Issues With Collaboration Tools Cause Frustration
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Issues With Collaboration Tools Cause Frustration
Employees want to take advantage of instant messaging, conferencing and other collaborative tools, but the tech-related problems continue to get in the way. -
Workplace Need
94% of office workers surveyed said they rely on collaboration tools to do their job, with half of them spending at least 10 hours a week collaborating. -
Essential Equipment
83% depend on tech to collaborate in real time with workers in different locations, and 85% said it's important for their employer to provide technology that enables them to work remotely. -
Top Collaboration App Types
Instant messaging: 50%
Videoconferencing: 49%
Teleconferencing: 46%
Remote desktops: 41%
Screen sharing: 37% -
Glitch Hitch
78% of the surveyed workers who use collaborative tools frequently experience difficulties in using them. -
Common Tech Snags When Collaborating
Difficulties in joining a meeting: 31%
Connection quality issues with a meeting: 29%
Getting dropped from a meeting: 28% -
Personal Choice
55% of the employees surveyed said they've used a personal device in the office instead of a similar one provided by their employer. -
Better Option
Of those who brought a personal device to work, 37% said they did it because their device was better suited for a specific task, and 30% said they're more efficient when working with their own device. -
Instant Results
45% of the workers surveyed said they leverage some form of office automation to enhance their productivity. -
Done With Humdrum
49% think that automation will take mundane tasks off their plate. -
Disposable Assets
24% of the workers surveyed said they're worried that technology will entirely replace their job within five years.
With a significant share of professionals spending a quarter of their work week collaborating, the majority run into frequent, tech-related difficulties in attempting to connect and communicate with co-workers, according to a recent survey from Softchoice. The resulting report, "Collaboration Unleashed: Empowering Individuals to Work Together from Anywhere," indicates that most employees need to collaborate with people in different locations, and they expect their employer to provide the tech tools required to make that happen. These employees want to take advantage of apps that promise the latest in instant messaging, videoconferencing, teleconferencing and other collaborative capabilities. But the tech-related problems, which include quality and connectivity issues, continue to get in the way. "Bringing together individuals with varying disciplines, perspectives and experience generates fresh thinking and innovative results," according to the report. "It benefits the business when employees learn from one another by bringing their collective knowledge to bear on a single goal. Collaboration technology, when applied right, enhances the productivity of the group, and creates better connectivity among collaborators regardless of geography. … Before deciding on a technology solution, organizations must first understand how employees work and interact—and how technology can remove barriers to collaboration and support them in achieving their business goals." The report also includes findings about automation trends, and we've included some of those here. An estimated 1,000 North American office workers who use computers and/or mobile devices for most of their workday took part in the research.