August 2015 Sponsored by
Introduction Today s most productive knowledge workers business professionals who are contributing, sharing insight and experiences, participating in decision making, and influencing change are a company s true competitive advantage. They are paid to think and collaborate with distributed team members, contractors, partners, suppliers, and vendors across an increasingly global workplace to help grow an enterprise s bottom line. As digital ways of working change how knowledge workers exchange information, companies must ensure that effective workplace collaboration keeps pace. Employees need enterprise collaboration solutions that work equally well both inside and outside the organization. Content must be able to flow easily between the different parties involved in the process while allowing for secure collaboration with external consultants, partners, and vendors. The following report, sponsored by Alfresco, is based on a survey of 753 business professionals. All survey participants were knowledge workers who spent more than 25% of their workday online. Questions were asked on a variety of topics related to collaboration. The goal of the survey was to quantify experiences, challenges, and trends in work collaboration habits and technology. Key Findings Collaboration is essential to knowledge workers 9 of connected employees collaborate 94% say collaboration is important Morning (4) and early afternoon (24%) are the best times to collaborate Technology is necessary for effective collaboration 8 depend on technology to collaborate 8 would be impacted by the loss of collaboration technology Only 4 use mobile devices for collaboration, but most (9) say it is important Today s collaboration tools do not deliver especially among millennials 5 experience challenges with their collaboration tools 71% of millennials face challenges with their tools compared to 45% of baby boomers Millennials say chat or text is their preferred way to collaborate Baby boomers say it is the least effective way to collaborate Employees find ways to collaborate, even if security is ignored Only 3 always think of data security when collaborating externally 51% rely on personal email for work email 51% use public document sharing for work collaboration 1 say they use public sharing tools not approved for use Definitions Used Collaboration: Working together with co-workers or external stakeholders on documents, project plans, reports, or other types of content in order to create a revised or final version of that content or enable project execution. Millennials: Adults born after 1980 who currently range in age from 22 to 35 years old. Gen X: Adults born from 1965 to 1979 who currently range in age from 36 to 50 years old. Baby Boomers: Adults born from 1946 to 1964 who currently are more than 50 years old. Sponsored by
Detailed Findings Collaboration is essential to knowledge workers Without a doubt, there is unleashing power in workplace collaboration. By working together, employees can help develop better products and services, connect strategy with execution, make more effective business decisions, and increase revenue. For the purposes of this survey, collaboration refers to working together with co-workers or external stakeholders on documents, project plans, reports, or other types of content in order to create a revised or final version of that content or enable project execution. All participants read and agreed to this definition of collaboration. When asked about the frequency of their collaboration with colleagues, partners, or vendors, almost all connected employees (9) collaborate at some level. Nearly two thirds (65%) collaborate multiple times a day while only stated that they never collaborate with others. How frequently do you collaborate with colleagues, partners or vendors? 70% 65% 60% 50% 40% 30% 0% Mul.ple.mes a day 1 15% Once daily 2-5.mes per week Less than once per week Never Expectedly, 94% of knowledge workers recognize the importance of collaboration to their professional responsibilities. In this survey, 5 said collaboration was critically important, 4 said it was important, and only reported it was not important. How important is collabora0on to your professional responsibili0es? 5 4 Cri-cally important Important Not important 0% 40% 60% 80% 100% It is interesting to also note that when we looked across company roles and age groups, we see collaboration is critically important to executives (6) and millennials (5). Page 3
