Office workers waste more time on slow tech than they spend on holiday

Technology is supposed to make us more productive, and information easier to manage. However, in the real world, out-of-date technology and technology that is hard to use often slows people down, resulting in lost opportunities, profits and even employees.

Sharp Electronics recently announced research which showed the average UK office worker wasted at least 21 days each year due to slow or inefficient technology, longer than many people's paid annual leave.

The biggest time drain reported was searching for files on a server--23 minutes per day--thanks to poor search tools. Other routine time wasters include using the printer: seven minutes spent daily waiting for it to warm up; and nearly ten minutes waiting for pages to come out.

Dead time can mean lost opportunities, lost profits and even lost employees. Businesses should wake up to the importance of connected technologies that work in sync with their employees' changing needs and allow them to get the best out of their team.