Using Simple Tech to Solve Complex Problems With today's advanced technology, humans are more connected than ever before -- but with that connection comes the potential for app fatigue. Today's internet users crave simple, easy-to-use solutions to help them solve complex problems.
By Kate Johnson
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
At this point, most of us have likely heard the phrase "app fatigue" or "app overload," referring to the sheer exhaustion associated with navigating the intricate landscape of today's numerous technologies. The available technology today is more advanced than ever before, but it's easy to feel that these heightened capabilities can come at the price of creating complexity. In our professional lives, our new hybrid reality has led to more apps, tabs and clicks than ever before, since we're often relying on app-based communications instead of in-person interactions. Many of us are eager to overcome app fatigue and win back some much-needed serenity with the tech we use every single day to perform our jobs. Let's dive into the challenges of today's advanced tech and some solutions for combatting app fatigue head-on.
Today's tech can be tiring
With so many of us working under a hybrid model, even the most innocuous of tasks (like saying good morning to a coworker) can be time-consuming, where previously it was as simple as making eye contact and speaking three syllables aloud. While typing out a "good morning" chat message might feel relatively simple, when you consider all the clicks, tabs, windows and platforms that you use throughout the day, it's easy to see how the mere act of navigating our technology can be draining over time.
Consider your run-of-the-mill team meeting, hosted on a video platform. One minute before the meeting starts, you get a chat reminder of your client call. You navigate to the chat window, give a "thumbs up" to the message, close the chat, navigate to your calendar window, double-click the meeting invitation, click to open the meeting link (which automatically opens your web browser, for some reason), then finally you watch as your meeting platform opens and the meeting, the "real" work, begins. All of that time spent navigating across multiple platforms adds up throughout the day. And, it gets annoying.
Related: Not All Meetings Are Quality
The Great Reshuffle hasn't helped
As if that wasn't enough to deal with on a daily basis, many of us are doing our jobs with much smaller teams than usual as the Great Reshuffle rages on. Around the world, workers have been quitting in droves, and those who haven't jumped ship are forced to cover for their missing coworkers. This means that not only are we bouncing between innumerable platforms, programs and windows, but many of us are using new or unfamiliar tech that would typically be handled by other teammates.
Now that we're a few years into the Great Resignation, we've seen multiple studies published that help us process the bigger picture behind this labor phenomenon. In many cases, employees cite tech frustrations as a chief reason for resigning, rather than a lack of interest or passion for the job itself. One study found that a whopping 49 percent of workers would quit their jobs if they hated the technology they worked with, and 32 percent have actually done so. Some business leaders may be inclined to dismiss app fatigue as a petty complaint about work, but it's clearly a big deal to the workers who have to use the (sometimes unpleasant) technology day after day.
All in all, our hybrid-work reality and advanced technology have combined to form a maelstrom of screens, notifications and clicks – and many are overwhelmed in the face of app fatigue. But the solution is easily within our grasp, in the form of integrated tech stacks.
Related: Telework Burnout and Zoom Fatigue: Much More Complicated Than They Appear
Integration overcomes exhaustion
Fortunately, there exists an entire branch of tech – one that spans numerous industries – dedicated to simplifying the user experience by uniting disparate components of a workstream. In some business applications, like customer service centers, the tech is referred to as "unified communications," where a single platform aims to consolidate multiple branches of communication and collaboration. In my industry, marketing, we use advanced automation platforms to unite numerous channels of engagement into holistic workstreams.
Today's marketing technology is much more advanced than many might realize, and a single marketing automation platform might encompass a wide variety of integrations like CRM, SMS, event planning, social media and much more. In addition to encouraging omnichannel customer engagement, these multifaceted marketing platforms are specifically designed to make marketers' lives easier and more efficient. Inbound contact form submissions automatically generate new entries in your CRM; new event registrations automatically translate to specific audience segmentations. These automated processes, powered by integrated technology, eliminate numerous tedious steps that marketers would otherwise have to perform themselves.
Not only do integrated tech stacks combat app fatigue by eliminating redundant steps and streamlining processes, but they boost employee morale by absorbing a number of monotonous, boredom-inducing tasks that could otherwise lead to burnout. And while some advanced integrated tech solutions may come with a slight learning curve, the advantages far outweigh any temporary speed bumps. After all, there's a demonstrated, positive correlation between top-performing companies and the prioritization of integrated tech.
Related: Too Many Meetings Suffocate Productivity and Morale
Takeaway
If companies are interested in curbing app fatigue and boosting employee morale, they should lean into all the advanced technology available today. Many solutions, driven by automation, will immediately lift the burden of tedious administrative tasks from employees' shoulders, and will drastically reduce the intermediary navigation often required as workers jump from platform to platform. Our hybrid work model likely isn't going anywhere, and the number of tech solutions is bound to increase, rather than decrease, as time goes on. Businesses should act now and give their employees simple solutions for their complex problems.
