Are Technologies Useful and Easy to Use: Results of A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Tools and technologies have strengths and weaknesses and can either reduce or increase complexity and make work easier or harder. This article aims to report the results of a survey that assessed the usefulness and ease of use of tools and technologies, and perceptions of participants about tools and technologies as a factor in complexity and project failure. A cross-sectional survey of 114 project managers, researchers, and decision-makers was conducted to assess if tools and technologies that participants use in their work are useful and easy to use by asking two questions based on a validated tool of user acceptance of technologies. Additionally, two questions asked participants which tools and technologies were most helpful in their work – one was an open question, and the other provided pre-selected choices of tools and technologies. Few participants chose tools and technologies as a factor that contributes to complexity and project failure, and most participants rated tools and technologies as useful and easy to use. However, the tools and technologies that were chosen by most as helpful for work, tend to be older and simpler and include tools such as checklists. In conclusion, even though tools and technologies are advancing rapidly, most participants in the current survey chose older tools and technologies as helpful in their work. The relevance of these findings is that there appears to be barriers to the adoption of newer technologies such as artificial intelligence and algorithms. The barriers to the adoption of new tools and technologies should be explored further.