According to a study by Userlane, software-related issues can cause companies to lose millions of potentially productive work hours.
The company found that a third – 35% – of UK workers waste at least one hour a week tackling software-related problems, while 61% spend at least 30 minutes a week dealing with these challenges.
The majority – 70% – of employers state that their overall use of technology at work has increased over the past two years according to Userlane data, as demand for online collaboration in particular, has skyrocketed with the move to hybrid work.
What frustrates employees?
The fact that using software can be time-consuming was the most common complaint among respondents and was mentioned by 44% of the survey respondents.
The IT department not responding quickly enough to questions or issues was another common complaint, mentioned by 39% of respondents.
Software involving too many complex processes was another common problem mentioned by 23% of users.
Userlane’s research also suggests that software challenges affect the way users approach their work.
Just under half – 44% – of UK workers, according to the data, have put off important work tasks due to software complaints, while 41% have openly complained to their employer
Userlane’s data also suggested that about a fifth of UK workers – 18% – have looked for a way to do the same tasks manually, while one in ten – 10% – have refused to continue using software.
On a more serious note, 8% of those surveyed admit that they have considered leaving their job due to software-related issues.
How do companies tackle these challenges?
In terms of corporate efforts to improve software adoption, the most popular strategy was communicating the benefits of new software to employees, which was used by 36%.
Expanding IT support desk capacity and organizing more classroom training sessions were also popular strategies, mentioned by 34% and 33% of the organizations surveyed.
Nearly a third – 30% – of companies are introducing a Digital Adoption Platform according to Userlane, and the same number are producing written software training manuals.
“These findings clearly demonstrate that digital adoption must improve if large-scale software deployments are to be successful,” said Hartmut Hahn, chief executive at Userlane. “Of course, it’s important for companies to address the shortcomings of their software training.”
He added: “But we also need to remember that a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t going to work here — we all learn in different ways, and this needs to be reflected in the training and support companies provide.”
