Nearly 80% of Office Workers Feel the Need to Automate and Systematize the "Entire External File Sharing Process" for Future DX Investment and Business Improvement!

Fleekdrive Inc. conducted a survey on the actual state of external file sharing operations targeting office workers (men and women in their 20s to 50s) involved in tasks that require sharing files externally. The survey revealed the frequency of file sharing, methods used, and the reality of errors caused by manual work and analog rules among office workers engaged in external file sharing.

Background

In recent years, with the frequent occurrence of information leakage incidents and the trend towards abolishing PPAP (sending files in password-protected ZIP archives with the password sent separately), security governance for external file sharing in companies has become stricter than ever. However, the challenges faced by the field are not limited to the burden of such security measures. The need to comply with different business customs and rules/methods specific to each company, coupled with the burden of individualized business workflows, may result in "secure and efficient file sharing" with external parties not being achieved. Therefore, Fleekdrive Inc. conducted a survey on the actual state of external file sharing operations targeting office workers involved in tasks that require sharing files externally.

Survey Summary

More than half of office workers involved in external file sharing share files externally "several times a week or more" in their work.

The most frequently used method for sharing files externally is currently "email," followed by "cloud storage."

The top 3 manual tasks and analog internal rules occurring in external file sharing operations are: 1st place, "Setting file passwords and sending passwords separately"; 2nd place, "Visual check of recipients and files to be sent"; 3rd place, "Converting files to PDF or changing format."

More than half of office workers have experienced errors or near misses in external file sharing over the past year due to analog methods or inefficient rules, with "sending to the wrong recipient" and "sending the wrong file" being frequently cited.

Nearly 80% of office workers involved in external file sharing feel the need to automate and systematize the "entire external file sharing process" for future DX investment and business improvement.

More than 80% of office workers anticipate a reduction in weekly work hours if manual tasks in external file sharing were automated by tools, and more than one-third of office workers believe that "one hour or more" of work time could be reduced.

Survey Overview

Survey Period: June 10-11, 2026 Survey Method: Internet Survey Target Audience: Office workers (men and women in their 20s to 50s) involved in tasks that require sharing files externally. Number of Respondents: 331 Monitor Provider: RC Research Data

* The sum of response ratios may not be 100.0% due to rounding of the second decimal place.

More than half of office workers involved in external file sharing share files externally "several times a week or more" in their work.

First, in response to the question "How often do you share files with external parties (clients, partners, etc.) in your work?", the results were: 1st place, "Several times a month" with 29.3%; 2nd place, "Several times a week" with 26.9%; 3rd place, "Every day" with 14.5%; and 4th place, "Multiple times a day" with 11.8%. Although "Several times a month" was the most frequent answer, the combined ratio of the 2nd to 4th place answers was 53.2%, indicating that more than half of office workers involved in external file sharing share files externally "several times a week or more" in their work.

The most frequently used method for sharing files externally is currently "email," followed by "cloud storage."

Next, in response to the question "What is the most frequently used method for sharing files externally?", the results were: 1st place, "Email (including password-protected ZIP files, etc.)" with 44.4%; 2nd place, "Cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, etc.)" with 27.5%; and 3rd place, "Providing a download URL from the internal file server" with 15.1%. These results revealed that the most frequently used method for sharing files externally is currently "email," followed by "cloud storage."

The top 3 manual tasks and analog internal rules occurring in external file sharing operations are: 1st place, "Setting file passwords and sending passwords separately"; 2nd place, "Visual check of recipients and files to be sent"; 3rd place, "Converting files to PDF or changing format."

Subsequently, in response to the question "Are there any manual tasks or analog internal rules currently occurring (performed) in external file sharing operations?", the results were: 1st place, "Setting file passwords and sending passwords separately" with 34.7%; 2nd place, "Visual check of recipients and files to be sent" with 33.5%; and 3rd place, "Converting files to PDF or changing format" with 32.3%. These results indicate that the most common manual tasks and analog internal rules in external file sharing operations are "setting file passwords and sending passwords separately."

More than half of office workers have experienced errors or near misses in external file sharing over the past year due to analog methods or inefficient rules, with "sending to the wrong recipient" and "sending the wrong file" being frequently cited.

Furthermore, in response to the question "In the past year, have you experienced any errors or near misses (incidents just short of an accident) in external file sharing due to analog methods or inefficient rules?", the results were: 1st place, "Have not experienced errors or near misses" with 45.3%; and 2nd place, tied, "Sent to the wrong recipient" and "Sent the wrong file" with 21.8%. While "Have not experienced errors or near misses" was the most frequent answer, more than half of office workers have experienced errors or near misses in external file sharing over the past year due to analog methods or inefficient rules, with "sending to the wrong recipient" and "sending the wrong file" being frequently cited.

