How reliant are managers and directors on emails?

We often consider knowledge to be in people's heads. But a large amount of it is contained in email and the written document. Intraspect Software Inc., the C-business solution provider, commissioned MORI^* to conduct a survey investigating how managers and directors use email within the business environment.

Managers or directors from companies within the marketing, legal and financial service sectors were questioned. Findings included the following patterns of behaviour:

• One-quarter of those questioned send more than 30 emails during a working day - a further 40% send between 11 and 30
• 55% of directors receive more than 20 emails a day
• In general more emails are received than sent by all
• For many email is becoming an essential tool by which management information is received. One third receive a lot of decision making information by email
• Almost one quarter of those questioned are not confident that email is confidential, the figure rises to one-third for those who work in IT or telecommunications
• Larger companies are more reliant upon email for distributing essential decision-making information around the business
• Managers and directors in companies with international clients or offices send more emails than those with a UK focus only
• Over half of those questioned store critical information on a PC or laptop, with around one-third needing to share this information with colleagues
• For two-thirds, emails containing critical or decision-making information are often stored on a PC or laptop - in one-third of these cases, an electronic copy is stored, but also printed off. One in five print the email before deleting it

Many managers and directors will admit to email overload, but what is the solution? Email is an essential tool by which management information is received. Larger and International companies are also becoming increasingly reliant upon email for distributing essential decision-making information around the business. One-third of those questioned admitted to needing to share a lot or all of the information received by email with colleagues. We are fast heading for email burnout!

Intraspect have found a solution, a way to harness technology to master the new business environment, spanning time and geographical limitations. They strongly believe that people-to-people collaboration is the way forward and as such have created a hub into which employees, customers, suppliers and partners place all information that is necessary to be shared. Only those to whom the information is relevant will be alerted to its arrival, yet all can look back through the information at their leisure, with no need to recreate the intellectual wheel. Should an employee leave a company their knowledge has been captured. The virtual space created is a place where year upon year people work and capture knowledge and experience. Through use, the centre evolves into a group memory where businesses can easily find, share, change and re-use information in a secure and controlled environment.

^* 200 respondents in the marketing, legal and financial services sectors were questioned. Interviews were conducted with a number of directors and managers. Interviews were carried out by telephone between 9-18 January 2001. 147 companies interviewed have International offices and/or clients. 58 directors were interviewed.