Skip to content
Home » Blog » Webexpenses’ research shows how outdated tech is holding business back

Webexpenses’ research shows how outdated tech is holding business back

The real-world consequences of outdated technology and inefficient administration have been revealed by Webexpenses’ latest research.

Involving a global survey of more than 5,000 office workers, the study looked at the challenges faced by office-based employees during a typical working day.

It revealed that more than a quarter (26%) of employees’ time is currently being spent on outdated processes and unnecessary administrative tasks.

The biggest time wasters were found to be:

  • Managing irrelevant emails
  • Attending unnecessary meetings
  • Handling employee expenses
  • Arranging business travel/accommodation

Two-thirds (66%) of US-based workers said they would be more productive if they had better tools and 60%wanted their employer to invest more on time-saving technologies.

Misfiring expense process

Expense management is one of the areas where an outdated manual process and a paper-based approach are still typical - using written forms, paper receipts and Excel spreadsheets.

The average time it’s taking to create an expense report using these methods is 24 minutes. It’s a task that can be completed in a matter of minutes with cloud-based management and an automated process.

US workers are taking the most time to manage their expenses, an average of 40 minutes. The shortest average times (17 minutes) were in New Zealand workplaces.

More than a third (38%) of employees said their company still uses manual processes and 40%described the workplace technology available to them as being ‘woefully outdated’.

Frustrating and inefficient

Adam Reynolds, CEO of Webexpenses said:

“What’s remarkable about these survey results is the level of frustration and annoyance that’s clearly being experienced by employees.

“People are used to the simplicity and efficiency of digital solutions in their personal lives and that clashes with workplaces where they’re having to shuffle and process mounds of paper.

“Our businesses are rapidly becoming one of the few remaining places where these kinds of outdated and ineffective forms of management are still tolerated.”

Webexpenses’ suite of cloud-based solutions are designed to streamline and improve business administration by removing the need for traditional paper-based and manual processes.

Along with the flagship expense management software, Webexpenses now features a range of powerful cloud-based tools to handle business travel, invoicing and payments.

If you're interested in seeing the system for yourself, book a free demo or get in touch.

Expense Management: What’s the future for paper receipts?

Feb 21, 2017

One of the earliest recorded examples of writing dates back more than 5,000 years – it’s a shopping receipt. Written…

Read More

What do companies love about using Webexpenses?

Feb 15, 2017

from our UK office All this week, webexpenses has been showing some affection for an aspect of our working world…

Read More

The Impact of Digital Systems on Sundry Expenses

Jan 24, 2017

What the future holds for sundry expenses  Even the most organised of kitchens are liable to have that one drawer…

Read More

Welcoming Webonboarding To The Webexpenses Family

Nov 1, 2016

Introducing Webonboarding, the very latest employee onboarding technology Onboarding is the term recognised by HR and business professionals as the…

Read More

Australia’s growing businesses lead trend towards mobile apps

Oct 18, 2016

from our Australia office Nearly three-quarters of growing businesses in Australia are now using mobile and cloud-based applications; 74% of…

Read More

Why sociable clothing retailer, White Stuff can’t live without webexpenses

Oct 12, 2016

from our UK office The unique, social and ethical clothing retailer White Stuff has stores all over the UK and…

Read More

Webexpenses sponsors prestigious CIPP Award

Oct 6, 2016

from our UK office We are proud to be sponsoring this year’s Payroll Software Product of the Year Award to…

Read More

VTCT – saving time and improving efficiency with webexpenses

Sep 28, 2016

from our UK office VTCT (Vocational Training Charitable Trust) are a Government-approved awarding organisation, with a focus on the advancement…

Read More

Study Shows Digital Expenses Boost Business Travel Satisfaction

Sep 22, 2016

Business travellers are at their most effective when they’re stress-free, happy and content. And according to a new global study,…

Read More

Study Shows Rise in SMEs Using Business Apps

Sep 19, 2016

The number of SMEs using mobile apps has nearly doubled over the past 12 months, according to a new study.…

Read More