The business world and the technological world must evolve parallel to each other. No matter your organization’s industry, implementing new technology in an organization is vital for staying competitive in the dynamic markets of today. Nevertheless organizations should proceed cautiously in deciding which technologies are needed and how to implement them - one size does not fit all.

At the BwB Advisors, our Technology Adoption Methodology (TAM) follows a 6 phase process and provides a complete roadmap from identifying an advantageous technology all the way through its deployment so that your organization can ensure success.

Phase 1: Initial Evaluation of Needs and Requirements:

The first concern in how to create an implementation plan is whether or not the new technology will be advantageous for your company. If there is a desire to take on a new technology, it’s likely there was a motivating factor, or multiple factors, driving the change.

Identify your reasonings for implementation; what is driving the need/desire to adopt a new software or hardware?

Is this technology to:

o Reduce costs?
o Track overall progress?
o Increase productivity and efficiency?
o Replace outdated or end-of-life technology?
o Facilitate communication between team members?
o Accommodate a business transformation to which your current technology no longer caters?

As a leader or manager in charge of implementing new technology in an organization, determining the specific needs for undertaking a new technology can ensure that the team benefits from its absolute potential. Think about answering the vital “why” question.

To further develop the need for a new technology, consider:

o What is working in the organization? What aspects are seeing profit or progress?
o What isn’t working at your organization?
o Where is there room for improvement? What pain points are team members experiencing?
o What exactly is going to change with the introduction of a new technology?
o How does your organization plan to measure progress with the software or hardware?
o How will leaders and managers in the organization rank priorities of what features or phases are to be introduced first?

Determining the priority of integral pieces within a new technology is beneficial for the collective workforce to maintain a clear, linear understanding throughout the implementation process. Deciding which elements of the new technology will provide prompt and effective solutions in your organization will help to provide accurate insight on specific priorities. Otherwise, introducing technology into a workforce too expeditiously or with too many moving parts at once could leave your team overwhelmed with information.

Discuss your team’s pain points and encourage honest feedback and suggestions from employees, leaders, and managers in each department. Points of frustration that one department experiences may be entirely different than the challenges another department faces.

When you observe what isn’t working, you’re able to identify holes or inconsistencies in the process. These holes help you determine the gaps that need to be filled, which indicates the specific technologies that could be most effective in benefiting the organization.

Phase 2: Develop a Calendar for the Implementation of your New Technology:

A project management calendar is an excellent tool for a company to ensure that its processes stay organized, especially when introducing new software or technology. Establishing checkpoints and progress points with a visual representation can keep employees, leaders and managers on the same page, progressing on the same timeline.

When determining how to create an implementation plan, consider separating the implementation process into several steps with regular review meetings to gauge how comfortable employees and managers are with each step. Establish a beginning and end date of each step to keep your team on track, and to encourage accountability.

Phase 3: Wait until you know you have the right technology before introducing it to the team:

With new technologies emerging by the day, it’s tough for businesses not to feel pressured to adopt a new technology, but it’s important to avoid rushing into the decision to take on a new, promising software or hardware. If your organization is seeing a downturn in profits, new client acquisition or a similarly-defined metric, leaders in your organization may be tempted to make a hasty decision in purchasing and implementing new technology.

When an organization makes a hasty software or hardware implementation, technology may seem overwhelming and discouraging to employees and managers. Take time to identify and work out the kinks, bugs, challenges and best training techniques before introducing a new technology to the workforce. If the new technology you introduce turns out to be the wrong technology for your organization, invaluable time and resources that could’ve been spent implementing the right technology were wasted.

Phase 4: Offer support for employees before & while implementing new technology:

It’s important to offer a support system for employees both before & while they’re undergoing the transition to new technologies. As soon as word gets out that a new technology is being reviewed or considered, employees will begin to wonder abouts its impact on their roles & jobs. It is important to provide the proper support. Once a decision is made, without the proper training, a team won’t understand how to realize the full potential or possibility for improvement with new software or hardware.

An implementation training program with a mentoring system can help employees to grasp the newly-introduced procedures and operations associated with the technology. Consider a comprehensive training for select leaders and managers to pass on their knowledge to employees. Once the designated mentors have extensive training with the new technology under their belt, they’ll have an authentic, first-hand understanding of how to convey that information effectively to other employees.

New training implementation technology is ideal for cultivating an effective and efficient training process. Instead of using paper manuals or monotonous lectures to train employees, use a program or software to keep employees engaged and attentive. Strongly favor interactive training programs that prompt employees to engage themselves with their training sessions.

Software training programs are optimal for providing solutions and real-time help for employees throughout the process. Employees may have questions or encounter challenges while learning the features of a new technology. Programs, such as communication journeys, can help to guide employees through the training process, educating them on strategic initiatives with custom communication campaigns.

Phase 5: Plan for roadblocks:

Plan for roadblocks during the process of implementation. Technology, especially recently-advanced technology, can be finicky. The initial project managing calendar that you created in Phase 2 will likely require some adjustment or additional room between deadlines to factor in roadblocks. Plan for this ahead of time by scheduling a few days of trial and error or days of added training into the timeline. Perhaps even complete a full pilot project first, if warranted. With major initiatives like a new implementation of technology, an employee communication software can keep employees engaged and involved through customized, strategic communication journeys.

Phase 6: Craft & execute multi-stage implementation:

Finally, an implementation plan is a critical for turning your vision for new technology into reality & provides a roadmap for delivering the desired benefits. The implementation plan covers key items such as:

o Provides clarity: Establishes clear smaller, actionable steps, making it easier to understand and implement the new technology.
o Sets priorities: Identifies the most critical items and prioritizes them based on available resources and timeline.
o Resourcing: Helps identify & allocate needed resources effectively, including people, time, and money, ensuring that they are used in the most efficient manner possible.
o Promotes accountability: Sets specific timelines and milestones, making it easier to track progress and hold team members accountable for their actions.
o Reduces risk: By outlining potential risks and mitigation strategies, an implementation plan helps reduce the risk of failure and helps ensure the new technology implementation.

Take a phase-by-phase approach with the BwB Advisors to integrate new technologies with your organization to ensure a successful implementation that leads to reduced costs, improved productivity and increased profits. Reach out to us to see how our Technology Adoption Methodology can help you by clicking here.

Note: Although components of Change Management are present, tailored CM approaches should be determined by the type of project, industry, corporate leadership style, and other considerations that need to be defined.

February 2023   /   Insights   /   By: Mike Del Prado