Introducing new software to your business can be trying even in the best of circumstances, but if your team is rather tech-challenged you will face additional obstacles. Managing resistance to change in the workplace—especially tech-based change—is tricky when your team is set in their ways. Fortunately, there are some foolproof ways to introduce new software to even the most reluctant adopters.
Focus On Usability
Before deciding to purchase any new software for your business, there are any number of things you should take into consideration, such as cost and need. You should focus particularly on how user-friendly the software is going to be for your tech-challenged team. If your company already uses an older version of the same software, consider just updating rather than switching to a whole new program. In many cases, older software is less user-friendly than newer software anyway, so this can be a major selling point to your employees.
Carefully Make Your Case
In order to convince your team to want to upgrade and use the software when it’s in place, you will need to present it to them in a way that showcases the necessity and benefits of the change. When you make the announcement to your employees, explain why making the switch will make their work easier as well as benefit the company. Be encouraging and tell them that you’ve chosen user-friendly software which they should be able to learn to use without too much issue.
Assign Good Teachers
Because your team is tech-challenged, you will need one or more people who are tech-savvy to teach your employees how to use the new software. This is especially true if you’re implementing software which affects your employees’ day-to-day duties, like GPS fleet management software. Whether it is you or an employee you designate, someone in your office needs to teach themselves to be an expert on the new software so it can be taught to employees. You can also consider making some sort of hiring arrangement with an IT professional or taking advantage of any help the software manufacturer provides (whether that is in the form of guides, phone support, or in-person training sessions). You can also invest in learning materials (common for mainstream software) that employees can consult when they have a problem with the software.
Get Used to Managing Resistance to Change
Even after implementing new software at your business, it can be a challenge to get employees to actually use it, especially if they are not tech savvy, confused, or just prefer doing things the way they’ve always done them. When planning out the transition, don’t just consider the implementation a project with a definitive end date. Continue to reiterate the necessity for usage, fix or alter the plan, and focus on desired outcomes. Perhaps insist that reports must be generated or printed using the new software.
Even if you have a particularly non-tech savvy team of employees, technology continues to upgrade, grow, and change, so it’s imperative that your business continues to look for and implement new software solutions. Make the transition easier by following the tips outlined in this guide.
