Study: Advanced Collaboration Software Critical for Hybrid Work

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, Aug. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hybrid work is here to stay, and companies are focused on prioritizing improved collaboration in this next normal of work to drive better innovation and increased profitability, according to a new study by Forrester Consulting. The research, commissioned by Lucid, evaluated the state of enterprise collaboration during the pandemic, as well as companies' plans to improve and invest in advanced collaboration to support a permanent hybrid workforce. The study finds that improving operational efficiencies (76%) and the remote (73%) and hybrid (69%) work experiences are top initiatives for businesses in the coming year as they plan their return-to-office strategies.

According to the study, the most strategic and impactful collaboration activities, including working sessions, planning sessions and group brainstorming, are the most challenging to perform, and existing tools fail to effectively facilitate those activities in a hybrid work environment. While many companies understand the basics, they struggle with advanced collaboration and see a need for solutions that support more complex and diverse use cases, from product roadmapping to sophisticated diagramming to creating wireframes and mockups. In fact, only 37% of respondents are extremely satisfied with their current collaboration and productivity platforms.

Companies recognize that more advanced collaboration solutions drive better innovation and increased profitability, and these organizations are willing to invest in them to drive success in the future of work. Most decision-makers (82%) agree that investing in a cohesive collaboration solution helps their organizations stay competitive and maintain their industry leadership. They also recognize the need for more immersive digital collaboration experiences to optimize employee creativity (66%).

As businesses look ahead to the future, they have to look for platforms that will enable a holistic collaboration experience and drive collaboration, innovation and profitability. Among key recommendations from the study, companies should consider:

• Addressing the gaps in their collaboration strategy by implementing tools that facilitate effective workflows and collaboration
• Leveraging advanced diagramming to visualize processes and architectures for the future
• Prioritize applications that integrate with existing tools to increase deployment and adoption
• Making collaboration technology a cornerstone of the workforce – as both a talent recruitment and retention strategy

"As offices reopen and new hybrid workplace models emerge, the data shows that businesses will need to make sure they are creating a frictionless and visual experience for employee collaboration," said Nathan Rawlins, CMO at Lucid. "With the right solutions in place that effectively bridge silos, enable more advanced and complex use cases, and reduce roadblocks in communication and workflows, they will see benefits not just in the employee experience but also in business innovation, improved outcomes and profitability."

More information, including the full study and a webinar discussing how to improve collaboration inefficiencies, can be found here.

About the Study
Forrester conducted an online survey, commissioned by Lucid, in North America and Europe among 311 decision-makers responsible for choosing the productivity tools used by knowledge workers, including development teams. Survey questions inquired about companies' experience with collaboration solutions with regards to performance and delivery, investment, satisfaction, areas for improvement, impact on business outcomes and more.

About Lucid
Lucid offers the only visual collaboration suite that helps teams see and build the future from idea to reality. Its products, Lucidchart and Lucidspark, provide users with an end-to-end experience that helps teams truly see and build the future, by enabling collaboration and clear communication. Lucidspark is a virtual whiteboard application for freeform ideation, group brainstorming and real-time collaboration across teams. Lucidchart is an intelligent diagramming application that empowers teams to clarify complexity, align their insights, and build the future—faster. Top businesses use Lucid's products all around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, NBC Universal and T-Mobile, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid's partners include industry leaders such as Google, Atlassian, Amazon Web Services, Salesforce and Microsoft. Since the Utah-based company's founding, it has received numerous awards for its products, business and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucid.co.

SOURCE Lucid Software

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