How to prepare your employees for a new software adoption

Win comfort, productivity and efficiency

Bringing new digital tools into your organisation can be highly beneficial, regardless of the industry. But often, it is a time and money-consuming process rather than just another task to complete. Defining what your company truly needs and finding the right vendor usually takes several months. Luckily, once the software goes live, its implementation and adoption should go smoothly. How difficult may it be to make your employees use the new software? It turns out that these last phases are often the most important ones as they determine whether the project is, in fact, thriving. Making your employees use the solution may result in a productivity drop if they do not see the reason behind the implementation and do not find it comfortable. It is thus essential to convince your employees that the software serves to help them. How can you prepare your employees for successful software adoption?

1. Choose new technology wisely

You may have vast business knowledge and several years of experience. Still, it does not necessarily mean you know exactly what your employees need to boost their efficiency. When acquiring new software, it is essential to interview the team and handle their requirements for a chosen vendor or include them in the business analysis process.

What you gain

By engaging employees during the process of acquiring software development at its early stages, you make sure the solution will meet their needs. You thus not only ensure project success but, more importantly, employee satisfaction, which, at the same time, reduces the need to convince the team to use the software.

2. Introduce new software

Once the software is ready for release, it is your job to explain the why behind the changes. Your employees need to know why the company made the improvements and why you chose these particular software features. Focus on presenting and explaining all the features of a new software solution. Present the improvements and show how they will affect everyday work. Briefly specify the implementation plan and set a few dates so as not to surprise your employees with the pace of adoption. Moreover, it would be best to prepare for many different questions because sometimes employees may feel uncomfortable with the innovation. Dispel all the doubts and show your involvement. Do not forget that feedback can be a source of valuable knowledge.

What you gain

If you inform your employees about plans and explain everything clearly, you can be sure they will be better prepared and ready for the changes. Thanks to that, the adoption may go smoothly, and you can avoid future problems. If users perceive changes positively, they are more likely to take the opportunity to improve their experience more eagerly with the new solution.

3. Conduct user tests

Let your employees conduct necessary user tests before releasing the software solution. The results might give you valuable feedback for the actual future users of the solution. You can benefit from that on many levels. Gather a team of employees and arrange early access to let them see the advantages themselves. Let your employees encourage each other to adapt to a new solution.

What you gain

The software solution will be tested and checked by the users themselves, and you will receive vital feedback. Thanks to that, there might be fewer questions in the future, and employees will work more effectively when they know their software better. Co-workers will be able to exchange information and share previously gained knowledge with each other.

4. Provide training

Teaching your staff is crucial. People need to know how to use new tools and software effectively. Different departments perform different tasks, which is why each of them needs separate and specific training. Also, people adopt new technologies differently. You should make sure all of your employees have access to training so that they can follow up with the latest technology. Make the training enjoyable by applying different forms like personal meetings with theory and case studies, technical videos showing the features of a new software solution, newsletters describing tips and tricks and many others. And keep it simple. Do not flood your employees with unnecessary technical data. Let them learn from the examples.

What you gain

If your staff are well trained, they will use your new software solution efficiently. You can be sure that everybody understands all the features the same way and knows how and where to start.

5. Set an example

People will follow their leader. Show them that you are involved and invest time in learning the new software and its features. Be an example to follow. Explain carefully and patiently how to work with the latest software solution. Attend training, ask questions and learn the software to show that you are not an exception while an innovation process is happening in your company. When people are encouraged to learn and train, their progress is faster and more effective.

What you gain

Your people will follow your lead, get involved, absorb the knowledge and make visible progress in a shorter period. The benefits can be noticeable immediately, as the quicker people get comfortable with new technology, the less time it takes to profit from the investment in a new software solution.

6. Make it fun

Let the events be exciting. Turn the launch of the new software into a whole recent activity. Interest people with it. Present it as an important event with a management board, music and pep talk. Take the example of Steve Jobs, who could always make the crowd amused and thus the event extraordinary. That might be a significant factor affecting the pace of adopting the new software solution.

What you gain

Employees will get involved and will go with the flow. It will be easier to lead people to adopt a new software solution, and it will go smoother and faster. Let that be your competitive advantage to win the competition.

The success of implementing a new software solution depends on how your employees will work with it. Be the one guiding them and encouraging them to make the next step. It is up to you what the process will look like. HeadChannel Ltd. can help you develop software that your employees will find extremely user-friendly and easy to adopt.