Propane Technology Fatigue: When Good People Get Tired of Great Ideas

Several years ago, I attended an industry conference where a speaker was showcasing the latest technology that promised to transform businesses. The software looked incredible. The possibilities seemed endless. Every feature was designed to save time, improve efficiency and deliver better results. Sound familiar? 

As attendees began filing out of the room, I overheard a comment from someone sitting behind me: “Great. Another thing they’re going to make me learn.” 

There wasn’t frustration in his voice, or resistance. There was exhaustion. 

That moment stuck with me because it highlighted something many leaders overlook when evaluating new technology: Most employees aren’t afraid of technology. They’re tired of it. 

Today, propane companies operate in a world filled with innovation. New software and hardware platforms, mobile applications, customer communication tools, reporting systems, business intelligence dashboards, tank monitoring solutions and AI seem to appear almost daily. Many of these technologies provide real value. 

The challenge isn’t whether technology works but whether people can keep up with the pace of change. 

Technology fatigue is becoming increasingly common throughout all industries. In many cases, it isn’t caused by a bad hardware/software experience. It happens when organizations continuously introduce new systems, processes and expectations without fully considering the impact on the people expected to use them. 

Eventually, even great ideas begin to feel overwhelming. 

What Technology Fatigue Really Looks Like 

Technology fatigue rarely announces itself. Employees don’t usually walk into a manager’s office and say they’re experiencing technology fatigue. Instead, it shows up in small ways throughout the workday. 

The dispatcher continues using spreadsheets because that’s what feels comfortable. The customer service representative keeps handwritten notes as a backup “just in case.” The manager attends training sessions but struggles to remember which system contains the information they’re looking for. The driver downloads another app only to discover there’s another update, another process or another workflow to learn. 

These aren’t signs that employees don’t want to improve. Rather, they’re signs that people have reached their capacity for change. 

Over the past two decades, I’ve had the opportunity to work with propane companies of every size. One common theme I’ve heard repeatedly: The simpler, the better! Propane marketers are incredibly practical people. They don’t wake up in the morning looking for more software. They want tools that help them do their jobs better, eliminate manual work and make life easier for employees and customers alike. 

The reality is that many propane companies use multiple software solutions to run their businesses. One system manages customer accounts while another handles routing. A third manages tank monitoring while a fourth provides reporting. A fifth supports employee training or communication. 

Individually, each system may provide tremendous value. Collectively, however, they can create fatigue. Employees begin asking questions like: 

• Which system am I supposed to use for this task? 
• Where does the most accurate information live? 
• Who do I contact when I need help? 
• What training did I miss? 
• Why does it take three systems to complete one process? 

When answering those questions becomes more difficult than completing the actual work, fatigue begins to set in. Technology should reduce complexity. Often, it unintentionally creates more. 

Start With the Problem, Not the Technology 

One of the most common mistakes organizations make is starting with technology instead of the problem they are trying to solve. I’ve sat in countless conversations where someone asks, “What technology should we be looking at?” The better question is, “What problem are we trying to solve?” Technology should never be implemented simply because it’s new, popular or receiving attention in the marketplace. The goal should always be to improve a business process, enhance customer service, increase safety, reduce manual work or help employees perform their jobs more effectively. 

When the problem is clearly defined, it becomes much easier to determine whether a technology solution deserves a place in the organization. Without that clarity, companies often find themselves collecting technology faster than they can successfully adopt it. 

I’ve seen organizations invest significant time and resources into new systems only to discover they never clearly defined the outcome they were hoping to achieve. The most successful projects don’t begin with software demonstrations — they begin with questions: 

• What’s frustrating employees? 
• What’s slowing operations down? 
• What’s creating unnecessary work? 
• Where are mistakes occurring? 
• What would make the biggest impact on customers? 

Those conversations usually lead organizations toward the right solution. 

People Support What They Help Create 

One lesson I’ve learned in my career is that successful technology projects have far less to do with software and far more to do with people. The best technology decisions often begin by listening. The people closest to the work frequently better understand the challenges. 

Drivers know where inefficiencies exist in delivery processes. Customer service representatives understand recurring customer frustrations. Dispatchers know which tasks consume the most time. Managers understand reporting challenges. When organizations invite employees into the conversation early, those employees become part of the solution. When technology is simply handed down from the top, adoption becomes much more difficult. 