Morning and early afternoon are the best times to collaborate Employees are often more productive when they perform the most demanding work tasks, such as collaborating, during their time of greatest energy and fewer distractions. Among knowledge workers, the times of day they personally felt most collaborative are morning (4) and early afternoon (24%). Not surprisingly, the least preferred time for professional collaboration is at night (1%). What &me of day do you personally feel most collabora&ve open to ideas, though:ul about presen&ng alternate solu&ons, few interrup&ons, etc.? Early morning Morning 4 Noon Early a@ernoon 24% Late a@ernoon 5% Evening Late evening Night 1% I never feel like collabora9ng 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% Technology is necessary for effective professional collaboration Workplace collaboration is not new. But the way business professionals go about collaborating is fundamentally changing with the latest innovative technology. Today companies are using modern technology to better connect employees and external business partners, as well as make it easier for information to flow between all parties. Among our survey participants, 8 depend on technology to collaborate while 1 don t use tools to collaborate. Page 4
When asked about the types of technologies used for conducting professional collaboration, knowledge workers most repeatedly mentioned chat or text (51%), online meetings (50%), and corporate intranets or SharePoint (41%). What types of technology do you use to conduct professional collabora5on of documents with co- workers, vendors, or partners? Chat or text Online meehngs 51% 50% Corporate intranet or SharePoint 41% Consumer- centric document sharing plaborms 24% Project management plaborms Public social media Hangouts Enterprise- centric document sharing plaborms Enterprise social media 1 14% 1 Other 4% We don t use tools to collaborate 1 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% Loss of collaboration capabilities would impact work productivity Employees are becoming more increasingly reliant on this technology to perform collaborative tasks such as sharing documents with co-workers and external business partners. An overwhelming majority, 8, would be impacted by the loss of collaboration capabilities. Furthermore, reported that they could not get their work done if they lost collaborative capabilities. Conversely, it would not make a difference to 1 of knowledge workers. 50% How would your professional collabora3on be damaged if you lost your document sharing capabili3es? 4 40% 30% 1 2 0% It wouldn't make a difference It would be much harder, but we could figure it out It would make me much less efficient I could not get my work done Page 5
Knowledge workers rely on mobile devices for collaboration Because modern professionals live a connected lifestyle and want to be productive anytime, anywhere, from any device, mobile is playing a vital role in professional collaboration. While only half (4) use mobile devices for collaboration, such as smartphones or tablets, most business professionals (9) say it is important. What devices do you use for collabora3on? Choose all that apply. Desktop computer 6 Laptop computer 55% Smartphone 3 Tablet 2 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Once employees learn to collaborate using their mobile devices, it becomes increasingly important to have this capability. Of those respondents who do collaborate on their mobile devices, 44% consider access to collaboration technology on their mobile devices to be very important. Only a small minority () believes it is not important. How important is it for you to access collabora4on technology on your mobile device? 44% 4 Very important Important Not important 0% 40% 60% 80% 100% n = use mobile device for collaboration Page 6
Furthermore, the degree of importance of mobile collaboration is higher among younger knowledge workers. In our survey, 3 of millennials said collaborating on their mobile devices is very important compared to 2 of Gen Xers and 2 of baby boomers How important is it for you to access collabora4on technology on your mobile device? Baby Boomers 2 35% 4 Gen X 2 40% 31% Very important Important Millennials 3 4 2 Not important 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% n = use mobile device for collaboration Collaboration tools do not deliver especially among millennials Managing digital content and the workflow associated with an extended enterprise require some careful thought. As new enterprise collaboration tools flood the market, companies must be scrupulous in vetting the appropriate collaborative solutions for their organizations. Overall, our survey revealed that 5 of knowledge workers face challenges with the current tools their companies provide for collaboration. Do you face any challenges with the tools that your company provides for collabora8on? No 41% Yes 5 Page 7
This dissatisfaction with workplace collaboration tools is especially prevalent among millennials who typically are more comfortable using technology than previous generations. Millennials want tools that help them work through a problem the fastest. When we looked at the participant responses by age groups, a large number of millennials (71%) said they face challenges with their professional collaboration tools compared to Generation Xers (6) and baby boomers (45%). Do you face any challenges with the tools that your company provides for collabora8on? Baby Boomers 45% 55% Gen X 6 3 Yes No Millennials 71% 2 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% While challenges with enterprise collaboration tools are broad ranging, the most common issues communicated by knowledge