That might sound unusual, but following a childhood head injury, I've spent most of my life dealing with a challenge often compared to numerical dyslexia. Give me a formula and a calculator and I'm perfectly happy. Ask me to remember a six-digit PIN and that's a very different story.
Fortunately, I wasn't locked out. The system also allowed me to authenticate using my password, and I was able to continue working without interruption.
What struck me wasn't the forgotten PIN itself. It was the reminder that technology is often built around assumptions about the people using it.
And sometimes, those assumptions don't hold true.
The Myth of the Average User
Many technology systems are designed with an "average user" in mind.
Someone who can remember passwords and PINs, learn new software quickly, navigate websites intuitively and comfortably adapt to whatever process is put in front of them.
The reality is very different.
Every organisation is made up of people with different strengths, experiences, preferences and challenges. Some are highly technical. Others avoid technology wherever possible. Some absorb information best through visual demonstrations. Others need written instructions they can refer back to later.
The same applies to customers.
Yet technology projects are often planned around what people are expected to do, rather than how people actually work.
We've all encountered technology that technically works but feels frustrating to use. Anyone who has spent time wrestling with a CRM, administration platform or business system will know that user experience can be just as important as functionality.
Across almost every sector, there are systems that employees tolerate rather than embrace. The software isn't necessarily broken. In many cases, it simply feels as though it has been designed around processes rather than the people expected to use them.
Technology can meet every requirement on paper and still leave users frustrated.
When that happens, the consequences extend far beyond a few complaints around the office. User adoption falls, training requirements increase, support requests rise and employees often develop workarounds to avoid the system altogether.
Businesses can invest significant time and money into technology projects, only to discover that the biggest challenge isn't the technology itself. It's getting people to use it effectively.
People Experience Technology Differently
When we think about technology, it's easy to assume that everyone interacts with it in broadly the same way.
The reality is often very different.
People process information differently. They learn differently. They communicate differently. What feels intuitive to one user can feel frustrating or overwhelming to another.
Sometimes those differences are linked to recognised conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, hearing loss, visual impairments or acquired brain injuries. Sometimes they're simply the result of experience, confidence levels, working habits or personal preference.
Many of these differences are completely invisible.
In fact, colleagues may work together for years without realising how much adaptation is taking place behind the scenes.
The employee who always follows up a meeting with an email to confirm what was discussed. The customer who prefers a phone call over an online form. The team member who relies heavily on captions during video meetings. The person who has developed their own systems and workarounds simply to achieve the same outcome as everyone else.
Most organisations never see the effort because they only see the result.
Technology Can Remove Barriers
The good news is that technology has made enormous progress.
Modern websites can support screen readers, keyboard navigation and multiple ways of consuming content. Features such as logical navigation, clear content structure and accessible design often create a better experience for every visitor, not just those with specific accessibility requirements.
Microsoft 365 includes a wide range of tools that many organisations already pay for but rarely use. Live captions help users follow meetings more effectively, dictation can assist those who find typing difficult, while immersive reading features can make lengthy documents easier to consume.
For employers, the benefit isn't simply accessibility. It's enabling staff to work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively and get greater value from the technology already in place.
Modern communication platforms offer far more than traditional phone systems ever could. Features such as voicemail-to-email, call recording, transcription services, video conferencing and instant messaging allow people to communicate using the methods that work best for them.
Even cyber security has evolved. Businesses can now choose from passwords, authentication apps, biometrics, passkeys and other methods that help balance security with usability.
The most effective security isn't always the system with the most restrictions. It's often the system people will consistently use correctly. Security controls that are difficult to adopt can encourage risky workarounds, ultimately undermining the protections they were designed to provide.
Technology has opened doors that would have been difficult, expensive or even impossible to open just a few years ago.
But there is an important lesson here.
Technology doesn't always need to solve every challenge.
Sometimes it simply needs to avoid creating unnecessary barriers in the first place.
Flexibility Matters
My issue wasn't that I couldn't understand the PIN.
It was that my brain couldn't reliably hold on to it long enough to use it.
The solution wasn't a specialist tool. It wasn't training. It wasn't an advanced accessibility feature.
The solution was flexibility.
The system offered another way to achieve the same outcome.
Instead of the PIN, I used my password.
Problem solved.
Not because the challenge disappeared, but because I wasn't forced down a single path.
The same principle applies across almost every area of business technology.
A customer who dislikes online forms may be perfectly comfortable picking up the phone.
An employee who struggles with verbal instructions may excel when provided with clear written documentation.
A user who finds one authentication method difficult may work far more effectively with another.
Not everybody needs every option.
But having options matters.
Importantly, flexibility isn't just about accommodating individual preferences. It's about creating systems that people can engage with confidently and consistently.
The easier it is for users to work with a system, the more likely they are to embrace it. And when adoption improves, businesses see better returns on their technology investments.
How Businesses Can Build More Inclusive Technology
Creating technology that works for a wider range of users doesn't always require major investment. Often, it comes down to asking the right questions during planning and implementation.
Start With the Users
Before choosing a solution, think about who will actually be using it.
- How comfortable are they with technology?
- Do different teams work in different ways?
- Are there accessibility considerations to take into account?
- How will customers interact with the system?
Technology projects frequently focus on features. Successful projects focus on people.
Organisations often spend weeks comparing specifications, features and costs while spending very little time understanding how employees and customers will actually interact with the solution.
Yet user adoption is often the single biggest factor in determining whether a technology project succeeds or fails.
Avoid Single Points of Failure
Where practical, provide more than one way to complete important tasks.
This might include:
- Multiple authentication methods
- Different communication channels
- Alternative website contact options
- Both written and verbal guidance for staff
Not everyone will need every option, but flexibility can dramatically improve adoption and usability.
Consider Accessibility From the Start
Accessibility is far easier and more cost-effective to build into a project than it is to retrofit later.
Whether you're developing a website, implementing Microsoft 365, introducing new communication systems or deploying cyber security tools, accessibility should be part of the planning process rather than an afterthought.
Review the Technology You Already Own
Many organisations are surprised by the capabilities they already have at their disposal.
Microsoft 365, Teams, modern VoIP platforms and contemporary web technologies often include features that improve accessibility and usability without requiring additional investment.
The challenge is often awareness rather than availability.
Don't Assume, Ask
One of the simplest and most effective things a business can do is speak to the people using its technology.
Staff feedback, customer input and real-world testing often reveal challenges that would never be identified in a project plan or technical specification.
Technology Should Adapt to People
Technology has never been more capable than it is today.
Yet its success still depends on understanding the people using it.
The most effective solutions aren't always the most complex or feature-rich. They're the ones that recognise people work differently and provide flexible ways to achieve the same outcome.
At Qdos, we see this principle across everything from website development and web applications to Microsoft 365, cyber security and business communications.
Technology should empower people, not force them into a particular way of working.
Businesses often focus on selecting the right technology. In reality, long-term success depends just as much on understanding the people who will use it.
Because technology isn't one-size-fits-all.
The organisations that recognise this tend to achieve better adoption, stronger security, higher productivity and greater value from their investments.
That's why technology works best when it adapts to people, rather than expecting people to adapt to it.
Is Your Technology Working for Everyone?
Whether you're planning a website redesign, reviewing Microsoft 365, strengthening cyber security or modernising your communications platform, understanding how people interact with technology is just as important as choosing the technology itself.
At Qdos, we help organisations deliver solutions that balance security, usability and flexibility, ensuring technology works for the people who rely on it every day.
