,” said Martin Mitrega, director, ISG. “German enterprises are treating trust and governance as foundations for AI adoption, not as issues to address later.”

Generative AI and agentic AI are entering production use for collaboration, technical support and knowledge access. German enterprises are establishing AI inventories and adoption plans before expanding the use of these tools, because they may affect employee data or service interactions. Organizations remain responsible for workplace AI and need clear human oversight of it.

Persistent shortages of IT and digital specialists are increasing demand for automation and managed workplace services, especially in the Mittelstand, a group of stable, mostly midsize and family-owned companies. At the same time, employees need the skills and confidence to use new tools safely. Digital dexterity and change management are becoming core workplace requirements rather than optional program elements.

Workplace buyers are also changing how they measure value. Large enterprises still use service-level agreements, but increasingly, they assess device health, work friction and collaboration effectiveness through digital employee experience (DEX) and experience-level agreement (XLA) models. More mature service models use this information for remediation and service redesign in addition to performance reporting, ISG says. Leading providers are tailoring their service offerings to the varying needs of enterprises.

“Germany is not a single workplace services market,” said Roman Pelzel, ISG principal analyst and lead author of the report. “Providers need delivery and commercial models that fit both large enterprises and the Mittelstand, rather than scaled-down versions of the same approach.”

The report also examines the growing use of sustainability data in workplace decisions and the importance of field and proximity services for last-mile support.

For more insights into the workplace-related challenges faced by enterprises in Germany, plus ISG’s advice for overcoming them, see the ISG Provider Lens® Focal Points briefing here.

The report evaluates the capabilities of 54 providers across five quadrants: Workplace Strategy and Enablement Services, Digital Workplace Operations and Support Services — Large Accounts, Digital Workplace Operations and Support Services — Midmarket, AI-augmented Collaboration and Experience Services and Smart and Sustainable Workplace Services.

It names Bechtle, Capgemini, Computacenter, Deutsche Telekom/T-Systems, HCLTech, Infosys and Wipro as Leaders in four quadrants each. Accenture and Unisys are named as Leaders in three quadrants each, and Deloitte, NTT DATA and TCS are named as Leaders in two quadrants each. ACP Group, Arvato Systems, Atos, DATAGROUP, Lenovo, Logicalis, netgo, PwC, Stefanini and SVA are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Cognizant is named as a Rising Star — a company with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in two quadrants. NTT DATA is named as a Rising Star in one quadrant.

In the area of customer experience, Infosys is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2026 among workplace services providers. Infosys earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

Customized versions of the report are available from Computacenter, Deutsche Telekom/T-Systems and Enthus.

The 2026 ISG Provider Lens Future of Work — Services report for Germany is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data and research, in-depth knowledge and governance of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,500 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

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