Technology is constantly evolving, and businesses are usually among the first adopters. Every ounce of optimization may mean thousands of dollars in profit. However, what most business owners don’t realize, until it’s too late, is that, having too many apps worsens your productivity. Employees spend more time managing those apps than doing work.
Just imagine, it’s Monday, 9 am, and you’ve just started your working day. You open your laptop and instantly receive 12 pop-ups from different apps your manager wants you to use. Add that to all the emails you’ve got over the weekend and the weekly meeting you have to attend – you are lucky if you get any work done before lunch break!
A study by Sendgrid reveals that 74% of business communications are still happening via email despite various apps, chat services, and digital tools available at our disposal. Digitally speaking, it is an outdated way of doing business. Similar to using a carrier pigeon in the age of the telephone.
The same research shows that employees report spending more time navigating the various tools to do their tasks than actually working on their tasks. Take for example an employee who is supposed to do some market research and prepare a report. If they get lost in Slack messages, Teams notifications, Google Docs comments, and a dozen other apps, they won’t have enough time to do their actual job. Instead of getting straight to the point, they have to go through a maze of apps, tools, services, and notifications that take their time, energy, and sometimes sanity.
Video conferencing isn’t any better. It may seem like people are being more productive by hopping onto calls and meetings to bounce around ideas and collaborate. But in reality, most employees find that only three out of five meetings are genuinely valuable or productive, according to a study done by TechSmith.
And of course, with so many apps and tools, employees feel like they have to constantly repeat or clarify to be heard. Almost three-quarters (74%) of the respondents in the study say that this happens to them all too often and that it adds to workplace frustration.
Now that you are informed, it is time to take action.
The first step is to step back and rethink your digital strategy. Jumping head-first on any new app or technology that sounds cool does not work. Most business owners are not as digitally well-versed, and it’s ok. They don’t have to be! If you don’t know how to fix your car you reach out to a mechanic. Have a leaking toilet – talk to a plumber! Have issues with your IT or want to improve your business operations? Reach out to professional IT strategists!
As experts in various digital platforms, we will help you create a plan specific to your business needs. Similar to Marie Kondo, but in the digital world, we will help you declutter your digital workspace and spark joy in your team.
It is time to free yourself and your team from the endless mazes, loops, and hoops of emails, chats, and app notifications. Start boosting your productivity by getting in touch with us now!