Survey Shows Divided Workplace; Users Frustrated by IT Are Building Their Own Applications

BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwired - Mar 12, 2015) -  K2, an industry leader in business application platforms and solutions, today released the findings of an online survey among more than 700 American men and women working in an office environment, conducted on their behalf by Harris Poll. The findings, listed below, point to a shift toward a "Bring your own Applications (BYOA)" environment where employees are using tools outside of those traditionally licensed by their IT department to get work done faster and more efficiently. 

The availability of "freemium" tools combined with the entrepreneurial spirit of today's workforce is driving a self-service IT mindset among office workers. The survey results indicate that business users want the power to build their own apps, to cut down on time spent managing the process, and to solve problems more quickly and directly. Today's businesses change at a rapid pace, demanding that the business and IT side of the house work together to solve problems and remain competitive.

Specifically, the findings revealed:

• Nearly 40% of office workers believe their IT department is too inundated to fill their specific requests in a timely manner.
• Almost 70% of office workers use free/available online tools outside of those licensed by their IT department to get work done. Of those surveyed. Further, 30% use them at least half of the time.
• More than half admit they would be likely to look for a free/available online solution before seeking a formal business solution provided by their IT organization.
• Less than a quarter believe creating their own business application is easy, while 66% believe business users, in addition to IT, should have the power build solutions or applications as needed.
• More than half say too much time is spent on managing processes (e.g., approvals, expenses, document management) vs. conducting actual business at the workplace.
• 60% feel that applications are the future of their business.

"Innovation is a crucial element when it comes to developing IT solutions for today's workforce, which is constantly pushing the boundaries to find new and better ways to work smarter and get business done faster. As a result, there is an unprecedented -- and almost overwhelming -- demand on IT departments around the world to develop hundreds, if not thousands, of customized solutions for their organizations," said Adriaan van Wyk, CEO at K2. We're seeing a huge shift in the way enterprises define and enable 'efficiency'. It's no longer about deploying uniform business solutions across departments, but rather letting go of the reigns and allowing employees to discover and use independent solutions on their own."

"To keep up with evolving customer needs and the rapid rate of change across the competitive landscape, businesses must empower their employees with the tools they need to solve problems on their own -- and at their pace. Today's leaders must enable their business to run at the speed of its people," van Wyk continued.

This survey was commissioned by K2 and conducted online by Harris Poll within the United States between January 23-27, 2015 among 2,030 adults ages 18 and older, of whom 733 are employed full or part time and work in an office.

The full report of survey statistics can be found here: http://www.k2.com/files/9531

About K2
K2 is a leading provider of business application platforms and solutions that empower people to build and run business apps, from the very simple to the highly complex, limited only by their imagination. The low code platform allows users to create customized business applications -- using workflows and forms -- that stretch across roles, departments, and data sources. Understanding the importance of getting the right information to the right people at the right time, K2 allows business users to make smarter, data-driven decisions, fast. In this fast-paced environment, workforces can stay focused on building and growing the business, instead of managing processes.

With its products used across the Fortune 500 and mid-market, K2 currently has more than 1.5 million users in more than 80 countries. For more information, please visit www.k2.com.

About The Harris Poll
Over the last 5 decades, Harris Polls have become media staples. With comprehensive experience and precise technique in public opinion polling, along with a proven track record of uncovering consumers' motivations and behaviors, The Harris Poll has gained strong brand recognition around the world. The Harris Poll offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to transform relevant insights into actionable foresight for a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer packaged goods. Contact us for more information.