Adopting new practices and new tools is key to a company's development. Digital tools make it possible, among other things, to increase team productivity by freeing up time to focus on high-value tasks. But how can you be sure that your new software implementation will be a success? Introducing new tools can be difficult, and mistakes made during this phase can have consequences for your business. That is why it is crucial to have a clear action plan from the outset, to ensure a successful implementation and a positive ROI.
Here are the best practices to follow for a successful implementation of new software within your company. Ready to find out more?
1. Assess your company's needs
Before you start, it is essential to understand your company's needs and to determine the software's features and requirements. Your project team must work in perfect harmony and transparency with the software vendor. Take the time to discuss what can and cannot be done with it, whether improvements through updates are possible, and even whether help resources, tutorials or other materials are available to make it easier for users to get to grips with it.
2. Involve stakeholders
Involving stakeholders from the very start of the implementation process helps the software to be adopted more quickly. Change often worries employees, but digital technology should be a tool, not an obstacle. Take time beforehand to present the software's advantages and the benefits they will gain from it. That way, when they first use it, they will adopt a positive attitude rather than rejecting it.
3. Plan the rollout as part of your software implementation plan
Rollout planning must take into account the different aspects of the process, including user training, acceptance testing and risk management. The risks may be human - will users reject the software? How long will it take them to get to grips with it? Will their productivity suffer? - but may also relate to company data - If we are changing software, does that mean migrating our data? How long will it take to transfer? How can we keep it secure? These are all questions to consider when planning.
4. Assess the costs
Assess the costs of the implementation, including development, training and maintenance costs. Will your IT department be responsible for resolving technical incidents, managing interactions between several business applications and their knock-on effects, and answering users' questions? Or would you rather leave management and support to the vendor?
5. Choose the right people
Choose the right people to implement the software, based on their expertise and experience! Team managers have good business knowledge and are close to end users. HR departments, for their part, have an overview of the project. Identify the key contacts to lead this project; they will be best placed to respond to various concerns or needs. It is also important to agree from the outset with the software vendor on the level of support guaranteed throughout the rollout.
6. Train users
Provide users with appropriate training to ensure fast and effective adoption. Several options exist, such as classroom training, synchronous remote training, or tutorials, which often come across as long and boring. So why not use an application simulator for interactive training?
With our e-learning authoring software K-STUDIO, train hundreds or thousands of employees so they are immediately operational on a new version of HR or purchasing software, collaborative tools, CRM or ERP… You can cut training time and costs by +55% and increase learners' level of proficiency by +200%*!
7. Plan ahead to avoid a drop in productivity
A software implementation can often lead to a drop in productivity and affect employee morale. Some employees may feel discouraged or even overwhelmed. It is therefore essential to put in place a digital adoption process tailored to your needs, in terms of both resources and organisation.
A DAP such as K-NOW can help by providing in-context learning and real-time assistance, assessing users' needs while maintaining productivity.
8. Evaluate performance
Regularly evaluate the software's performance to make sure it meets the company's needs and users' expectations. Are your users comfortable using your applications, web portals and so on? Which features are actually used? Which processes are used most, and which least?
Our analytics platform K-VALUE measures application usage in real time and reports the key indicators needed to substantiate the expected ROI of your project. You have to know yourself before you can anticipate and improve!
9. Know in order to anticipate
Implementing new software takes time and preparation. Don't forget: your planning will determine how well prepared your teams are and how successfully your software is integrated into your company. If you want to build your future on solid foundations, supporting your employees day to day is THE key! Build continuous training into your software and develop the digital dexterity that will make it easier to introduce future tools or changes in your company!