Features Available in Software Packages
I’ve been pondering this question recently and I believe there are a few reasons why people might not use all the features available in software packages. These reasons include complexity, awareness, workflow, time, and compatibility.
To begin with, some features are more advanced or specialised and might not be needed for everyday tasks. Users will be of varying levels and roles so individually will not need to use all features but collectively across a company of users, a larger percentage of features might be used. Users might be overwhelmed with a complex features so it is important to provide plenty of instructions or self-help guides so people can understand how complex functions are intended to work.
Another reason for not using many features is that users might not be aware of all the features. Software suppliers often introduce new functionalities and either the supplier does not inform users about them, or users do not explore them.
Workflow can be a limiting factor when it comes to adopting software features; people tend to stick with what they know so if they have devised a certain process for their work then they will typically not deviate from a defined pattern. If a specific workflow works well for users, then they may not explore other features that could potentially solve their problems in a better or different way.
It takes time to learn new features and even more time to adopt them into regular use of the system. Users might prioritise efficiency of repeating known behaviours rather than spend time exploring available features.
Software suppliers will have a predefined vision for the features they provide but users often find new and creative ways to use them which are not always compatible with the intended use case. Some features may not work well together or may conflict with existing processes which can reduce their use to limited or not at all.
The benefit of using more features in a software system can be an increase in productivity but it is important to weigh this against the reasons described above. If it takes too long to understand a feature then the productivity gains may not be worth it.
As an inquisitive person, I am interested in understanding how things work or why a feature has been added so I will take the time to explore software functionality. However, not everyone is like me so it is important for suppliers to take the time to actively educate users or point them in the right direction so that more functionality has a chance of being used by people using the system.
