Information overload is harming enterprise productivity – here’s how IT leaders can solve that

Fragmented enterprise communication practices are causing “information overload” for workers, and it’s severely affecting productivity.

That’s according to a new study from Forrester on behalf of Staffbase. The survey found that more than half of respondents typically receive “critical company news and information” across six or more channels.

Crucially, more than one-third (35%) of respondents said they receive conflicting, unclear, and often outdated information multiple times a week. The result is that broader workforce alignment takes a serious toll on employees and general productivity, Forrester warned.

Nearly half (48%) of respondents, for example, reported lower productivity levels and operational efficiency while 44% detailed a higher rate of errors, quality issues, and missed deadlines.

Frank Wolf, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Staffbase, said the study highlights a growing disconnect between how organizations invest in communications technology and how it’s used in daily operations.

“In the UK and Europe, we’re seeing organisations invest heavily in the systems that run the business, and increasingly in AI, but too often that value never extends the last mile to frontline employees,” he commented.

“This research shows both what that gap costs in productivity and accuracy, and how much employees want one place that brings everything together. Closing that gap means giving every employee a place they can trust to find out what matters, get the right answer and know what to do next.”

Tackling information overload

According to Forrester, employees are now pushing heavily for a more consolidated approach to workforce communication.

The consultancy noted that “consolidating what makes sense and connecting what remains helps information and experiences flow across applications, giving employees a simpler, more cohesive way to stay informed and productive.”

Around 83% of respondents said that a single application or platform that brings together “work-related activities and information” would have a positive impact on efficiency.

Demand for AI tools on this front is also growing, the survey found. Nearly half (47%) of respondents ranked AI-powered answers and employee guidance as “among the top three capabilities” they want to see moving forward.

The perils of “context switching”

Information overload has become a recurring pain point for workers and enterprises alike in recent years, with many operating across disparate communications systems and applications.

Research from Workplace 365 in March 2025, for example, found that six-in-ten employees had become overwhelmed by workplace solutions, with two-thirds calling for greater simplification and consolidation.

Working across multiple tools and applications forces workers into “context switching”, and separate research shows this has an adverse effect on productivity and mental wellbeing.

Indeed, context switching is an issue that now spans multiple industries and professions – from cybersecurity to software development and more.

More recent research from Workday shows that switching between disconnected tools and systems wastes nearly a full working day each week, per employee.

Analysis from the firm in May 2026 found that one-in-four UK workers spent seven hours or more each week copying information between applications and various platforms.

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