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The research, of 1,246 employees in the UK, found that only one third (35%) use mobiles for administrative tasks, despite 43% of workers wanting to use it for this purpose. Millennials in particular are keen to use mobile, with 55% wanting to use mobiles for admin – yet only 43% currently do. Older generations are also open to using mobile for admin, with 35% of Gen X currently doing so, and 41% wanting to.
However, it’s clear that some employees are finding the latest technologies, such as mobile, too difficult to use – 28% still want to use pen and paper for admin tasks, as 46% find it simpler than other means. Desktop still runs the workplace in the UK, regardless of today’s remote working climate and the recent influx of digital-savvy millennials in the workplace. Almost half of workers (48%) use a desktop or laptop because it’s easier, and 41% because it’s faster.
The survey demonstrates that while many believe we live and work in a smarter, digital-first era, technology still isn’t being used to its full potential due to a lack of usability. This is despite the fact that 36% see mobile as more convenient and 37% believe it’s faster.
What’s more, automation of these tasks is lagging behind. In previous ABBYY research, it was found that in an average week, 39% of workers spend 1-2 days a week on maintaining databases, and 18% of millennials spend 2 days inputting data. Yet, two thirds (63%) of UK workers want to delegate these tasks to robots – without this option, 15% try to avoid doing tasks they dislike altogether.
As such, a huge amount of time is being spent on tasks that could be automated or speeded up through mobile technologies, and some tasks are even slipping off to-do lists. As more tech-savvy employees join the workforce, this research highlights the opportunity for businesses to listen to the younger generation and move tasks to mobile through more efficient and usable platforms.
“It’s very surprising to see that mobile and automation still aren’t being used to their full advantage, especially when we have these capabilities at our fingertips,” says Bruce Orcutt, Senior Vice President of Product at ABBYY. “Businesses and software developers must continue to work to make mobile interfaces more user friendly, and boost their convenience, ease and speed. However, the onus is also on businesses to harness mobile solutions and evolve the way their staff work.”
Orcutt continues: “As we prepare for the workforce of the future, based on a culture of convenience driven by mobile, organisations must champion smarter working practices, and educate staff on how to make the most of these platforms to drive productivity – and improve employee experience in the process.
“Working with companies offering specialist mobile platforms centred around user experience is crucial. This will enable workers young and old to harness technology to make their everyday administrative tasks easier, simpler, and more convenient. Technologies such as content IQ present huge opportunities to revolutionise administrative tasks and boost workplace productivity – and they’re already there for the taking.”
