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September 9, 2009
A Day In The Life Of A US
Information Workerby Ted Schadlerfor Information & Knowledge Management Professionals
Making Leaders Successful Every DayFor Information & Knowledge Management ProfessionalsIncludes data from Workforce Technographics®
September 9, 2009
A Day In The Life Of A US Information WorkerA Snapshot Of US Information Worker Devices, Tools, And ActivitiesThis is the first document in the "State Of US Workforce Technology: Benchmark by Ted Schadler 2009" series.with Matt Brown and Peter Schmidt Executive SummaryThis is a graphical overview of how US information workers (iWorkers) spend their time with computers, smartphones, and key productivity and collaboration tools. It is our first analysis of Forrester's Workforce Technographics® US Benchmark Survey, Q2 2009, a survey of 2,001 US information workers at organizations with 100 or more employees. Use it to separate fact from fiction about how common each tool is in the workforce.
table of Contents2 Desktop Computers Still Anchor Most Employees' Days4 A Day In The Life Of An Information Worker5 Email And Word Processing Dominate The Information Workday7 Few Applications Have Widespread Adoption8 Supplemental Material
© 2009, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester®, Technographics®, Forrester Wave, RoleView, TechRadar, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. To purchase reprints of this document, please email clientsupport@forrester.com. For additional information, go to www.forrester.com.2 A Day In The Life Of A US Information Worker For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals
Desktop Computers Still Anchor Most Employees' Days
Forrester recently surveyed 2,001 US information workers (iWorkers) - individuals between 18 and 188 with a job in which they use a computer or other connected device. This report is a snapshot of the devices, applications, team composition, and activities of information workers. A subsequent report will analyze a full set of iWorker topics, including portals, mobility, productivity tools, real-time collaboration tools, generational differences, and social networks.
To paint a picture of a typical day in an information worker's life, we look at the devices and applications they use, the teams they are on, and the mobile and Web 2.0 activities they engage in. Devices are the entry point for information work, and this study shows that across all industries, fully 25% of information workers share a computer with at least one other person.
· Desktops are the most common device overall. Three-quarters of information workers have a desktop computer today. Desktop computers are also the workhorse of the workday, as 63% of desktop users spend 4 or more hours per day at the keyboard. What it means: The ergonomics of desks and chairs are critically important to the long-term health and productivity of these workers.
· Laptops are available to only a minority of employees. Despite years of availability and rapidly falling prices, laptops are available to only one in three employees across all industries. However, laptop provisioning varies widely by industry. In business services, for example, 47% of iWorkers have a laptop, while in retail and manufacturing, only 17% of information workers are given a laptop. What it means: Laptops provide location flexibility benefits - but not all employees want or need location flexibility.
· Smartphones are still reserved for a special few. Only 11% of iWorkers have a smartphone to use for work today, although if you are a sales or marketing professional, you are half again as likely to have a smartphone (16%), and managers are twice as likely to have a smartphone (22%). But those who use smartphones are greatly empowered. For example, 81% of smartphone users use them at home or while commuting. What it means: The more corporate applications IT can port to smartphones, the more productive those employees will be.
Distributed Teams And Meetings Are The Norm
Technology is key to the daily life of information workers to help them communicate, create and review documents... [download for more]
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