Johannesburg, 05 Oct 2017
When you decide to bring in new technology to help manage your business, you may encounter some hesitation or even resistance from your staff. Moving from manual processes to adopting an integrated and online system requires a significant shift in mindset from team members in SMEs. Craig Johnston, Marketing Manager of Bluekey Seidor, offers these golden rules to help your team make that move:
1. Choose the right technology
Look for NEW technologies that have REAL business benefits; something that can drastically improve how the business operates. Integration, for example, is one of the biggest improvements an SME can experience. It reduces the monthly cost and errors associated with manual transactions and labour-intensive capturing of data across various platforms.
2. Find the right tech partner
Make sure you get a business management and technology partner that takes the time to get to know your business, focuses on finding a solution that really works and is willing and able to grow with you and achieve your company's vision (for example having a presence in Africa if you want to expand into that market). The ideal partner provides all the necessary training, support, plans and timelines to seamlessly integrate new technology into the business; and becomes a trusted advisor during the process - from initial demonstrations to support after implementation.
3. Emphasise the benefits
Highlight the practical benefits of the new technology to employees. One client very successfully let their employees find out more about the new system and then share the benefits by running a competition. The company was divided into teams who were challenged to point out one of the greatest benefits they found and everyone could then vote for a winner from these suggestions. There were weekly winners for the duration of the implementation with extra leave days offered among the prizes.
4. Choose technology/system champions
Include all strategic players by involving a representative from each business unit from the very beginning. This way they can gain confidence in their part of the new technology solution and understand the processes and benefits for other departments.
5. Provide (ongoing) education, training and support
Training and support is THE single most important stage of any kind of technology roll-out.
6. Simplify how new technology is presented
Make sure your employees know exactly what the new technology is, what it does, and what the benefits are to them. Simplify how it works by taking a practical and 'on-the-ground' approach during the roll-out phase.
7. Phase new technology in
The more employees know, the better they can prepare for change. Make sure you have a very clear roll-out, training, support and hand-over procedure and strategy. This will help to ensure that your team not only adopts the new way of working, but embraces it.
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