New software at the office? Steps to help the transition

What if you were told that there was something that could simplify your life significantly, helping you save time, frustration, and even money - would you include that thing in your life immediately or resist?

The answer is not always so clear. Especially when it comes to the workplace; just because someone believes a new system will make major improvements to daily operations doesn’t necessarily mean it’s instantly and readily welcomed by all employees.?

A colleague of ours here at Taktikal shared that in a previous company, he introduced a simple new tool that increased automation in taking care of time-consuming daily tasks like responding to customers.

It seemed an obvious improvement to the way things usually went - manually searching through databases to find the right information, combined with lots of copy-pasting. So of course, the tool was immediately loved by all, right?

So very wrong. Even with a proper introduction to the tool with a clear explanation of the benefits, there was strong resistance with staff throughout the company. After all, they already had their set ways of doing things, why shake things up with some un-asked for new tool?

That lasted about 1 month. In this case, there was one team in the company that was much more open to the new tool and began using it right away. It spoke for itself because pretty soon, that team was excitedly sharing how useful it was with their colleagues. Not long after that, it was catching on across other teams thanks to this unanticipated word-of-mouth.

This scenario is not uncommon. In a workplace, employees go through training to learn the systems already in place at a company and gain a feeling of efficiency in their work by mastering their workflows. Introducing a new tool or system causes a certain amount of disruption. And change is not always readily accepted.

Yet new systems are necessary. As operations evolve and companies experience digital transformation, new software is developed that addresses pain points and provides simpler, more efficient solutions. It goes without saying that ignoring the advancements in technology and software would be a very quick way for a company to become obsolete.

But resistance to change within daily operations is to be expected. Why change things that seem to be working? However, as we know, there are many reasons that a system might need changing - cost, regulation changes, data volume, product offerings…the list really could go on.?

So the real question is:?

How can companies ease the transition for employees when new systems are needed?

We’ve uncovered some steps that can be taken to help the implementation process go well from the very start (hopefully). Here’s what we found:

1) Be clear about why new systems are needed.

Preferably even before choosing a replacement for current systems/software/tech. Providing a level of transparency into what is not working about the current system will help staff start to see that a new solution could just be something necessary. It’s playing into the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon - once they see the problems, they won’t be able to unsee them. This can help people become more open when new systems solving those problems are proposed.

2) Involve people in the decision making process.

People like to feel included. Especially when it comes to choices impacting their day-to-day or completely overhauling how they become accustomed to working. While the final choice is likely made by management, getting feedback on what features or functions staff could see being especially useful in a new software is a great way to ensure that their needs are heard, instead of just pushing new software onto them without any input.

3) Take it slowly and use a group approach.

The past few years have resulted in a lot of changes, both in our work and private lives. Many companies had to quickly find digital solutions that might not have been the best fit and are now transitioning to better options. With this in mind, it can be useful to gradually introduce a new system with a few people/teams/departments to start, especially those who are generally a bit more open or interested in new tech. We saw this in our colleague’s former company - those that became comfortable and positive about the new tool helped spread its acceptance.

4) Provide training over time.

Not everyone gets something the first time. Often it takes continued use and exploration to understand what they don’t yet know. Hosting one introductory training session is therefore not the best approach. By taking the time with different teams and being clear that support will continue to be available over a period of time while staff is learning the new system, this helps lessen the pressure of needing to suddenly change everything about the way they work with the same productivity expectations right off the bat.

With companies meeting the new year, many are looking ahead to see what changes can be made that will help with growth, a better working life, and improving operational efficiency. The systems in use inevitably play a large role in the company experience, so it’s important to take time to choose systems that are easy to implement, intuitive, and provide a clear benefit to the business and hopefully to the employee experience.

Document workflows are one of the main places companies are often able to make improvements. By implementing a solution that makes it possible to move previously paper-based systems completely online, it simplifies the process of managing data, collecting verified electronic signatures, and more.

No matter the type of new system needed, it’s unlikely that it will be met with open arms company-wide. It can take some time for people to come around to change, but when they are given the support and space necessary through the steps above, there is a good chance that with the right solution, it will be embraced more readily.

By the way...by the time our colleague left that insurance company, the tool was being used daily, throughout the company. Several people even told him they couldn’t imagine working without it.?