User friction
Problems directly experienced by employees.
- recurring support issues
- slow computers
- password problems
- application access
- unreliable connectivity
- excessive waiting for support
What is technology friction?
Technology friction is anything in your technology environment that unnecessarily makes work slower, harder or more complicated.
Examples include:
- recurring IT problems
- unreliable devices
- password and authentication problems
- slow employee onboarding
- excessive manual processes
- unnecessary software approvals
- licensing complexity
- poor connectivity
- application performance
- fragmented technology vendors
- outdated systems
- unnecessary security interruptions
- inconsistent device configurations
- poor access management
- technical debt
Individually these problems can appear minor. Across an organisation they consume substantial employee and management time — and that cost rarely appears on an IT invoice. For a plain-English definition, see our technology friction glossary entry.
The five categories we look for
Operational friction
Technology creating unnecessary administrative work.
- manual onboarding
- manual offboarding
- repetitive IT requests
- software deployment
- approvals
- device provisioning
Technology friction
Complexity within the underlying environment.
- technical debt
- legacy applications
- inconsistent configurations
- unreliable networks
- unsupported systems
Commercial friction
Unnecessary cost and management overhead.
- licensing sprawl
- overlapping technology products
- excessive vendors
- unclear technology ownership
- unpredictable IT costs
Security friction
Security controls that either create unnecessary obstacles or are poorly integrated into the working environment.
- authentication that interrupts productive work
- controls bolted on after deployment
- unmanaged devices outside policy
- exceptions with no designed answer
Security is the category most often treated as a trade-off. Our principle is the opposite: security should be designed into the environment rather than bolted onto it afterwards — Security by Design is how we keep protection and usability aligned.
How we reduce technology friction
Understand → Fix → Standardise → Automate → Improve. The same operating model applies whether we are supporting 20 people or 300.
Understand
Establish the current environment, user experience, recurring incidents, security posture, technology dependencies and technical debt.
Fix
Prioritise root causes and remediate underlying infrastructure, identity, endpoint, network and application problems.
Standardise
Create repeatable standards for devices, identities, security, applications, licensing and support.
Automate
Automate appropriate processes including provisioning, software deployment, employee lifecycle tasks and routine administration.
Improve
Measure results, identify new friction and continue improving the environment.
The Mycelium Friction Index
A measurement framework, not an industry standard. It establishes a baseline for the friction in your environment so improvement can be demonstrated over time rather than asserted.
| Area | What we measure |
|---|---|
| User experience | tickets per user, recurring incidents, support demand, downtime |
| Employee lifecycle | onboarding time, device deployment time, access provisioning, offboarding |
| Technology | unsupported systems, technical debt, device compliance, recurring infrastructure problems |
| Commercial | licence utilisation, unnecessary products, vendor complexity |
| Security | security gaps, unmanaged devices, identity risks, outstanding remediation |
What changes over time
Before
- Recurring IT tickets
- Manual employee onboarding
- Multiple technology vendors
- Inconsistent devices
- Microsoft licence sprawl
- Security gaps
- Reactive support
After
- Recurring problems systematically reduced
- Automated provisioning
- One accountable technology partner
- Standardised device management
- Optimised Microsoft environment
- Security by Design
- Continuous improvement
Illustrative examples of the change our operating model targets — not customer statistics.
Where this shows up in our services
- Managed IT support that reduces the need for support
- Managed Microsoft 365 without the licensing sprawl
- Cyber security designed into the environment
- Automation for repetitive IT administration
- Standardised device management with Intune
- One accountable partner for an office move
- Customer outcomes and case studies
- Book an IT Review with our team