Let’s look at a typical rollout of a new company-wide online process. Where the focus is mostly put, and where it is often missing:-
| Usual Focus (important of course) | What also really matters (so often neglected) |
| Hitting the milestones and deadlines set by I.T. department. | Preparing end users for the change that’s coming. Hearing their concerns and consulting with them. |
| Rolling out the system or upgrade as quickly and cheaply as possible | Securing full understanding by users as to why the change is necessary, and how it will affect their working life. |
| Making sure everyone follows the exact procedures that must be used, and knows the consequences of not following them. | Ensuring everyone understands the reasons why processes need to be completed in certain ways, even if it sometimes seems counter-intuitive |
| Assuring the users that the system is an improvement in every way | Being honest about what has improved, and what might have actually got clunkier… |
| Promoting the whizzy new back office benefits which will save the organisation time and money. | Asking users to be willing to sometimes put up with more complex or unfriendly systems in order to aid back office, and helping them to understand that this will in turn eventually benefit them and their customers. |
| Rigorous post-training test to ensure that only those users judged competent will be allowed near the new system | Achieving willing buy-in so that users understand the value of utilising and maintaining the system, and are motivated to do so |
If you are planning on rolling out a new online or IT system, give me a call and let’s discuss the best way of brining all your staff up to speed.