This paper examines the operational gap between communication and task execution in small-to-mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) employing 20–200 staff, and investigates whether a centralised productivity platform capable of automatically capturing decisions from conversational channels can reduce coordination failures. Drawing on Media Synchronicity Theory (MST; Dennis & Valacich, 1999), which distinguishes between conveyance the transmission of information and convergence the development of shared understanding and actionable agreement. The study identifies a structural misalignment in contemporary productivity environments. Tools such as Slack, email, and spreadsheets support conveyance effectively but fail to translate decisions into structured, trackable tasks, resulting in an estimated 15–25% of tasks experiencing delays, rework, or missed follow-ups. To measure the severity of this gap and assess user readiness for a platform-based solution, a 15-item, seven-point Likert scale instrument was developed spanning four constructs: digital tool usage and collaboration, communication clarity and information retrieval, task coordination and accountability, and platform adoption readiness. A total of 45 participants drawn from mid-level project management and operations roles completed the survey after systematic data screening. Reliability analysis confirmed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .943), validating the instrument for further use. Item means revealed that decision documentation (M = 5.02) and miscommunication resilience (M = 4.64) are perceived as the weakest coordination dimensions, while platform adoption readiness attracted favourable ratings (M > 5.50), signalling positive organisational receptiveness to automation-based solutions. The findings provide both a validated measurement instrument and initial empirical evidence supporting the case for automated decision-capture platforms in SME coordination workflows.
Rishitha et al. (Sun,) studied this question.