Using the wrong tools at work can kill your productivity

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Every day a new tool hits the market with a promise to boost workplace productivity. Though productivity is linked to other aspects like employee skills, experience, educational background, etc, a huge chunk of productivity is linked to the tools used at work. Companies deploy various applications for project management, instant messaging, time-tracking, etc. Do these productivity tools actually make you more productive?

The answer is “Yes”, provided you pick the right set of tools. Using the wrong tools can just do the opposite. If you are happy using the tool, communication is smoother and the information is easy to find, then you are in the right direction. But on the other hand, if you are spending most of your productive time toggling between different apps rather than doing any significant work, then you are using the wrong tools and it is time for you to change. A McKinsey report says that employees are spending 61% of their time managing work rather than doing it. 

The cost of using wrong productivity tools can be far higher than you think. On average, bad software costs the US economy over $60 billion annually. When you don’t use the right tools…

  • It will result in poor information management. According to a survey, 82% of employees have said that productivity suffers because of poor information management.

  • While more and more productivity tools are hitting the market, the actual productivity, as per data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, is increasing by just 1.4% per year. According to a Deloitte study, 47% of top management was concerned that modern productivity tools are not helping companies to achieve their goals.   

  • Using the wrong tools will result in high stress and low productivity. According to a Work Management Survey, 34% of workers have said finding “missing information” is the number one cause for stress in the workplace. 

  • When you implement wrong tools, you may end up spending most of your productive time on bugs fixes and providing technical support for employees.

  • Not using the right tools will frustrate users and they will refrain from using them. According to a recent study, about 28% of software that has been installed in organizations across the US goes unused. 

  • Another big price to pay for implementing the wrong tool at work is low team morale, poor employee engagement, and high employee turnover. 

  • When you implement a wrong tool, it may not suit your organization’s needs and you might end up spending a lot of money on extensive customization to make it work for you.
     
  • Bad tools will often result in poor project management and missed deadlines and deliveries.
     
  • When you don’t implement the right tools, it will result in poor user adoption and high cost of on-the-job training. When employees are unhappy and uninspired, productivity will nosedive.

Bad software not only affects your productivity and bottom line, but it also affects the morale of the employees. According to the G2 State of Software happiness report, 62% of employees have expressed concern that they are not in a position to reach their professional potential because of the software they use at work, and 95% agreed that the right software can make them more productive. Check here