More than half point to “technology sprawl” as a major challenge, and 80% feel frustrated trying to manage their organization’s software applications; employee frustrations, data challenges, and balancing cost and budget have IT pros feeling pressure
Nine in ten IT professionals surveyed say that software consolidation is a priority in their organization, yet half feel overwhelmed by the thought of trying to tame their technology sprawl due to challenges from employees, disconnected data and systems, and the costs of completing the task. This from a new Quickbase survey of more than 1,000 IT professionals in the US and United Kingdom/Ireland, asking them about their plans for technology consolidation and the state of “technology sprawl” – disconnected systems, data, and point solutions – in their organizations.
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“[Prior to consolidation] each department throughout our organization managed their information and data in separate systems”
Quickbase, the software application platform for work management in complex industries, sought to uncover the challenges for IT pros in consolidating their technology stack. Fifty-eight percent of respondents agreed that technology sprawl is a challenge in their organizations, and 80% admit they are frustrated trying to manage their software applications in that sprawl. IT pros identified both human and IT challenges as negative consequences of consolidation, led by objections and frustrations from employees in losing access to tools and learning new systems (37%) and loss of data (36%).
Looking closer at that frustration, the survey revealed that IT pros are losing time managing and maintaining software applications – 68% said they spend 11 hours or more of their week doing this –as well as money due to balancing known and unknown costs of planning for future upgrades and maintenance (62% cite this challenge) and direct or indirect costs of implementing new software or apps (48%), not to mention customization or integration costs (50%).
Over the next year, 56% of respondents expect they’ll spend more time and resources on IT consolidation, and 73% of those surveyed predict their organization will continue to grow their software investment and add new technologies in the next year. All that sprawl and planned spending has put the consolidation bullseye on IT professionals, with 87% saying pressure to consolidate is mounting from both the C-suite and their own IT departments.
There is hope that consolidation can make work, teams, and organizations more productive, improving operations and data integration, and simplifying IT management. “[Prior to consolidation] each department throughout our organization managed their information and data in separate systems,” said Sam Signor, Corporate Process Manager, Paradise Energy Solutions. “Often, that led to additional, lengthier meetings and information being shared verbally, which was extremely inefficient at scale. Rather than accessing data instantly and independently, our teams experienced information bottlenecks, creating delays on time-critical projects. With Quickbase, we have streamlined communication channels, enabling greater control over project timelines and ultimately creating value for our business and our customers.”
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“For a long time, organizations would solve one problem at a time with a point solution, without thinking about how that one tool could connect with other teams or projects,” said Ed Jennings, CEO, Quickbase. “Today, that approach is at the heart of technology and app sprawl, full of software, systems, and teams that can’t connect data and collaborate, reducing productivity. It’s time to break this habit and embrace a work management platform like Quickbase that connects apps, processes, and workflows to serve the whole business. This platform approach cuts the costs and challenges of a disconnected IT ecosystem, improving the ROI on your tech investment, connecting teams and data, and reducing the management burden on IT.”