workers are not all employees use the same tools and stakeholders are excluded (21%), the inability to easily measure who is doing what to evaluate worker contribution (1), documents are not up to date (1), and it s hard to know when a task is done (1). Do you face any challenges with the tools that your company provides for collabora8on? Not all employees use the same tools and some stakeholders are excluded 21% Can t easily measure who is doing what to evaluate contribueons Documents are not up- to- date Hard to know when a task is done 1 1 1 Lack of workflow describing next steps makes it difficult to move projects forward Easy to give input but hard to make decisions or judgement calls based on the feedback No way to track if aceons are assigned or complete No way to know the status of a project 1 1 1 11% Interface is confusing No way to access on mobile pla>orms Other 1% 0% 5% 15% 25% Page 8
Age influences professional collaboration preferences Millennials are the first generation to grow up in a connected world. And most do not remember a time without the Internet. They opt for quick, casual, and efficient collaboration and choose tools that meet these needs. Nearly half of millennials (45%) said chatting or texting is their preferred way to collaborate with co-workers, vendors, or partners. Similarly, 4 of millennials also favored online meetings to in-person if they were given the choice. What are your PREFERRED ways to collaborate with co- workers, vendors, or partners? Chat or text Online meeyngs (e.g., WebEx, GoToMeeYng, or other screen shares) 35% 3 3 41% 3 45% Corporate intranet or SharePoint 14% 1 2 Hangouts 11% Consumer- centric document sharing plaeorms (e.g., Dropbox, icloud) 1 Baby Boomers Gen X Enterprise- centric document sharing plaeorms (e.g., Box, Documentum, Alfresco) 1% 5% Millennials Public social media (e.g., TwiMer, LinkedIn) Project management plaeorms (e.g., Basecamp, SharePoint) Enterprise social media (e.g., Jive, Yammer) 5% 5% 0% 5% 15% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Page 9
On the opposite side, 3 of baby boomers said chat or text is the least effective form of collaboration that they use. And when given the choice, only 2 would prefer online to in-person meetings. In your opinion, what are the LEAST EFFECTIVE forms of collabora>on that you use? Chat or text 2 2 3 Corporate intranet or SharePoint 15% 1 25% Online meeyngs (e.g., WebEx, GoToMeeYng, or other screen shares) 15% 1 2 Hangouts 1 1 Public social media (e.g., TwiSer, LinkedIn) Consumer- centric document sharing pla?orms (e.g., Dropbox, icloud) 1 Baby Boomers Gen X Millennials Project management pla?orms (e.g., Basecamp, SharePoint) Enterprise social media (e.g., Jive, Yammer) Enterprise- centric document sharing pla?orms (e.g., Box, Documentum, Alfresco) 1% 4% 0% 5% 15% 25% 30% 35% 40% Employees find ways to collaborate, even if security is ignored Savvy knowledge workers seek the most efficient ways to collaborate professionally. If their company collaboration tools do not meet their needs, they will find options elsewhere. Yet there can be severe consequences when employees rely on solutions not designed with the enterprise in mind. Often security and privacy are overlooked when business professionals employ alternative collaboration tools at work. Among all survey respondents, only 3 said that they always think about data security or privacy when sharing work content with clients, vendors, and other external stakeholders. Furthermore, 11% revealed that they never consider data security when collaborating externally. Page 10
When we looked at participant responses across key industries that are at a greater risk of harm after a security or privacy breach, we found more than half (5) of government knowledge workers always think about security in their collaboration. This percentage contrasts appreciably with those knowledge workers in healthcare (4) and financial services (40%) who always consider security or privacy issues. When sharing work content with clients, vendors and other external stakeholders, do you consider data security or privacy issues? All 3 2 24% 11% Government 5 1 11% Always OBen Financial Services 40% 2 30% Occasionally Never Healthcare 4 2 15% 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% One of the more interesting insights of our survey is that older employees tend to hold a higher regard for data security or privacy issues than younger employees. More specifically, 4 of baby boomers always consider data security or privacy issues compared to 3 of Gen Xers and 2 of millennials. When sharing work content with clients, vendors and other external stakeholders, do you consider data security or privacy issues? Baby Boomers 4 Gen X 3 Always Millennials 2 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% Page 11
