Modern Worklife Report reveals failures and successes in the digital revolution

Following the global Covid-19 pandemic, millions of workers have been forced to rely daily on tools they are unfamiliar with, creating a drain on productivity and new communication challenges. The full result is yet to be seen. However, before the pandemic, a study was conducted by Sigma in the UK to look into the productivity and satisfaction levels of UK businesses, taking a deep-dive into the user experience at work.

The results are presented in our Modern Worklife Report which provides some interesting insights about digital transformation and what can make the difference between success and failure.

Great potential for improvement
81% of workers at medium to large-sized businesses in the UK feel that digital tools make day-to-day working life better, more productive and more efficient. But the research also shows that there is room for improvement. British workers are struggling to adapt to new digital tools, losing hundreds of hours in productivity in the process, according to the report.

The average employee loses 28 minutes every day, or almost two and a half hours per week, by not using digital programmes or tools effectively or in the best way. The rush to work remotely during the pandemic has likely worsened the problem. There is great potential for businesses that put people at the centre of their digital transformation, instead of only focusing on the technology.

Susanne Erkenmark, Business Area Manager at Sigma Worklife in Sweden, comments on the report:
“Despite the workplace being revolutionised by digital tools, such as instant messaging, video conferencing and project management applications, there is clearly still some way to go for them to be an entirely efficient addition to modern working life.”

The data industry is the worst for time lost to difficult tools, followed by IT. However, the hospitality industry is also placed highly in the list of lost hours, as it too struggles with new digital tools such as booking systems, rota and time management systems, order at the table apps and new POS (Point of Sale) systems.

Susanne continues:
“More must be done, particularly in the industries which have been highlighted as having workers who waste the most time, to better educate and integrate new digital tools, using change communication to get everyone onboard. Often legacy systems are not fully replaced or integrated leading to further confusion among the workforce. There is opportunity to adopt these new digital tools and reduce the time it takes to do certain admin and organisational tasks, leading to efficiencies, ultimately saving time and money.”

About the study:
The report, Modern Worklife, surveyed 500 employees from medium to large-sized UK businesses in a range of sectors about their current working processes.

To read the entire report, please visit https://www.sigmait.se/en/modern-worklife-report

For more information

Susanne Erkenmark
Business Area Manager, Sigma Worklife
susanne.erkenmark@sigma.se
+46 734 08 29 27
www.sigmait.se/worklife

Beatrice Silow
Director Communications and Culture, Sigma IT Group
beatrice.silow@sigma.se
+46 703 79 15 06
www.sigmait.se