Measuring What Matters: XLAs and the 2026 Digital Workplace

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.