Web 2.0 technologies are continuing to make inroads into the enterprise, but many companies are encountering difficulties when trying to implement the disparate technology sets.

A survey of 1988 executives by management consultants McKinsey suggests that while tools such as wikis, blogs and social networks are increasingly being taken seriously and applied to complex business processes, some businesses are struggling to tease value from them.

After an initial flurry of interest, some companies haven’t been able to sustain participation and are abandoning the use of some tools, the research found.

Only 21% of the respondents say they are satisfied overall with Web 2.0 tools, while 22% voice clear dissatisfaction. Further, some disappointed companies have stopped using certain technologies altogether, the report says.

Frequently cited barriers included companies “not understanding the potential financial return of Web 2.0 technologies” (28%), and a corporate “culture [that] doesn’t encourage the use of web 2.0 technologies.” Organisations who showed the most success with Web 2.0 tools said they had done so by integrating them into existing workflows and processes.