Software rollouts play an important role in the growth of any business. Introducing new software to your business can make your team more productive, reduce errors, save money on labor, and keep your customers happy. But software rollouts don’t always go smoothly. Getting your team to adopt new software tools can be challenging. People just don’t like change! Especially when it requires adjusting their workflow and learning new skills.
Introducing new technology to your team requires careful planning. Below, we’ll explore some simple strategies to ensure your software rollout is successful!
Identify Your Pain Points
Your new software should solve a problem. If your current system is working perfectly, don’t change anything! This will only provoke frustration from your employees. Before looking for new digital tools, identify the problems that your business is struggling with the most.
For example, many small businesses struggle with accounting. Outdated accounting practices are complicated, inefficient, prone to human error, and tough to scale as your business grows. If you’re facing bookkeeping problems, introducing accounting software can make a big difference in the financial health of your business! This is especially true for businesses moving into the mid-sized market. Business software for your enterprise, like QuickBooks Enterprise, will help your team juggle everything from inventory management to payroll. This is a great example of a software rollout that will address a real pain point for your business.
Talk to Your Workers
As Help Net Security explains, many business owners fail to consider the needs of their employees when switching from outdated systems to new digital platforms. Talk to the end-users before committing to a software upgrade. Tell your team that you’re exploring new software solutions to address the problem you identified above. Explain why you think the software will help and, most importantly, ask for their feedback. Your employees know what they need to work effectively and efficiently, so they should be your first source when flushing out software needs.
Highlight the Benefits to End Users
Even if your team agrees that the new software solution will benefit the company, they might still be hesitant to adopt the new system. Learning a new digital tool isn’t always easy. Many people aren’t confident in their ability to understand and use new technologies. As a result, they might dismiss your new software before they even get a chance to try it.
It’s important to acknowledge that introducing new software will create some level of disruption to your team. Try to show your team that this interruption is a valuable investment for everyone. Highlight how the software will make their work easier in the long run and why spending some time learning the new tool is well worth it!
Schedule Employee Training Sessions
D Techweb Blog stresses not to simply assume that your employees will be able to pick up the new technology intuitively. Modern software tools are fairly user-friendly, but it’s important to remember that some people are more tech-savvy than others. Even those who are comfortable adopting new technology can overlook the best ways to utilize new software without expert guidance.
Involve your employees in hands-on training events to help everyone get up to speed with the new software. If the software company offers training, take them up on it! Get an expert to come out to your business and teach everyone how to use the new tools. Remember that your employees will prefer different learning styles, so you may want to offer different training avenues, like online and in-classroom.
Don’t let your training stop with your initial introduction. Try to find a few team members who are especially excited about the new software and ask if they would be willing to help other employees navigate roadblocks during the software rollout.
Give Your Workers Time to Adjust
Patience is key when rolling out new software. At first, productivity might fall as employees learn their way around the new tools. Avoid getting frustrated with your team if they’re having a hard time optimizing the use of their new technology. Rolling out software is a transitional process, so give your team time to navigate the learning curve and adapt their workflow before you do away with your old systems.
Implementing new technology can transform your business. Although you may be really excited to roll out the new software, remember that your team might feel a little differently. Preparing your workforce for this transition will help people feel more comfortable about adopting new technology — and maybe even share your excitement about the upgrade!