Poor information management processes are making jobs harder for staff and reducing their productivity and effectiveness in the workplace, according to new research released from†M-Files Corporation, the intelligent information management company.
The M-Files†2019 Global Intelligent Information Management Benchmark Report†surveyed 1,500 office workers across multiple global regions to establish an organizational benchmark on how business information is organized and accessed. Research included the identification of top document management challenges that thwart workplace efficiency, costing organizations time and money.
Findings revealed that poor information handling steals job output: 82 percent of respondents stated navigating different systems and locations to find the correct version of a file they are looking for negatively affects their productivity. In addition, 91 percent of respondents reported that their job would be easier if they could quickly and easily access the most current version of a document, without having to worry about the system or repository in which it resides. Poll participants identified the following additional impediments to staff productivity and effectiveness:†
- 42 percent cited challenges with improper or incorrect labeling of documents
- 41 percent reported that information was frequently stored in the incorrect folder or system — with 29 percent asserting information was misplaced or lost
- 26 percent cited challenges determining which system or repository to search, while 26 percent were unsure whether they found the current version of a document
These findings indicate that many businesses manually store information utilizing outdated hierarchical folder structures across a variety of disparate and often unintegrated systems. Modern intelligent information management systems allow users to search for information using context established by the type of documents, such as a contract or proposal, and its relationships to customers, projects, cases or literally any other organizational element important to the business. This removes much of the complexity for staff, enabling them to intelligently organize and easily retrieve the most relevant and current information without having to worry about where it’s actually stored.
“These findings clearly show the need for change in information management practices across all organizations – both large and small – wherever they are in their transition to a digital workplace,” said Greg Milliken, senior vice president of marketing at M-Files. “With the exponential proliferation of information in today’s business environment, many companies are failing to give their employees quick and easy access to the information they need, severely reducing productivity. To combat this, enterprises will need to adopt intelligent information management solutions that dramatically change the way they manage and process information, enabling workers to focus on adding more value to the organization.”
Detailed findings from the study can be found in the new M-Files 2019 Global Intelligent Information Management Benchmark Report.
