Press Release
Study Reveals Frontline Friction Costs Enterprises a Staggering $80.6 Billion Annually
A study commissioned by ScreenCloud and Unily has found that the cost of poor communication in global enterprise companies costs over $80 billion per year, in addition to security and employee engagement challenges.
September 10, 2025
ScreenCloud have partnered with Unily, the leading Employee Experience Platform (EXP) recognized by Gartner, Forrester and IDC, to release a groundbreaking study into the challenges with frontline workers in major global enterprise. Titled “Disconnected and disengaged: The economic cost of frontline friction,” the study, which surveyed 800 frontline workers, uncovers a critical communications crisis and quantifies its severe impact on enterprise businesses.
The report finds that digital underinvestment and a disconnected employee experience are costing organizations $80.6 billion a year. This staggering figure is a direct result of frontline workers losing time and missing critical information, leading to significant productivity and economic losses.
Other key findings from the report include:
- Massive Productivity Loss: A single frontline employee spends an average of 120 hours per year unable to work due to poor access to information, 124 hours searching for information, and 132 hours having to redo work due to a lack of initial information.
- Rampant Security Risks: Inadequate access to official tools is forcing employees to take matters into their own hands, with 71% admitting to using personal devices or non-company apps to share or access company information. This is a major security risk, with 37% of workers admitting to sharing sensitive data through these unofficial channel.
- Cultural Disconnect: The research identifies a costly cultural breakdown, with 72% of frontline employees reporting they don’t have a strong grasp of company strategy, and only 24% feel their feedback ever reaches leadership.
- High Employee Turnover:The digital disconnect has a direct impact on retention, with only 39% of frontline workers happy at their current company. In a telling sign of the importance of a modern workplace, 31% say they would consider moving to a company with a better digital experience.
“This staggering figure shows that operational efficiency is a huge strategic blind spot,” said Kaz Hassan, Principal of Community & Market Insights at Unily. “Businesses can no longer afford to treat frontline communication and knowledge sharing as a nice-to-have. It impacts everything - your bottom line, your competitiveness, and your culture.”
The report highlights the urgent need for a "single source of truth" to streamline communication and eliminate friction. “It's imperative that every worker, from head office to factory floor, gets the right information at the right time,” said Mark McDermott, CEO of ScreenCloud. “Digital screens meet employees where they are - and in critical moments that can make all the difference.”
Enterprises can solve these challenges by providing governed Employee Experience Platforms (EXPs) and digital signage that are fast, flexible, and intuitive. By empowering their frontline with consumer-grade tools and experiences, organizations can drive efficiency, enhance security, and significantly improve employee engagement and retention.
The full report, "Disconnected and disengaged: The economic cost of frontline friction," provides a detailed analysis of the issues and a clear blueprint for organizational change.
Download the report: https://try.screencloud.com/disconnected-and-disengaged
Included In This Story
ScreenCloud
Smart, Simple and Scalable Digital Signage for Global Business
ScreenCloud is digital signage software featuring enterprise-grade security, remote device management, almost unlimited data integrations, and hands-on professional services to support rollout and scale.
Related Media
Subscribe
Get the latest news and resources from Digital Signage Today.
Recent Posts
