Indians grapple with 'information overload' during the pandemic

OpenText™, an Information Management solutions company, recently polled 6,000 Indian consumers to ascertain their perception of information overload during the global pandemic. The survey revealed that 44% feel information overload has intensified during the pandemic and added to their daily stress. The pandemic also brought in a slew of new challenges including work from home, yet almost one third (30%) of respondents with an office job believe they still aren’t equipped with the right digital tools for remote work.

More than two in five (44%) respondents believe that a more streamlined information database would be helpful to deal with the varied information sources such as emails, diaries, news feeds, company websites, calendars, etc, while making a work or home-life related decision. Additionally, a similar number (43%) felt the need to remember multiple passwords to access each app has added to their anxieties.

The advent of ‘information overload’

More than half (52%) of the respondents agree that the number of information sources – email, news feeds, diaries, social media sites, company drive, shared drive etc, they check each day has increased in the last five years. The idea of using of 6-15 apps every day seemed stressful to nearly 50% of those interviewed.

Further, the data suggested that this ‘information overload’ is significantly impacting both personal life and work. Less than a quarter (24%) of respondents were able to limit the number of tools, apps, and resources they access to complete a work project to three or fewer. In fact, more than a third (36%) of working respondents typically spend more than a minute searching for a specific file or piece of information for work purposes. Only 13 percent can usually find the file they require in less than ten seconds.

“Consumers increasingly use digital services for everything from communicating with loved ones to accessing healthcare and buying their groceries. Similarly, many businesses are turning to new digital services to ensure staff can work safely from home,” said Lou Blatt, SVP and CMO, OpenText. “Users have proven willing to adopt new services and tools, but also face challenges in managing multiple accounts and sources of information. Companies need to recognise this trend and find ways to reduce complexity, simplify workflows and processes and create compelling customer and employee experiences.”

Information requirements for the ‘new normal’

Faced with the prospect of working from home long term, more than one in five (21%) respondents admit remaining motivated would be their biggest challenge, 39 percent say accessing work email would be the main problem while 37 percent said accessing corporate file systems and work content would be the biggest issue. Collaboration or lack of it will continue to be a concern with 32 percent saying collaborating with colleagues on projects would remain a major challenge. In fact, information overload is so pervasive that 12 percent of respondents feel they cannot unplug and are dealing with information 24/7.

“If information is not handled efficiently and data protected, it can be counterproductive. Without automation, businesses simply cannot make the most of their information and deliver the seamless user experience that staff, customers and business partners need. The research data reveals that a significant proportion of the working population struggles with accessing work emails and corporate file systems, thereby hampering their productivity. With data stored in so many places, it is important to have a single information and content repository for managing all workflows smoothly and efficiently,” said Isaac Rajkumar, Managing Director, India and Vice President, Engineering.