Any process, technology or application upgrade should be carefully considered at the end user level. Beyond the cost of servers, equipment, software, licenses, integration, and downtime, you’re going through it all just to have very few adopt the update, or worse, use the update as little as possible. .
Now, it’s just human nature: everyone resists change (even you). That’s why it’s imperative that you consider your end users early in any technology selection. Some things to ponder include:
- Use familiar tools whenever possible. Today many things can be done with just a phone!
- Try not to add another physical thing to care for, carry or transport. Web-based solutions like Unified Messaging require nothing more than an email address or an Internet connection.
- If you add another piece of equipment, try to make it do double duty. A Treo is the equivalent of a Blackberry(TM) + cell phone (+PDA; +mp3 player, etc.)
- If you can improve a known process, all the better! Definitely update instead of introducing something new.
- End user training is vital. Consider the cost of individual, group or online training for each type of user.
- Along with training, add end-user manuals, reference materials, and online access to support for better adoption.
Lack of training is often heard as the reason new technology fails. However, not all users are consummate software manipulators, or even typists. If a piece of software or technology requires all users to be, it may not be your best option.
And a word of warning: Don’t just listen to a consultant say you have to make your workers do it “this way.” The work his staff has been doing existed long before there was technology to help or consultants to make money off of his recommendations. Sure, there will be instances where you’ll have to say it’s “my way or the highway,” but those should be few and far between.
In fact, poll your users, the ones in the trenches, ask them what they like and don’t like about the processes, technology, software, and equipment they use every day to perform their jobs. Also ask about the software and processes used at previous employers and if they liked it better (and why). You will be amazed at the amount of valuable information and insights you gain.
From that information, you and your consultant(s) can adjust the technology to work (and if the technology can’t be adjusted, you know to keep looking). The way I see it, it’s much better to have a happy staff than a happy consultant any day!
In the end, tailor the upgrade to the end user and not the other way around to get the best possible return on your technology investment.