People want to feel heard. They want to understand why change is happening. They want confidence that the change will actually improve their work experience. Involving people early creates ownership. Ownership creates engagement. Engagement drives adoption. 

Technology implementation is often viewed as a software project. In reality, it is usually a people project. The technology simply happens to be the tool. 

Sometimes Less Is More 

Technology vendors often talk about adding capabilities. Sometimes the better conversation centers around simplification. Many organizations don’t have a technology shortage. They have a technology accumulation problem. 

Over time, companies add solutions to address specific needs. Every decision makes sense in the moment. Years later, however, employees often find themselves navigating a collection of disconnected systems, workflows and processes. 

The result isn’t always improved efficiency. Sometimes it’s confusion. Before adding another application, leaders should ask an important question: Are we solving a problem, or are we creating another layer of complexity? 

In some situations, the most valuable technology decision isn’t adding something new. It’s maximizing the tools already in place. It’s simplifying processes. It’s creating consistency. It’s making work easier. After 20 years of conversations with propane companies, I’ve rarely heard someone say, “I wish I had five more systems to learn.” What I hear instead is: “Can we simplify this?” 

That’s a powerful question and one worth asking more often. 

AI Anxiety 

If there’s one topic contributing to technology fatigue today, it’s artificial intelligence. Every conference has AI sessions. Every webinar talks about AI. Every technology provider is discussing AI. Every industry publication seems to have another article about AI. As a result, many leaders and employees feel like they’re already behind. 

I hear questions like: 

• Should I be using AI? 
• What AI tools are other propane companies using? 
• Am I falling behind if I haven’t started yet? 

What’s interesting is that many of those asking aren’t resistant to AI. They’re simply overwhelmed by the amount of information surrounding it. In some ways, AI has created an entirely new form of technology fatigue. 

People feel pressure to use something they may not fully understand yet. They worry competitors are moving faster. They hear stories about AI changing industries and wonder if they’re missing something important. 

My advice is simple: Take a breath. You don’t need to become an AI expert overnight. You don’t need to implement every AI tool that enters the market. You don’t need to feel guilty if you’re still learning. 

The most successful uses of AI I’ve seen often start very small. Someone uses it to organize information. Another uses it to brainstorm ideas. Someone uses it to summarize content. Someone else uses it to save a few minutes during their day. Small wins create confidence. Confidence creates curiosity, and curiosity creates adoption. 

The goal isn’t to use AI because everyone else is. The goal is to determine whether it solves a real problem. Like any technology, AI should work for you. You shouldn’t feel like you’re working for AI. 

The Human Side of Technology 

Several years ago, one of our customers sent an email to our owners about their drivers. For the first time, their drivers were spending more time with their families. The software they were using helped reduce unnecessary manual work. Drivers weren’t having to come into the office as early each morning, and they were getting home sooner at the end of the day. 

The customer’s message said, “When our drivers are happy, we’re happy.” I’ve never forgotten that. 

In our industry, we often measure technology by efficiency gains, gallons delivered, reduced costs or improved productivity. Those metrics matter. But sometimes the true value of technology is measured in something much more meaningful. It’s measured by a parent making it home in time for dinner or a husband or wife spending an extra hour with their family. It’s measured by reducing stress and giving employees more time back in their day. 

Moments like that remind us that technology isn’t really about software — it’s about people. 

As new technologies continue to emerge, leaders will face countless decisions about what tools to adopt and where to invest. The best technology decisions won’t always be the newest or most advanced. They’ll be the ones that simplify work, reduce complexity and create positive outcomes for employees. 

After 20 years of conversations across the propane industry, one thing has become clear to me: People don’t want more technology. They want better technology — technology that makes their jobs easier, helps them serve customers better, gives them time back and ultimately helps them enjoy a better quality of life. 

Because at the end of the day, technology fatigue isn’t really a technology problem — it’s a people problem. And every great technology story begins and ends with people. 

Editor’s Note: The content in this article comes from its author, with assistance on the flow from Microsoft CoPilot. It was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by the author, as well as the BPN editorial team.