Survey: Enterprises Aren’t Satisfying Employee Demands for Mobile Apps

ArcTouch Study Finds Only 12 Percent of Employees Use Enterprise
Mobile Apps and Those That Do Are Underwhelmed by the Experience

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ArcTouch
Mobile & Connected Experiences, a full-service digital design
and development studio, today released the results of its new research
report, “Functional But Unfriendly: A Study of Enterprise Mobile App
User Experience.” The study revealed that of the 4,000 office workers
screened, only 12 percent are taking advantage of enterprise mobile apps
in the workplace. Further, while those 12 percent of employees that have
access to enterprise mobile apps do see productivity benefits, users are
generally underwhelmed by their current app experience.

“There is a significant missed opportunity when it comes to enterprise
mobile apps in today’s workplace,” said Adam Fingerman, co-founder and
CXO, ArcTouch Mobile & Connected Experiences. “First, there is a large
unmet appetite for apps among the workforce, and second, a slew of apps
that are in use are simply missing the mark. With great enterprise
mobile apps, employers have the opportunity to improve their employees’
productivity and overall work experience. Yet many enterprise mobile
apps today are simply not living up to user expectations.”

According to the study, the discrepancy between enterprise mobile app
penetration and the near ubiquity of smartphones and tablets in the
workplace, combined with workers appetite for, and familiarity with app
usage, suggests a massive opportunity. It’s clear that current
enterprise mobile apps improve employee productivity and efficiency,
with 85 percent of users stating that their most-used app saves them
time and 83 percent saying that their most-used app makes them more
productive. However, 70 percent of respondents wouldn’t describe their
most-used app as intuitive, and only 13 percent would describe it as
elegant.

Based on the findings, when creating mobile apps, enterprises need to
focus on aspects that improve the overall user experience. Those aspects
hold the most influence over whether employees look forward to using the
apps, yet they are also the areas of greatest weakness for current apps.
Only 31 percent of respondents grade their most-used app as an “A” for
design, and only slightly more – 45 percent – gave an “A” for user
experience. Weak performance in functional attributes also leads to
frustration; nearly half of users wouldn’t describe their most-used app
as being reliable or stable, foundational requirements for avoiding user
headaches.

“People generally are pleased with the utility of the work apps they
use, but there’s a missing layer of delight that’s lacking compared to
the apps they use outside of work,” continued Fingerman. “We think that
companies competing to attract and retain the best talent will need to
provide the best toolset, and that includes offering compelling mobile
apps that make work more enjoyable. To do this, development teams must
think beyond the code and technology and become experts in user
experience design.”

The full “Functional But Unfriendly: A UX Study of Enterprise Mobile
Apps” report, which screened 4,000 office workers for enterprise app
usage and surveyed 487 app users for their specific use and attitudes
toward mobile apps in the workplace, was developed in conjunction with
research firm Precision Sample, and is available
for download here.

About ArcTouch Mobile & Connected Experiences
ArcTouch
helps businesses connect with their customers and employees by crafting
custom, engaging digital experiences for leading mobile and emerging IoT
platforms. From apps for phones and tablets to chatbots, voice
assistants, VR and AR, the software we design powers the connected
lifestyle. Our clients range from the Fortune 500 to world-class brands
and influential startups, including 3M, Audi, CBS, Guess, NBC,
Salesforce, Skyjet, Yahoo and many more. ArcTouch is part of Grey,
a WPP
company.

Contacts

March Communications
Samantha Bell, +1-617-960-8896
ArcTouch@marchcomms.com
or
ArcTouch
Mobile & Connected Experiences
Troy Petersen, +1-415-944-2000
Troy.Petersen@arctouch.com