SINGAPORE: Singapore’s office workers are spending more than five hours a week on low-value tasks, or an average of 66 minutes daily on “inefficient work,” which could cost the country an estimated S$85 billion annually or about 12.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to new research by AI workspace Notion.
The report said the main culprit for lost productivity among the surveyed 1,000 full-time, salaried office workers in Singapore aged 18 to 60 was juggling too many tools daily. Nearly half of the respondents said they use three to four different tools each day, while others juggle five or more. The issue also runs deeper at the organisational level, the report noted.
“With different teams often relying on separate, siloed systems, companies may be managing tens or even hundreds of disconnected apps, making it harder for employees to find information or collaborate effectively. This constant tool-switching, which can happen up to ten times a day, contributes to cognitive burden,” it stated. Notably, 48% of workers said it directly adds to their workplace stress.
The report also pointed to searching for information across platforms as wasted time for workers. Nearly a quarter of office workers said they spend one to two hours a day looking for information. In fact, 42% said “information hunting” was one of the most inefficient parts of their job, second only to “swapping from one tool to another.”
Amid these challenges, office workers see AI as a promising solution, with 82% saying they would adopt AI tools to reduce time spent searching for information and switching between platforms. Younger professionals are particularly enthusiastic, with 85% of Gen Z expressing interest in AI-powered workflows, compared to 76% of Gen X.
Andrew McCarthy, General Manager of ANZ, SEA and India at Notion, said, “The digital workplace has become a maze of disconnected tools that’s taking a serious toll on Singapore professionals. With 76% of workers calling for businesses to unify their tech stack, we need to listen.”
He added, “We’re addressing this demand by providing a connected AI workspace that eliminates the cognitive burden of juggling multiple platforms.”
Mr McCarthy pointed out that the average professional spends 84 minutes learning each new tool, with 35% feeling this time is completely wasted. He added, “The promise of AI isn’t just about automation; it’s about creating a more humane work experience. We’re seeing professionals eager to reclaim productive time, especially to automate repetitive tasks, retrieve information efficiently, and improve research and analysis processes.”
Since launching Notion 2.0 in 2016, Notion has grown rapidly, with over a million users from Singapore.
Currently, Notion is actively investing in the region and will soon be hiring its first Singapore-based team member to support local customers. It also plans to launch Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian versions of Notion in the coming months.
Earlier this month, the company launched an AI update with new features, such as Enterprise Search, which allows users to search across multiple work apps and tools; Research Mode, which generates comprehensive reports; AI Meeting Notes, which provides real-time meeting summaries and transcription; and a redesigned AI Home interface.
The company also announced that its Notion Business and Enterprise plans will include unlimited access to these AI features, access to advanced models like GPT-4.1 and Claude 3.7 Sonnet, plus free trials available to all.
In addition, it launched Notion Mail, an AI-powered, customisable inbox designed with auto-labelling, custom views for prioritising messages, one-click snippets for replies, built-in scheduling, a personal AI editor, and keyboard shortcut features.
Earlier this year, Fast Company ranked Notion as one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025, topping the Workplace category. The company currently serves 62% of Fortune 100 companies and 90% of the Forbes Cloud 100 companies. /TISG
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