According to a survey by Userlane, software-related issues could mean that businesses are losing millions of potentially productive working hours.
The company found that a third, 35%, of UK employees spend at least an hour a week resolving software-related issues, while 61% spend at least 30 minutes a week on these challenges.
The majority, 70%, of employers say their overall use of technology at work has increased in the past two years according to Userlane data, as demand for online collaboration in particular has skyrocketed with change to hybrid work.
What frustrates workers?
The fact that using software can take time was the most common complaint among respondents and was cited by 44% of respondents.
IT not responding quickly enough to questions or problems was another common complaint, cited by 39% of respondents.
Software involving too many complex processes was another common problem, cited by 23% of users.
Userlane's survey also suggests that software challenges affect how users approach their work.
According to the data, just under half, 44%, of UK employees have postponed important work tasks following software complaints, while 41% have openly complained to their employer.
Data from Userlane also suggests that around a fifth of UK employees, 18%, have looked for a way to do the same tasks manually, while one in ten, 10%, have refused to follow through. using the software.
On a harsher note, 8% of respondents admitted to considering quitting their jobs due to software-related issues.
How are companies addressing these challenges?
When it came to companies' attempts to improve software adoption, the most popular strategy was communicating the benefits of new software to employees, who were 36% employed.
Increasing IT help desk capacity and hosting more classroom training sessions are also popular strategies, cited by 34% and 33% of 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 guides.
"From these results, it is clear that digital adoption must improve for large-scale software implementations to be successful," said Hartmut Hahn, CEO of Userlane. "Of course, it's important for companies to fill in the gaps in their software training."
He added: "But we also need to remember that a 'one size fits all' approach will not work here – we all learn in different ways, and that needs to be reflected in the training and support offerings that companies provide."