Nearly 80% of office workers involved in external file sharing feel the need to automate and systematize the "entire external file sharing process (permission granting, approval, system integration, etc.)" for future DX investment and business improvement.

Next, in response to the question "Do you feel the need to promote the automation and systematization of the 'entire external file sharing process (permission granting, approval, system integration, etc.)' for future DX investment and business improvement?", the results were: 1st place, "Feel somewhat necessary" with 47.7%; 2nd place, "Feel very necessary (already planning/considering)" with 28.7%; and 3rd place, "Do not feel very necessary" with 19.6%. The combined ratio of the 1st and 2nd place answers was 76.4%, indicating that nearly 80% of office workers involved in external file sharing feel the need to automate and systematize the "entire external file sharing process" for future DX investment and business improvement, to varying degrees.

More than 80% of office workers anticipate a reduction in weekly work hours if manual tasks in external file sharing were automated by tools, and more than one-third of office workers believe that "one hour or more" of work time could be reduced.

Finally, in response to the question "If manual tasks in external file sharing (notifications, approvals, permission management, PDF conversion, etc.) were automated by tools, how much work time do you think would be reduced per week?", the results were: 1st place, tied, "Less than 1 hour to 3 hours" and "Less than 30 minutes" with 24.2%; and 3rd place, "Less than 30 minutes to 1 hour" with 21.2%. These survey results show that more than 80% of office workers anticipate a reduction in weekly work hours if manual tasks in external file sharing were automated by tools, and more than one-third of office workers believe that "one hour or more" of work time could be reduced.

Summary

This survey revealed that more than half of office workers involved in external file sharing share files externally "several times a week or more" in their work, and the most frequently used method for this is currently "email," followed by "cloud storage." Additionally, the top 3 manual tasks and analog internal rules in external file sharing operations are: 1st place, "Setting file passwords and sending passwords separately"; 2nd place, "Visual check of recipients and files to be sent"; and 3rd place, "Converting files to PDF or changing format." Furthermore, over the past year, more than half have experienced errors or near misses in external file sharing due to analog methods or inefficient rules, with "sending to the wrong recipient" and "sending the wrong file" being the main issues.

Moreover, nearly 80% of office workers involved in external file sharing feel the need to automate and systematize the "entire external file sharing process" for future DX investment and business improvement. More than 80% of office workers anticipate a reduction in weekly work hours if manual tasks in external file sharing were automated by tools, and more than one-third of office workers believe that "one hour or more" of work time could be reduced.

In response to the challenges of misdirected transmissions and work pressure caused by manual tasks (such as password setting and visual checks) in external file sharing, as revealed by this survey, Fleekdrive Inc.'s "Fleekdrive" provides an environment that balances security and improved operational efficiency by automating the entire sharing process. This service is an online storage service for corporations equipped with robust security and real-time collaborative editing functions, as well as "advanced permission settings" and "workflow automation" features optimized for Japanese business practices. By systematizing manual operations in the field through these functions, it fundamentally resolves human errors and inefficiencies, strongly contributing to secure information management and sustainable corporate growth.

Survey Execution Company

Company Name: Fleekdrive Inc. Location: 3-9-15 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0022 LOOP-X 6F Representative: Chairman and Representative Director Hiroki Akiyama President & CEO Toshihiko Kayanuma Established: May 7, 2019 Business Activities: Development, sales, and support of cloud services Homepage: https://www.fleekdrive.co.jp/

What is "Fleekdrive"?

Fleekdrive is an online storage service for corporations with over 1,000 cumulative installations and over 300,000 users. It serves as a platform for effectively utilizing corporate information assets both internally and externally, not just for file storage, and is widely adopted by companies ranging from startups to global corporations.

In addition to conventional functions as an online storage service for corporations, it boasts strengths in "advanced permission settings" and "workflow automation" optimized for Japanese business practices, maximizing on-site operational efficiency with an intuitive UI. It enables efficient work even in hybrid work environments spanning offices and homes, as it provides quick and secure access to business files anytime, anywhere.

Details of "Fleekdrive": https://www.fleekdrive.com/

【Inquiries regarding Fleekdrive】 Fleekdrive Inc. Sales Department TEL: 03-6722-5015 FAX: 03-6722-5025 E-mail: sales@fleekdrive.co.jp * Currently implementing remote work, please contact us via email.