Implementing new technology in your business is not always a surefire way to improve inefficient processes. If your corporate culture is not flexible and doesn’t easily allow your team to adopt new ways of doing tasks and continuously improve, often new technology implementations fail. Quite often, businesses begin the process of digitizing, thinking that the latest system will solve all their internal problems, only to find themselves in the same situation or worse than they were before acquiring new technology.
The truth is, it’s about more than technology. A strategic approach to change management, the involvement of stakeholders during the implementation, and an understanding of your business processes are necessary to ensure the adoption of any new technology. It’s about strategy.
Even the best technology can only provide the desired results when aligned with a broader organizational shift. Having the proper strategy and plan in place can help ensure your digitizing efforts match your business’s goals. Before exploring your next technology investment, conducting a digital needs assessment and developing a digital adoption plan are significant first steps before making any technological change. We recommended exploring the Canadian Digital Adoption Plan (CDAP) provided by the federal government to ensure you’re starting in the right direction. CDAP will put you in touch with a digital advisor to help you formalize your technology strategy. Additionally, the program offers eligible businesses up to $15,000.00 in funding and interest-free loans to help ease the financial burden of your technology project.
It’s about people
High levels of engagement amongst all stakeholders to embrace technological change are necessary to support employees during change. Employees who will have their positions affected by a new technology implementation should be encouraged and involved in every step of the process. Ultimately, your people must use the technology they are given to do their jobs. By including them in the implementation process, they will feel invested and better understand why the business is implementing new technology. Their involvement will also uncover any unforeseen issues before they become problems. In the end, it’s all about buy-in and adoption. If your employees are not part of developing the solution, they can quickly become part of the problem.
It’s about process
If your goal for implementing a technology is to improve upon Inefficient processes but the rest of your business is focusing on maintaining a specific approach to operations rather then adopting new practices to align with the implementation, it will always lead to failure. Your business’s technology often dictates how work is completed in your organization, whether a process is digital or manual, how, where, and when files are stored, or people’s responsibilities. Any new technology that helps improve your operations will mean these processes will need to change for you to get the most out of your investment. A culture of continuous change might seem like a buzzword, but the truth is, if your business’s culture does not help facilitate changes to your business processes around technology, this can quickly lead to frustration, stress, and a misalignment between what you do and your goals.
Engaging your employees from the beginning of the implementation process is a great first step to help ensure your employees are up for the challenge of trying something new. Engaging a digital advisor, whether independently or through a program like The Canadian Digital Adoption Program, can help you better understand your business’s processes and ensure your operations align with new technology.
Conclusion
New technology is great, and it’s proven to improve productivity, business efficiency, and, ultimately, revenues. However, technology alone will not achieve your goals. It takes a sound strategy, the buy-in and understanding from your people, and aligned business processes to make technology work for you. When your technology strategy, people, and process are aligned, you’ll be able to take full advantage of any new technologies and measure your success.
Contact us anytime to learn how Triware can help you strengthen your technology strategy.