You’ve gone through the hard work of selecting a new Workforce Management solution for your organization. But the real hard work hasn’t started yet. Implementing your new software will be an even more significant undertaking. And then you need to drive user adoption.
A strong implementation depends, in large part, on how readily your employees adopt the new technology and processes. Successful user adoption relies on many elements, including:
- Prioritizing stakeholder analysis
- Developing a robust communication plan
- Establishing a comprehensive training plan
Let’s take a look at each of these elements in a little more depth.
Promoting User Adoption with Stakeholder Analysis
Your new solution’s stakeholders will be using the system daily, whether it’s your head office team forecasting for the months ahead or your front-line staff clocking in. If you want your implementation to be successful, you’ll need to make sure you understand what they need from the system.
Engage with key stakeholders to identify their needs, expectations, and concerns. This will allow you to proactively address any potential obstacles. It will also have the additional benefit of starting to get your stakeholders alongside early in the implementation process.
Once you’ve engaged with your stakeholders, you can analyze the results. This will give you valuable additional insights into your users’ requirements. It will also help you hone your workflows and existing processes to ensure the new system has an immediate, powerful impact.
Your successful implementation involves customizing your new solution to your organization’s needs. Performing detailed stakeholder analysis beforehand will mean that customization will take your people’s needs into account. That will in turn increase user satisfaction and adoption rates early on.
“It’s about understanding your people,” Axsium Change Management expert Andrew Martel says. “The more you understand what your people do, what they need and what they want, the more you can build a solution and processes that will fit easily into their daily work and tasks.”
There’s one more intangible but vital element to stakeholder analysis that makes it absolutely central to your implementation. By engaging your key stakeholders at the start of the project, you’ll foster a sense of ownership throughout the business. That will inevitably help you achieve the high user adoption rate you need.
Communicating Effectively
An effective communication plan is vital to any project’s successful roll out. And it’s doubly true if you want to ensure high adoption rates. Clear, consistent, and timely communication has numerous benefits. It will help your employees understand why you are implementing a new WFM solution, as well as the solution’s benefits. And it will help you address concerns and uncertainties.
Your communication plan should use various channels, including emails and in-person meetings with staff. Make sure your people are aware of key milestones, get regular progress updates, and have questions answered quickly and comprehensively.
You should also create a separate plan for your stakeholders who will be interacting directly with the new solution. They will need to hit the ground running, so help them feel excited about the upcoming change.
“We typically use a Change Process called ADKAR—and the first step of that acronym is Awareness,” says Andrew Martel. “That simply means that your people, all your people, need to be aware of the change. As time progresses, that awareness should evolve, informing them of the benefits and capabilities of the new solution.”
A comprehensive plan and clear, open lines of communication will create a collaborative environment. This will in turn reduce resistance to the change and bolster your organization’s confidence in the new solution. And that will reflect positively on your adoption rates.
Using Training to Foster Adoption
You’ve worked to understand what your stakeholders need from your new WFM system. And your communication plan means you’ll be able to guide them through the roll-out. But without proper training, your staff will have difficulty adapting to the new solution and your adoption will suffer.
Develop a detailed training plan tailored to different user groups and accommodating various learning styles and skills levels. Incorporate a range of training modes, including hands-on sessions, online resources, and documentation. The goal is to make your training as accessible as possible.
Your training plan is all about fostering confidence. You want your end users to be able to confidently navigate the system and leverage its features. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’ve planned for every end-user and given multiple options to access the training.
“You don’t have one single type of person working at your company,” says Andrew Martel. “Knowing that, you should avoid having a single approach to training. People learn differently. And you’ll find your adoption rate will increase dramatically the easier you make it for them to get to grips with the new system.”
But training doesn’t end once your initial roll-out is complete. Don’t forget to provide ongoing training opportunities, including refresher courses and advanced modules. These will help to maintain user proficiency.
Avoid having a single approach to training. People learn differently.
Andrew Martel, Axsium Change Management Expert
Your stakeholder analysis and communications plan are designed to help your team to feel engaged and excited about your new WFM system. Your training will make sure they feel set up to use the system as soon as it’s implemented. And it will help them grow into superusers. That will do wonders for your adoption rate.
Ensuring Successful User Adoption
To ensure your WFM solution is successful, as many of your stakeholders as possible must adopt the new system. By analyzing your stakeholders’ needs, developing a comprehensive communications plan, and rolling out accessible training, you will engage and encourage your team to take up the new technology.
A high adoption rate isn’t just a useful KPI. It will help you to unlock the full potential of your new WFM solution. This will help you to accelerate your WFM practice and drive your organization to further success.