Dive Brief:
- U.S. employees change through an average of 13 apps 30 times per day, according to Asana's Anatomy of Work Index 2021 report. The study surveyed the work habits of 13,123 knowledge workers in eight countries.
- More than one-quarter of workers say switching between work apps makes them miss actions and messages. And 26% of employees say app overload makes them less efficient at work.
- With more of their daily workflows happening on digital platforms, employees who switch between apps find they're also more likely to struggle with prioritizing tasks.
Dive Insight:
The growing number of digital tools at the disposal of modern employees comes at a cost. While digital business platforms can augment abilities, an excess of tools can overwhelm workflows, wasting time and focus in the process.
Eight in ten respondents say their inbox or other communication apps remain open throughout the work day, according to the survey, with 72% of workers feeling pressure to multitask during the day as multiple platforms clamor for attention.
App bloat is the enemy of efficiency, especially at a time when remote work has placed the burden of operations on IT. In the pandemic, workers now face screens more than colleagues, and digital platforms became the proxy for everything from onboarding tasks to customer support centers.
The number of applications a company keeps on hand has grown steadily through the years. An average business today leverages 88 applications, according to data from Okta. In its initial Businesses at Work report published in 2016, the average company used just 72 apps.
In certain industries, app overload is more prevalent: tech companies deploy 155 apps each, on average, while finance/banking companies deploy an average of 105.