Personal email is frequently used for work email Enterprise security can be put at risk is when employees use personal email for work purposes. Whether it is due to fewer file size restrictions, preference for using their own devices, no access to corporate networks at home, or something else, employees often prefer using their personal email. In fact, more than half of knowledge workers, 51%, stated that they used personal email accounts for work email. And of this group, 1 said they always used it; 1 said they used it often. How frequently do you use a personal email account for work email? 60% 50% 4 40% 30% 1 1 1 0% Always O2en Occasionally Never Public document sharing tools are often used for work collaboration As consumer file-sharing apps become even more intuitive and readily available at zero or low cost, employees regularly turn to these convenient platforms when their enterprise collaboration tools don t measure up. We found that 51% of knowledge workers use public document sharing for work collaboration. The most used document sharing platforms among survey participants include Dropbox (2), Google Drive (25%), icloud (1), and Instagram (). Do you ever use publicly available document sharing pla6orms for work collabora:on? Dropbox Google Drive 25% 2 icloud 1 Instagram Pinterest Box Evernote SlideShare Basecamp 5% Other No, I do not use public document sharing plaaorms 4 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% Page 12
When we looked at participant responses by their age groups, more than half of millennials (60%) and Gen Xers (5) use publicly available document sharing platforms for work collaboration. In contrast, only 3 of baby boomers use these same platforms. Do you ever use publicly available document sharing pla6orms for work collabora:on? Baby Boomers 3 6 Gen X 5 44% Yes No Millennials 60% 40% 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Workers use sharing tools even though they haven t been approved One unexpected finding of this survey is that 1 of knowledge workers use public document sharing tools even though these tools haven t been approved. The conclusion from this unauthorized use admission is that today s enterprise collaboration solutions are not flexible enough to adapt to the ebb and flow of the extended enterprise. Now more than ever, companies need a workplace collaboration platform that can work effortlessly on the most popular computing systems and devices, including mobile, provide user-friendly capabilities for wide adoption, and, most important, safeguard critical content. Which of these publicly available sharing pla5orms has your company approved for employee use? Dropbox Google Drive 3 3 icloud 2 Instagram Box Evernote Pinterest SlideShare 1 11% Basecamp 5% None of these are approved, but I use them anyway 1 0% 5% 15% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% n = use public sharing Page 13
Survey Methodology and Participant Demographics In June 2015, knowledge workers from the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom were invited to participate in an online survey about collaboration trends and technology. Participants were asked a series of questions to quantify experiences, challenges, and habits in work collaboration. A total of 753 individuals completed the survey. All spent more than 25% of their workday online. Participants represented a wide range of industries, company sizes, departments, roles, and age groups. Loca%on United Kingdom 34% Healthcare Financial Services Industry 1 1 Government 1 Manufacturing United States or Canada 6 Educa6on Technology Services Retail 5% Company Size Transporta6on Energy and U6li6es More than 5,000 employees 3 100 to 1,000 employees 4 Telecommunica6ons Hospitality and Entertainment Non- Profit Food and Beverage Pharmaceu6cal 1% Other 1,000 to 5,000 employees 25% 0% 4% 1 14% 1 Age Work &me spent using Internet- enabled device Baby Boomers (more than 50 years old) 30% Millennials (22 35 years old) 2 More than a quarter of the 1me 1 All of it 4 Gen X (36 50 years old) 44% More than half of the 1me 4 Role Department Consultant Execu&ve 1 Opera5ons General management 1 Customer service 11% Product/manufacturing Individual contributor 45% Team manager 34% Finance Sales Marke5ng Legal 1% Other 25% 0% 5% 15% 25% 30% Page 14
About Dimensional Research Dimensional Research provides practical market research to help technology companies make their customers more successful. Our researchers are experts in the people, processes, and technology of corporate IT and understand how corporate IT organizations operate. We partner with our clients to deliver actionable information that reduces risks, increases customer satisfaction, and grows the business. For more information visit. About Alfresco Alfresco provides modern enterprise content management (ECM) software built on open standards that enables organizations to unlock the power of their business-critical content. With the controls that IT demands and the simplicity that end users love, Alfresco s open source technology enables global organizations to collaborate more effectively across cloud, mobile, hybrid and on-premise environments. Innovating at the intersection of content, collaboration, and business process, Alfresco manages over seven billion documents, powering the daily tasks of more than 11 million users worldwide. Please visit us at www.alfresco.com. Page 15