Last time we covered how important it is to get leadership involved in the planning and adoption of new technology, and this post is going to share some more strategies about how you can get your organization aligned for implementation from the top down.
Know the Stakes
Making sure stakeholders are involved is crucial to a successful rollout, but you need to make sure you’re including the right ones and a variety of them if you want organizational success. To affect positive change, your stakeholders will need to be involved with organizational readiness, they will need to address user needs and concerns, and to help communicate the necessity of the vision. Most importantly, however, they must have an understanding that change can be both difficult and possible, as long as the barriers to it are addressed and dealt with.
Follow the Money
It is also critical to be aware of the financial parameters of implementing an organization-wide technological upgrade. However, many leaders fail to see the initial investment is only the start of the financial commitment needed for a successful launch. To get the most out of your new technology it is critical you understand the up-front, ongoing and post-implementation costs associated with your new solutions, as well as the investment risks necessary to earn an appropriate ROI. Having someone aligned with your company’s, past, present, and future goals can lend clarity to your rollout which simply might not be possible for an insider to achieve.
Reduce the Resistance
Another advantage to getting the proper stakeholders involved in the early stages of the process, is they will be less likely to resist organic change if they’ve been a part of planning it. By addressing concerns throughout the process as more people are added to the integration, you’ll have a team aligned from the earliest stages to the most current—and they’ll all feel like they have skin in the game. Having a unified voice is important, but making sure there’s a shared responsibility can be crucial in reducing resistance.
Implementing new technology can be intimidating, and we’ve all heard the horror stories about the money, time, and reputation lost from a disastrous launch. We’ve also all heard the promises and pipe dreams shared by industry insiders and tech providers. The fact remains that while launching new ERP, HRIS, HCM, or CRM can be daunting, the risks can be significantly reduced by pairing with the right partner. My team has a history of successful implementation of these types of programs, and we know how to help you succeed prior to launch and in the months following. Please contact us to see what we can do for you!
I’ll be back in a few weeks with more information to help you get your employees ready to make a positive change, and don’t forget to catch up on my other blog posts!
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