Implementing new software can be difficult, time-consuming, and stressful. Planning ahead with the employees that will be affected by the change will help everyone feel more comfortable with the process.
The keys to successful implementation of software are listening to your team and maintaining an open line of communication. From there, it’s a matter of being realistic with your goals, starting slowly, and not being afraid to change course when problems occur.
1. Listen to your team
Listening to your team members, especially those that will be most affected by the new software, is vitally important to the implementation process. You’ll want to get feedback regularly from everyone about how the process is going and any concerns they have.
When starting software implementation, listen to your teams concerns and even fears about the process. They may wonder how it will affect them individually, how much additional work they will be expected to do, and who they should go to for help. Listening to these concerns and addressing them in your implementation plan will help build trust and teamwork.
Work with your team to develop goals for the process as well as a timeline for when implementation will be completed. There are several steps involved in implementing a new software program, and you want to make sure you have enough time for each one. Also take into consideration the fact that everyday work needs to continue throughout the implementation process. This may mean that you will need to hire additional help on a temporary basis to keep things running.
Throughout the implementation process and once the software has been rolled out, make sure that you encourage your team to provide feedback. This feedback will let you know how successful the process has been, as well as directing any changes that may need to be made.
2. Provide consistent communication
Be open in your communications to your team. Let them know the good and the bad about the implementation process. Keeping everyone informed will help to dispel rumors and prevent incorrect information from being broadcast throughout the company.
Provide regular updates to your team on the progress of implementation, how you are doing in regard to reaching your goals and the proposed timeline, any setbacks, and any changes that have been made. Being completely honest with your team will continue to build trust and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
3. Be realistic
When setting the timeline for the implementation process, be sure to include time for training and testing the software, reacting to setbacks, and addressing how the day-to-day work will be done while the team is working on the implementation process. Training and testing often take longer than expected, so be sure to include some additional time here. Planning for setbacks and how you will address them will help your team feel more prepared to deal with potential problems.
Goals for the process should be realistic as well. Be sure to start with a small group of employees who will get trained on the software and begin implementing it. Once you see if the test was successful, then you can roll it out to the rest of the company. This testing phase allows you to work out the bugs and develop standard procedures that everyone will follow once it is rolled out company-wide.
Include time for changes or potential setbacks. Not everything will run smoothly the first time you do it. You may find that you need additional resources or need to revise how you’re doing things in order to match the software’s workflow. Building time for changes into your schedule will reduce the stress on the team.
4. Don’t be afraid to change course
During the testing phase, if you find that something is not working the way you expect it to, address it as soon as possible. Start by contacting tech support or your customer service representative to see if there is an answer. If the software can’t address your problem, brainstorm with your team about how you want to handle it. Be open to all potential solutions.
Once the team has provided ideas on how to solve the problem, make a team decision on what your next step will be. If everyone buys in to the next step, it will avoid miscommunication and keep the team more cohesive.
5. Start slowly
When implementing new software, it’s best to start with a small group or one department within your organization. This will allow you to test the processes of the software and learn how to best perform the work. During this testing phase you can make changes to your workflow to improve efficiency.
The test group should work to develop standard operating procedures for the rest of the team. This will help with training the additional members of the team and providing structure for the work.
Don’t roll out software too quickly. Make sure the test group feels comfortable with the processes and the performance of the software, then invite everyone to use the new procedures. The test group can then be the experts that everyone can rely on when they have questions.
Continue to improve
Once the software has been rolled out and everyone is using it, keep the lines of communication open so you can receive feedback from your team about the performance. This feedback will allow you to make changes to your processes, upgrade services, and address potential problems before they become widespread. Continuous improvement in your processes will improve efficiency and accuracy, saving you more time and money.
Change can be scary which is why with Premier Construction Software, our implementation team will be there to hand-hold you throughout the 6-week implementation process. We’ll schedule a business process meeting prior to the start of your training sessions to ensure we fully understand your business needs at the start of the process. When your team is ready to go-live, your team will receive a copy of their personalized business playbook to refer to anytime.
To learn more about how to get started, schedule a call with our sales team today.
