What if I told you that only 20% of the software features that your company pays for actually get used on a regular basis? In fact, Standish’s research shows:

• 20% of features are used regularly,
• 30% of features are used infrequently, and
• 50% of features are rarely or never used.

Software tools have become a critical factor in maximizing productivity and achieving success. Yet still, low software utilization remains a prevalent issue across professional industries, resulting in wasted resources and missed opportunities!  

Our platform, Pathways, intentionally confronts the problem of inefficiency and inconsistency in business tools and their utilization. In this article, we look at the state of low utilization in business software, explore its impacts on businesses, and highlight how Pathways overcomes these challenges.

The State of Low Software Utilization

Low software utilization is a pervasive concern that organizations cannot afford to overlook. According to this 1e Report, nearly 38% of enterprise software purchased goes unused, this amounts to $259 USD in waste, per user, per year. This staggering figure points to a significant waste of resources and highlights the urgent need to address this issue.

One of the primary reasons behind this waste is the complexity of systems and bloated feature sets. Many software solutions offer a wide range of functionalities, overwhelming users and inhibiting their ability to fully explore and utilize the software's capabilities. This complexity poses a significant barrier to effective adoption and utilization.  

Why Software Utilization Matters

Now, more than ever, addressing the challenge of low software utilization is crucial for businesses. Effective utilization practices go beyond mere cost savings. They create a company culture that prioritizes resource efficiency and eliminates the acceptance of wasted investments. By demonstrating a commitment to efficient software utilization, organizations establish a strong foundation for future tool usage and digital transformation initiatives.

‍How Pathways Addresses the Low Utilization Problem

At Pathways, we recognized the need for a solution that simplifies software utilization and brings transparency, certainty, and trust to business processes. One of the core principles guiding our design and development processes was simplicity. Complexity is a major barrier to software utilization, so we made it our motto to keep Pathways as simple as possible. We aimed to provide a user-friendly platform that could be easily adopted by team members, clients, external advisors, consultants, and counterparties across companies and firms. Pathways' key tenets contribute to its effectiveness in enhancing software utilization. These include:

1. Transparency: Pathways is built on the foundation of transparency, enabling all stakeholders to access and collaborate on the same page. By providing a centralized platform for contracts and agreements, Pathways ensures that everyone involved has real-time visibility into the progress, obligations, and outcomes.

2. Certainty: Our solution streamlines contract preparation by creating transparent and collaborative transaction workflows. Users can easily navigate through the process, with clarity on what needs to be done and when. This certainty leads to improved decision-making and reduces the risk of errors or miscommunication.

3. Trust: Trust is crucial in business relationships, and Pathways fosters trust among team members, clients, and external parties. By providing role-based permissions, Pathways ensures that sensitive information remains secure while enabling efficient collaboration. Users can trust that their data is protected, and the platform facilitates effective communication and document sharing.

4. Usability: The usability factor of Pathways is a key differentiator. We understand that getting team members onboard quickly and effectively is essential for software utilization. Pathways' intuitive interface, combined with comprehensive onboarding resources and training materials, makes it easy for users to become proficient and leverage the platform's features.

By blending ultimate transparency, collaboration, and data-sharing tools with role-based permissions and a strong usability factor, Pathways overcomes the challenges that hinder software utilization. Our solution empowers organizations to streamline their business processes, enhance collaboration, and drive productivity.

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Strategies for Enhancing Utilization

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Whether you use Pathways or not, here are three strategies to help you better leverage the potential of your business software:

1. Comprehensive Onboarding and Training: Invest in comprehensive onboarding programs that familiarize team members with key functionalities and best practices. This will ensure that users are equipped with the necessary knowledge to utilize the platform effectively.

2. Foster Cross-Functional Integration: Encourage collaboration among teams and departments, both internally and externally. Leverage the collaborative features of your software to facilitate knowledge sharing, exchange insights, and foster a sense of community. Cross-functional integration enables teams to leverage the platform's capabilities, promoting efficiency and synergy.

3. Monitor Utilization Metrics and Gather User Feedback: Regularly monitor key performance and utilization metrics to gain insights into user behaviour and engagement. Analyze feature usage, frequency of completion, and user feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine the software's capabilities. Actively seek user feedback through surveys, focus groups, or feedback mechanisms within the software you use.

Conclusion

By prioritizing simplicity, transparency, certainty, and trust, Pathways empowers teams to streamline their processes, collaborate seamlessly, and achieve optimal outcomes. Our user-friendly interface, comprehensive onboarding resources, and role-based permissions make it easy for individuals from various backgrounds to adopt and utilize the platform effectively.

Don’t waste money on software your people will never use. Embrace Pathways and unlock the full potential of your software investments. Book a demo today and experience firsthand how Pathways can transform your contract and agreement management, optimize software utilization, and propel your business to new heights.

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