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:
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Almost one-third of IT workers (32%) say being forced to use outdated legacy software makes them want to quit their job.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:
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.”