Problem Statement
Teams often face the challenge of managing projects across various tools, leading to fragmented workflows and frequent app-switching. This not only disrupts focus but also creates communication gaps and decreases productivity.
Problem Space
“App Switching” is sucking productivity, not creating it. Twenty-six percent (26%) of respondents say that one of their biggest challenges is switching from platform to platform across multiple platforms, with half of them adding that they would prefer one solution that could handle all of their different tasks.
Research
Objective
The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of using multiple
collaboration
tools on team productivity.
I aim to understand the challenges faced by employees when navigating
through tools, as well as the consequences of app overload on workflow efficiency and
creative
processes.
The basic truth is that multiple apps are killing team productivity, making it increasingly difficult to find information, manage multiple UIs, breaking up creative flows ...
- Spike: Using Multiple Apps at Work Kills Team Productivity ... (February, 2023)
... workers are saddled with too many of these disconnected apps, leading to poor processes, increased errors, and wasted actions that could otherwise be automated
- PEGA: ... Employees Switch Apps Over 1,100 Times a Day (December 2018)
... workers switch between 10 apps 25 times per day and miss over one-quarter of deadlines.
- CIO: App switching is killing your team’s productivity ... (Apr 2021)
.. switching between different communication channels can leave staff feeling fragmented and disparate.
- Forbes: How Companies Can Prevent App Overload ... (February, 2023)
Assumptions:
- Customers value time-saving features that automate repetitive tasks and streamline communication processes.
- Risk of resistance to change among users who are accustomed to their current set of tools, hindering adoption rates.
- Customers struggle with the inefficiency of managing multiple collaboration tools, leading to decreased productivity and increased frustration.
- Customers seek a solution that provides seamless integration, simplified workflows, and enhanced usability with multi-platform connectivity.
Desired Outcomes:
Identify the key factors contributing to app overload and frequent switching between applications among employees.
Examine the extent to which app overload affects productivity, including its impact on information retrieval, task completion rates, and overall efficiency.
Assess the effectiveness of current strategies and tools employed by organisations to mitigate the negative effects of app overload.
Propose actionable recommendations and best practices for streamlining collaboration tools, optimising workflow processes, and enhancing team productivity.
Interview & Affinity Mapping
Participant Criteria:
Job Role
Workers who heavily rely on collaboration tools for their day-to-day tasks, such as project managers, software developers, business analysts, or customer support representatives.
Industry
Individuals working in various industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, education, or creative fields, to capture diverse perspectives and use cases.
Usage Frequency
Users who heavily rely on collaboration tools throughout their workday, utilising them for communication, project management, file sharing, and other collaborative tasks.
Tool Diversity
Individuals who use a variety of collaboration tools, such as emails, text/audio/video messaging, project management, sharing tools and more, to gain insights into the challenges of managing multiple tools simultaneously.
Affinity Mapping
Behaviours
-
Tools such as Slack, Asana, and Google Workspace are integral to their daily workflow, helping to stay organised and coordinate tasks with team members effectively
-
Daily tasks like assigning project tasks, scheduling meetings, sharing documents, and tracking project progress
-
Uses several collaboration tools to share campaign assets, gather feedback from stakeholders, and track project timelines
-
A typical day starts with checking messages and notifications on Slack, followed by updating project tasks on Asana, and then, coordinating meetings through Google Calendar
Pain Points
-
Data migration can be an issue during the transition process of using a new platform.
-
Team members may be resistant to changing platforms or find difficult to use.
-
Context switching leads to delays in task completion and difficulty in maintaining momentum on projects
The lack of seamless integration between platforms is frustrating
-
Juggles between five different collaboration tools throughout the workday to manage various aspects of the projects and team communication
-
Constant context switching between different collaboration tools disrupts focus and slows down productivity
-
Creating detailed task lists and setting reminders across different collaboration tools, has a negative impact on cognitive load
Goals
-
A unified collaboration platform could reduce the time spent on context switching and improving overall team productivity
-
Implementing a unified collaboration platform could streamline communication and task management
Motivations
-
Seeking a simpler tool that can make processes more efficient by reducing app overload and improving overall usability
Key Themes
Context Switching
The division of information across multiple collaboration tools hinders communication, leading to delays in task completion and decreased productivity.
Tool Efficiency
There is a need for integration and streamlining of collaboration tools to create a centralised hub for all project-related activities. This will enable better collaboration, transparency, and efficiency within teams.
Concerns
Despite recognising the benefits of implementing a unified collaboration platform, concerns about resistance to change and data migration must be considered to ensure successful adoption and usage among employees.
