Putting the Cart before the Horse: when technology becomes a stress

In 2012, I visited an office to access a public service. The woman at the desk, responsible for attending to people's needs, manually handled the tasks. The average time she took to attend to one person was approximately 15 minutes. As I patiently waited, my turn finally arrived after almost 2 hours of waiting.

Two years later, I found myself in need of the same service and returned to the same office. To my surprise, the woman at the desk was still present, but this time, she had a computer. I expected that the introduction of technology would expedite the process and reduce the waiting time significantly.

However, my expectations were not met. Instead of the process becoming faster, it actually took longer. The woman, despite having a computer, spent almost 30 minutes attending to one person. She was using  an Excel spreadsheet to input the required data, but her lack of proficiency in using the software became evident. She struggled to navigate the application, often taking up to a minute to place the cursor correctly on a specific tab. Her typing speed resembled that of someone cautiously calculating on a calculator, slowing down the entire process.

It became apparent that the adoption of technology had not resulted in the expected improvement in service delivery. In fact, the woman was more efficient when she performed the tasks manually. This experience highlights a critical issue in the adoption of technology within complex socio-technical systems.Introducing technology alone is not sufficient to achieve enhanced efficiency. It is essential to consider the entire ecosystem and ensure that the technology is seamlessly integrated into the existing processes. Factors such as user proficiency, training, and system design play crucial roles in determining the success of technology adoption.

To address these challenges, organizations must invest in comprehensive training programs to equip employees with the necessary skills to utilize the technology effectively. User-centric design principles should be employed to create intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that streamline the workflow. Moreover, ongoing support and feedback mechanisms are vital to identify and address any issues or bottlenecks that may arise during the implementation process.

The lessons learned from this experience serve as a reminder that the adoption of technology in complex socio-technical systems requires a holistic approach. It is not enough to introduce technology for the sake of modernization; careful consideration must be given to the human element, training, and system design. Only by addressing these factors can organizations truly leverage technology to enhance service delivery, improve efficiency, and provide better experiences for their constituents or customers.

Thanks

Oluwaseun David ADEPOJU

www.davidadepoju.com