Improving workplaceperformance

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Improving Performance in the Workplace with Voice-Enabled Natural Language Solutions

How are workers accessing information today, and how might that improve with the introduction of new technologies?

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Summary

EasyAsk, the leader in natural language technology and solutions, published a research report entitled Improving Performance in the Workplace with Voice-Enabled Natural Language Solutions on how workers are accessing information today and how performance in the workplace can be improved with Siri-like solutions for the enterprise. This presentation highlights a few key findings from this report – for insight and full data, download the report.

The research suggests savings and business benefits to be considerable – organizations in the U.S. could realize more than $800 million daily savings in wage costs alone.*

http://www.easyask.com/

http://www.easyask.com/?p=3235




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How many systems or applications might you access to do your job?

9%

24%

26%

15%

6%

11%

8%

NoneOne to TwoThree to FourFive to SixSeven to Nine10 or moreDon't know

58% access three or more systems to do their jobs

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How much time each day do you think you spend in systems or applications looking for answers or reports you need to perform your job?

13%

11%

15%

15%

13%

26%

7%

None1 to 10 minutes11 to 30 minutes31 minutes to 1 hour1 to 2 hoursMore than 2 hrsDon't know

Half spend between 31 minutes to more than 2 hours a day looking for answers or reports

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When looking to answer questions to perform your job, do you have easy access to the right information?

15%

58%

1%

19%

3%4%

All the time (100 percent)

Most of the time (75-99 percent)

Other, please specify

Some of the time (25-74 percent)

Little of the time (1-24 percent)

Never

A quarter of respondents said 25% to 100% of the time they do not have easy access to the right information they need to perform their jobs

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Do you find it difficult to find the right information to perform your job?

5%

12%

31%36%

15%

All the time (100 percent)Most of the time (75-99 percent)Some of the time (25-74 percent)Little of the time (1-24 percent)Never

48% find it difficult to find the right information a quarter to all the time

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If you had to build your own, how difficult is it to build new reports?

19%

20%

1%9%

25%

25%

I would never build new reportsEasyOther, please specifyVery difficultSomewhat difficultMildly difficult

43%

11%3%

15%

15%

8%4%

No one ever builds reports for me <or> An hour or less

Up to ½ day


1 day

2 to 4 business days

5 to 10 business days

More than 10 business days

If someone else builds reports for you, how long does it take to get the new report?

Building reports is difficult for workers and 42% of those that ask for help have to wait one day to more than 10 to get new reports

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How difficult is it for you to access the appropriate existing reports?

19%

22%

7%3%

19%

30%

I don't access reportsI can find all reportsDon't knowI can't find any reportsI can find some reportsI can find many reports

52% know that they cannot find all existing reports

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When you have a new business question, do you typically ask a colleague or one of your organization’s software applications?

1%

7%

12%

7%

35%

39% Other, please specifyDon't knowNeitherApplicationBoth Application and col-leagueColleague

Nearly three-quarters of the time a worker has a new business question, they interrupt a colleague to ask questions

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When you have a new business question…

Yes

No

Don't know


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

do you typically know what application to ask for answers?

do you have the necessary technical skills to find the

answers?

Yes

No

Don't know


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Majority of workers know what systems to access and how to ask systems new business questions, but only 7% ask only systems or applications without also interrupting colleagues

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If you had a Siri-like tool on your mobile device that connected to all of your business’ systems and applications, would it make it easier to perform you job?

53%

27%

19%

1%

YesNoDon’t knowOther, please specify

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language voice interface on any mobile or computing device…

Yes

No

Don’t know


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

would it make it easier to perform your job?

do you think that would add value to your company’s revenue and/or profitability?25%

28%

1%3%

9%

35%No – neitherDon’t knowOther, please specifyYes – revenueYes – profitabilityYes – both

do you think that would improve your customer’s experience and/or satisfaction?

If you your colleagues could ask and receive answers to business questions via a natural

22%

23%

1%

4%9%

42%

No – neither

Don’t know

Other, please spec-ify

Yes – customer experience

Yes – customer sat-isfaction

Yes – both

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If you could speak to your computing devices to ask for information or answers, as you would speak to your colleagues, how much time do you think you could save in the average day?

15%

22%

11%13%

18%

14%

7%

NoneDon’t know1 to 10 minutes11 to 30 minutes31 minutes to 1 hour1 to 2 hoursMore that 2 hours

40% anticipate saving 31 minutes to more than 2 hours each day, with 63% expecting to save some amount of time

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If you had an application that could answer many of your questions via a voice interface, and also suggested other relevant existing reports, would that help you do your job more efficiently?

48%

23%

29%

YesNoDon’t know

Nearly 30% are still unsure, but of those that know, most expect improved efficiency

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What devices would you most likely prefer to use a natural language voice interface with?

Smart Phones

None

iPhone

Android

Blackberry


0% 10%

20%

30%

40%

Tablets

None

iPad

Android

Blackberry


0% 10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Computers

None

Laptop PC

Laptop Mac

Desktop PC

Desktop Mac


0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

While these results may represent ownership as of today, it is still significant because it is likely a snapshot of preference for the immediate future

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How many computing devices do you own and/or use for work?

None One Two Three to Four

Five to Six Seven to Nine

10 or more Don’t know

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%The number of devices per user and diversity of computing devices will likely continue to grow – complicating information access, if organizations do not plan properly

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What percentage of your working time is away from a desk?

15%

2%

22%

22%

18%

10%

10%

NoneDon’t know1 to 10 percent11 to 25 percent26 to 50 percent51 to 75 percent76 to 100 percent

85% spend some amount of time away from their desks, with 60% spending more than 10% to 100% mobile

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About the Research

EasyAsk initiated its workplace performance research in the first half of 2012

The independent research company Market Tools executed the survey

• Market Tools uses validation and quality-assured sample to ensure a random sample of respondents

420 qualified responses within the U.S. across a wide range of roles, industries and organizational size

Margin for error for the entire survey is +/- 4.8 percent at a 95 percent confidence level

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Additional Resources

Download the full research report here: http://www.easyask.com/?p=3235

To learn about EasyAsk Quiri, a Siri-like solution for the enterprise, go to http://www.easyask.com/products/quiri/

For more information about EasyAsk, please visit www.easyask.com


http://www.easyask.com/products/quiri/

http://www.easyask.com/

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About EasyAsk

Leader in natural language technology and solutions 300+ customers Software solutions include:

– EasyAsk Quiri: Siri-like mobile access to enterprise information– EasyAsk Business Edition: intuitive query and analysis tools– EasyAsk eCommerce Edition: intelligent e-commerce search &

navigation

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Endnote

* According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2012, there are 132.166 million US workers with a mean wage of $23.29 and hour. A 2003 Bureau of Labor study suggests that at least 55.5 percent of all US workers use a computer at work. This would equate to at least 73,352,130 people using computers at work in the US in May 2012. The EasyAsk Business User survey found that 11 percent of respondents will save 1 to 10 min, 13 percent will save 11 to 30 min, 18 percent will save 31 minutes to one hour, 14 percent will save one to two hours, and 7 percent will save more than two hours every day. Total estimated savings is $800,656,592.48 per day.