Site Logo

87% UK IT pros waste time due to bloated applications

Freshworks has released the findings of a global report, which found IT professionals in the UK spend an average of 6 hours and 16 minutes dealing with bloatware, unwanted, overly complicated SaaS add-ons, and features that hinder productivity and cause frustration at work.

The cost of trying to use unhelpful technology amounts to £7B annually in wasted time in the UK alone, reinforcing that complex systems continue to be a major financial strain – not to mention the negative implications they can have on workplace morale and productivity.

Freshworks’ new report, State of Workplace Technology: Bloatware – the difference between love and hate for workplace tech, explores more than 2,000 global IT professionals’ interactions with workplace technology. The report found that 87 per cent of IT professionals in the UK surveyed waste time each week due to pervasive bloated technology, distracting them from their core responsibilities and undermining the bottom line.

Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO of Freshworks said, “legacy SaaS providers may have had good intentions by offering more add-ons and features, but the era of complexity has backfired and is bogging down businesses’ ability to deliver. As we approach a possible slowdown in the economy, the C-suite is re-examining its tech stack to prioritise solutions that deliver maximum productivity, not complexity and burnout. Bloatware needs to go.”

IT pros want more of less

The problem is widespread and substantial, with IT professionals reporting bloatware infiltrates many aspects of their work. Notable findings include:

  • Too much clutter. Over half (53%) say their organisation pays for SaaS features that their IT teams never use.
  • Work software is overly complex. Almost forty percent (36%) say too much of their tech stack is hard to use.
  • It’s expensive. Forty-two percent say their organisation spends too much on its tech stack, while almost one-third (32%) believe their company doesn’t know how to stop paying for unnecessary services.
  • Fragmented solutions. Nearly two-thirds (63%) prefer a single software solution for IT service management rather than several applications.

Frustrating software hurts motivation and performance

Almost unanimously, IT pros across the country hate their company software. More than 9 in 10 (91%) IT pros said they have frustrations with their company’s software, with the leading reasons being: it slows down their work (35%), it lacks flexibility (28%) and it requires multiple programs to do their job effectively (33%), but more worryingly is bad software also hurts work performance and morale. Notable findings include:

Contributes to the Great Resignation

Almost one-third of IT workers (32%) say being forced to use outdated legacy software makes them want to quit their job. Eight in 10 (82%) IT pros are burnt out and more than one-third (34%) say they are the most burnt out they’ve ever been in their career. They see bloated software as part of the problem, with 35 per cent reporting that easier-to-use software would help reduce their burnout.

IT pros will give up a lot for better software

Almost two-thirds (63%) of IT pros say they hate using outdated legacy software that isn’t easy to use. Many hate the software so much that they are willing to give up benefits, including:

  • 37% are willing to give up more holiday days
  • 39% are willing to give up more parental leave
  • 29% are willing to give up more sick/wellness days

John Crossan, Senior Vice President & General Manager for Europe, Freshworks added, “this research shows that Bloatware is as big a problem as ever. For businesses, this kind of software can significantly interfere with an organisation’s agility, leaving IT teams distracted from focusing on what they need to do. In today’s economic climate, businesses across Europe cannot afford to waste 7 hours every week dealing with bloatware. With an economic downturn on the horizon, and employees reporting record levels of career burnout, it is time that business leaders recognise the importance of workplace tech and take action to provide IT teams with software that’s easy to use, fast, and just works.”

More News
1 month ago
How to prepare for the new changes to employment laws
Employment laws are due an overhaul in April, with changes to flexible working, request amends, and protection for new parents and carer's leave, among other changes. Vivek Dodd, CEO of Skillcast, warns that failure to comply could result in serious consequences.
1 month ago
British Safety Council Keep Thriving workshop to take place in Cardiff
As part of its charitable work, British Safety Council is offering SMEs and micro-sized organisations in Cardiff the chance to attend a 3-hour workshop, delivered by its Being Well Together experts, completely free of charge to explore how to develop a well-being strategy.
1 month ago
Mitel appoints new SVP and Head of International Region
Mitel, experts in business communications, has announced the appointment of Simon Skellon as SVP and Head of International Region.
1 month ago
VIPRE Security Group appoints new General Manager of Business Security Division
VIPRE Security Group, a cybersecurity solutions provider, has appointed Usman Choudhary as General Manager of its Business Security Division, encompassing VIPRE EDR and Advanced Threat Protection for Email, SafeSend for Email, and Inspired eLearning security awareness training.
1 month ago
Ascentae unveils smart workplace experience centre
Ascentae, a UK-based workplace solution and value-added distributor, has announced the opening of a new Experience Centre in the heart of Clerkenwell, London.
1 month ago
IT at forefront of sustainability efforts, but lacks proper tools and expertise
A report commissioned by OpenText has found that IT departments are playing a major role in achieving corporate sustainability objectives and cited the lack of innovative tools and expertise as the primary challenges they face in meeting those goals.
1 month ago
Harrison provides bespoke manufacturing services to B&Q stores
B&Q set out to find a partner that could provide a range of display components, including a new-look dump bin. While the products had already been designed by B&Q, Harrison was invited to tender for the project at a later date.
1 month ago
Leyard Europe LED supports new educational exhibition
A 4K CarbonLight VX LED screen from Leyard Europe forms the heart of a new inspirational and educational exhibition at the headquarters of the European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL), Europe’s flagship laboratory for research into life sciences.
1 month ago
Crawley Town Centre BID invests in AI visitor behaviour platform
Crawley BID has invested in Place Informatics Visitor Behaviour Platform to help understand, manage, and improve town centre services and events.
1 month ago
Viking re-establishes presence in Ireland
Office supplies reseller Viking is re-establishing its presence in Ireland with the opening of a distribution centre in Dublin, the development of a local sales team, and the creation of a local customer service centre.

Login / Sign up