Your company or nonprofit is looking to acquire new software, or is otherwise going through a major technology change. Have you prepared adequately for the change?
You’d be surprised how many technological changes at organizations are handled in a slapdash manner. Before you begin, realize that this is a project, and should be managed like a project.
Here are some things you should think about before you even start.
Give the project a name.
It’s something everyone involved can use as shorthand, and that everyone in the company can rally around. Think of it as a product rollout, and brand it. It sounds silly, but it works.
Name a project manager.
This is true if you are working with outside consultants, or if you have an in-house IT staff. There should be one person — not necessarily a technical person — whom everything filters through, and who keeps everything moving and on schedule. Without someone who is ultimately accountable, and who can keep others accountable, things can go haywire quickly.
Make sure all of your executives are aware and onboard.
This seems obvious, but we’ve seen cases where the IT staff started something and some execs weren’t aware of it. Don’t leave the bigwigs in the dark, and get them to buy in.
Rally the troops.
A major technology change at your organization will likely be a shock to the system for employees, so they need to see it coming and prepare accordingly. Get all hands on deck for a meeting and explain to them the reasons for the technology change, the opportunities it will present, and especially how it will impact day-to-day operations. This way, employees are not blindsided, understand the project, and can look forward to their new tools. Separately, gather your managers and department heads to have a frank discussion of the benefits and potential pitfalls, as well as understand their needs and expectations of the new technology.
Keep everyone updated.
To create excitement and keep staffers and executives informed about the rollout, provide periodic updates on the progress of the project.
Prepare to train, educate, and support users.
This is vital to the success of the project. You’ll need to have training sessions with your users once implementation is close. Try to break the sessions down if possible to people who will be using the technology for similar reasons and functions; sales might use certain parts of it, while marketing might use others, for example. You should also have documentation, like a user manual, that is accessible 24/7/365 to users. For those questions the documentation doesn’t answer — and there will be unexpected things that come down the pike — make sure you have a staffer or consultant who is designated for user support.
Cloud 9 Strategies has implemented new technology for hundreds of companies and nonprofits. Feel free to pick our brain! Drop us a line.