Jun 06, 2016

Praises for file sharing tools have been widely discussed across virtually every industry. These solutions have proven themselves in many instances, but there are still a number of businesses that are unsure of how to manage them and what benefits they should expect to yield. Collaboration and productivity are two of the biggest areas where organizations will see a difference. Let's take a look at a some file sharing productivity statistics that every business should know when considering this type of offering:

The good

When implementing a file sharing solution, users are able to easily spread knowledge and find information, saving a lot of time that was once used to handle and organize physical documents. According to numbers compiled by Business.com contributor Mikita Mikado:

• 21.3 percent of workers had challenges managing documents, resulting in productivity issues.
• 50 percent of an employee's day may be devoted to searching for information.
• 18 minutes is required for finding each file.

These are obviously problems that simply cannot be ignored. With a file sharing program, teams can regain significant time back in their day. E-signatures alone can yield $20 per document in savings and reduce turnaround times by 80 percent. Rather than needing 18 minutes, a sharing solution has a search bar that delivers results in mere seconds, allowing employees to focus on other important tasks instead of looking for documents. This in turn will help improve document management capabilities and overall productivity as a result.

The bad

Problems with online file sharing really starts with how many apps organizations are asked to manage. According to numbers from Skyhigh, there are 57 file sharing programs and 171 collaboration apps in use at the average business. Often, staff members upload sensitive documents to these services without really looking at how the solution interacts with files or what security measures are in place. To make matters worse, 35.7 percent of companies share corporate data internally, externally or both. This can take a toll on IT when trying to maintain visibility and protect confidential files. By consolidating programs and implementing encryption strategies, organizations can allay their worries and create a more manageable system.

The ugly

If you thought that the number of apps in play was concerning, there are a few more stats to be aware of when looking into file sharing. According to Ipswitch, 84 percent of employees send classified information weekly (72 percent) or daily (52 percent). This is a drastic breach in protection and could lead to data compromise. Although a number of organizations have tried to implement strong security policies, less than 32 percent strictly enforce them. With the number of cyberattacks on the rise, it will be critical for organizations to take control of their file sharing capabilities and protect their data as well as their users.

So many of the issues experienced with file sharing have to do with the fact that there are too many apps and not enough enforcement. Consolidating programs and creating a solid security strategy will help employees take advantage of file sharing benefits and improve overall productivity.