Gartner Survey: More than Half of Employees Experience Frustration with New Software
A recent survey by Gartner suggests most employees wish their companies would reinstate old systems as opposed to remaining with newly purchased software.
Sixty percent of workers said new software had occasionally or frequently frustrated them within the past 24 months, according to the research. In fact, 56% of users said new software had made them wish management would bring the old system back.
“The democratization and consumerization of IT has resulted in employees who have more discretion over what software they use and how they use it,” said Craig Roth, research vice president at Gartner. “Software product leaders often focus on adding new features to keep up with competitors, but this leads to overly complex products with poor user experience (UX).”
The survey found that 81% of software users have taken some kind of action – positive or negative – after a notable experience with software. For example, 40% of users have resisted using applications after a negative experience by using minimal features, avoiding or delaying use. After a positive experience with an application, however, 41% of users spent more time delving further into its features.
“Depth of application usage can have a significant impact on the value an organization receives from software. That perceived value becomes important when renewal or upgrade time rolls around,” said Roth. “Consumption of new features helps technology providers increase the stickiness of a product, but when users ignore advanced features, vendors have less influence to secure upsells or renewals and stay ahead of competition.”
The survey also found that users frequently share their opinions on software with peers, with IT and with business leaders, either proactively or in response to requests for input. This “word of mouth” can start a chain reaction that influences whether others adopt or avoid applications.
Forty-two percent of survey respondents said they have complained to peers after a negative software experience, while 38% have recommended an application to peers after a positive experience. Additionally, 42% have shared negative experiences with IT, and 25% have shared those experiences with business management.
When users were asked what actions software vendors could take to make them more likely to recommend their products to peers, IT or business leaders, the top answer was to make products easier to use, cited by 51% of respondents. Adding missing features was a distant third place, cited by 30%.
The global Gartner survey polled 4,953 technology product and services users in April through June 2021.
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