'Employees do not necessarily need more systems; they need less friction'
Operational complexity is emerging as a major productivity barrier in Australian workplaces as a new report found that employees are spending too much time figuring out the implemented systems at work.
New research from Complete Office Supplies (COS) revealed that employees' biggest source of daily frustration is having to log into multiple systems (19%) at work.
This is followed by having too many platforms carrying out similar functions (16%), information being stored in different places (15%), switching between systems (12%), and approvals (10%).
As a result of these frustrations, the report found that productivity is suffering, the opposite effect of what these introduced systems intended.
"Businesses often look for productivity gains by adding something new, whether that is a platform, a process or another reporting tool. But sometimes the bigger opportunity is in taking complexity out," said Belinda Lyone, co-CEO at COS, in a statement.
"Many businesses are adding platforms with the right intention: to make work faster and easier. But if those tools are not integrated properly, they can have the opposite effect. Employees do not necessarily need more systems; they need less friction."
What can employers do?
The findings come in the wake of growing AI adoption in Australian workplaces, a shift that the report indicated will likely add to the complex systems currently implemented at work.
More than half of employees (56%) said that having fewer systems would improve their productivity at work, but the report noted that eliminating systems indiscriminately may not be necessary.
Instead, it urged employers to make it easier for staff to know where to go, what to use, and how to get work done.
"Productivity is not just about having more tools. It is about creating an environment where people can move through their work with less friction," Lyone said.
"When systems are simple, processes are clear and employees know where to find what they need, teams can spend more time delivering value and less time managing the machinery around the work."
The report outlined practical steps to simplify their systems. These are:
- Audit the systems employees use, noting that the gap between what is implemented and what employees actually use can reveal where complexity is building
- Look for duplication by identifying which platforms are performing similar functions, or where employees are entering the same information more than once
- Create one clear source of information where employees can track data and make faster decisions
- Simplify the system before adding more by determining first what a new tool will replace or improve
- Ask employees where friction sits by gathering regular feedback from staff
