I’m going to start out with a bold statement and say in this day and age, every single one of us has been impacted by a technology-driven project in one shape or another. Whether that’s a new computer system replacing outdated software or a physical upgrade to a device that’s at end of life. Who remembers relying on USBs for sharing big files? Yeah me, either.
When we’re rolling out new technology in business, how often do we consider the ‘Digital Adoption’?
First, what does ‘Digital Adoption’ actually mean and how does it impact the success of our projects?
Digital Adoption is the process by which users learn to leverage new technology (software products, apps, websites, etc.) to its fullest potential, so the maximum value can be felt across the organisation.
Essentially, it’s about understanding how humans engage with technology and making sure the right processes and tools are in place to support the adoption of new tech in the workplace.
Taking that into consideration, how often do you plan for how humans will respond to a new technology-driven project in your organisation? Change Management is a critical key to solving any potential issues that can arise from people not having the confidence to utilise a new ‘something’, but specifically having the conversation about how we are going to drive Digital Adoption reaps huge rewards.
With a suite of customisable applications in the tool belt and a gold partner to Microsoft, we know a bit about technology projects here at The Digital Project. Customers from all over come to us to solve some of their biggest project-related issues, so let's walk through the most common business challenges/assumptions we have helped customers work through when it comes to Digital Adoption.
Assumption : People will be okay to click through it themselves.
All day every day we all use a multitude of different technology platforms and devices – that’s a given. But just because that’s our reality, often we see businesses assuming that people will just ‘give it a go’ and ‘find their own way’ around, for example, a new application.
When we assume people have the skills and knowledge to use something and don’t offer the appropriate training, information, and support to set up staff for success - big things happen. And always in the shape of 404 error codes, loss in productivity, dirty data, and low employee engagement scores on those ever-so-important annual surveys.
Assumption: We’re replacing something that sucks, so it’s a no-brainer! People will just use it.
Sure, the old way of working is outdated and clunky and everyone complains about it. Unless you provide people with clear reasoning as to why they need to do an extra step in the new intuitive application that saves them replicating data, people simply won't do it. Why? Because they don’t understand or see the value! Although the old way ‘sucks’ they know the process inside-out and the new platform means starting from scratch with no support in sight.
With this assumption in play, come the time the application is live usage is usually incredibly low, the old software is still being actively used and new processes aren’t being followed – and If there are any legislative requirements attached to those processes that can have some very big impacts on production and KPIs.
We know technology is ever-changing and almost every day there is an update/upgrade or brand new piece of software being launched. Ensuring our people are equipped to grab hold of those changes with both hands and run with it ensures your business continues to be future-proof, the return of investment in new things is felt and people continue to feel supported and engaged in the workplace.
At The Digital Project, we have skilled professionals available to coach and support you through your end-to-end journey of implementing a new application into your organisation.
So, next time you are working on a new technology project will you ask yourself – What is our Digital Adoption plan? Does our Change Management plan manage this?