Why bloatware is costing your company a fortune

According to a study by BCG, 78 per cent of Australian companies now view digital transformation as being more urgent because of the COVID crisis. What’s more, 57 per cent anticipate making increased investments in digital transformation. 

With digital transformation now being one of the highest-ranking priorities for CEOs, the time-related and cost-benefit considerations of deploying new technology (while simultaneously meeting employee needs) have become paramount for Australian companies wishing to transform digitally.

But, despite Australian companies having the means and the opportunity to fast-track their digital transformation, a hidden and growing problem stands in the way of achieving employee satisfaction and business success… bloatware. 

Bloatware: the killjoy of workplace technology

Bloatware (aka junkware) has been a persistent problem for businesses around the globe. These unused and hidden programs, on our smartphones and laptops (which rarely see the light of day), take up space, compromise performance and cost businesses billions of dollars every year.

A recent study on the State of Workplace Technology by Freshworks revealed that 86 per cent of IT pros say they waste time every week working-with or supporting bloatware. What’s more, 49 per cent say they would rather have better software than more paid leave.

The notion of ‘less is more’ is particularly appropriate in today’s IT context. Employees’ expectations from workplace technology have changed significantly in recent years: they want less bloat, less waste and less complexity. With so much riding on IT to propel the business forward and keep employees from being burned out, IT leaders must pay heed to improving the IT profile at the workplace.

Why bad software is bad for your business

Let’s look at the stat below before we get to the ‘why’ of this discussion. 

55 per cent of APAC organizations pay for software that their IT teams don’t use.

The trouble with terrible tech is that whether it hampers your speed, slows down your response time, causes ineffective collaboration, or fails to provide the necessary tools to do the job, the impact on productivity harms your business. Besides, the new age workforce has very little tolerance for archaic tools. If it’s no good, they’ll look for good ones elsewhere. 

On average, IT professionals say they have 14 different applications available on their work computer, but they only use half of them. This software clutter is undermining productivity and profitability. 

What’s even more worrisome is that many IT workers are not speaking up, leaving bloatware to rage on. Nearly three-in-four (74 per cent) IT workers hesitate to voice feedback regarding their company's software. Why? They don’t want to beviewed as complainers.

Employees pick better software over better benefits

Technology plays a huge role in how both employees and customers are engaged in the workplace. According to our research, 82 per cent of respondents said employees’ happiness on the job is significantly impacted by how well their workplace technology performs. Software that is easier to use greatly contributes to employee satisfaction by helping them be more productive. 

48 per cent of IT pros say they hate using outdated legacy software that isn’t easy to use. To make matters worse, some even feel their software decisions reflect how their company values them.

For some, it’s become so bad that they would even trade premium work perks for a simpler tech stack. We asked IT workers what benefits they would be willing to give up in exchange for better software. The top answers were: 

• More vacation days — 49%
• More parental leave — 38% 
• More sick/wellness days — 33% 
• Fully remote work option — 31%
• Flexible schedules — 30% 
• A four-day workweek — 24%

The pandemic and remote work have elevated mental health issues to the fore, especially in tech industries. More than four in five (83 per cent) IT pros are burnt out and over one-third (38 per cent) say they are the most burnt out they’ve ever been in their career. More than half (58 per cent) say that their burnout impacts their initiative and motivation at work.

So, what can organizations do to help reduce burnout in IT pros? The answer is to provide the benefits of easy-to-use software. 

Final thoughts

Freshworks’ research highlights that bloated software doesn’t just cost your company big bucks. The disruptions of COVID have led to an uptick in employees switching jobs so Australian companies must ramp-up their efforts to elevate the employee experience. Failing to do so also means that the remaining talent pool will become increasingly burned out and demotivated to perform their day-to-day work. Ultimately, updating companies’ terrible tech stacks has become imperative. 

More features don’t equate to getting more work done: there are simpler ways to improve productivity. IT leaders must have employees' interests at heart when choosing the right software for their business. To learn more about how bloatware affects productivity at the workplace, download Freshworks’ State of Workplace Technology report now.