Whether it is bring your own device (BYOD) programs or other technology used to keep employees connected to the organization they work for, these solutions increase the efficiency and productivity level of the organization and the employees. A report by O2 (News - Alert) and the Center for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) in the UK has revealed 80 percent of the country's largest organizations don't have staff with full access to remote working tools such as applications and instant messaging.
The Smarter Working Britain report points to issues of trust, responsibility and readiness for change as barriers to adopting these technologies by a quarter of the largest organizations in England.
According to the report if the organization adopted this technology they will be able to:
- Eradicate needless journeys – reducing the annual number of trips to and from the office by 121 per employee by connecting them with the technology that allows them to get work completed at the point of need. This would save each employee up to 127 hours a year.
- Make better use of precious time – allowing people to make 178 (9 percent) of their annual working hours more productive through technology, giving them better access to the information they need wherever they are. If every large organization increased connectivity, over two million hours would be made more productive each year.
- Improve meeting efficiencies – better connectivity during external meetings could save each worker up to 54 hours a year in wasted follow up activities.
The report also revealed having the technology to get real-time information can provide better customer service and boost sales by 43 percent.
The study, conducted by Opinium, surveyed1,000 middle-managers from organizations with 250+ employees across the private and public sectors between Nov. 22, 2013 and Dec. 6, 2013 on behalf of CEBR and O2.
"The staggering cost of long-term inefficiencies in larger British businesses laid bare in our report is a wake-up call for employers. Too many pay lip service to technology. But the reality is that our businesses and public sector organizations are yet to get the best that technology has to bring. Every employer should try to understand their own connectivity deficit. Even small improvements will help businesses grow and in turn provide more jobs and increased wages, as well as improve the lives for their hard-working employees," said Ben Dowd, O2 business director.
Edited by Alisen Downey