Staff waste 10 per cent of salary bill finding information

Up to 10 per cent of total staff salary bills is being wasted on trying to find information, according to a report by analyst Butler Group.

The firm says ineffective searches are hampering business competitiveness and putting organisations at risk.

Over 50 per cent of staff costs are now allocated to employees performing so-called information work, says Butler Group analyst and report co-author, Richard Edwards.

'Employees are suffering from both information overload and information underload. As a result, the typical information worker now spends up to a quarter of his or her day searching for the right information to complete a given task,' he said.

The report, Enterprise Search and Retrieval, says an effective enterprise search program is now key to business's ability to compete with rivals and work quickly and efficiently.

Search systems allow organisations to exploit the information assets they already have, says Sue Clark, another co-author of the report.

'They also enable companies to identify opportunities, reduce risk, and garner insight,' she said.

What do you think? Email us at feedback@computing.co.uk

Further Reading:

• HMV updates web technology to boost digital download sales
• Web retailers need to improve site accessibility
• Recruitment firm adds search tool to aid database