4 Ways To Ensure Complete Adoption Of Your Tech Solutions

When your company implements a new technology solution, it does so with the goal of ticking off a few boxes—some of which is to make processes quicker, easier and more effective. The difficult part is putting practices into play that will facilitate majority adoption of this digital solution, particularly at enterprises where routines are more set in stone. To drive that point home: 47 percent of companies haven’t even started on their digital transformation journey, according to research from Progress Software.

Here are a few suggestions for leadership teams who are looking for new ways to ensure complete adoption of digital investments to reap maximum ROI.

1. Set the stage for adoption. Before your IT department even sets up the first team member with a new solution, ensure that your employees are excited to adopt the new technology by showcasing its true value to your business. Having the CEO spearhead this effort will go a long way toward ensuring commitment at every level, from the executive team to every employee.

2. Make results highly visible. Bolster your team’s excitement about a new tool by championing its results. For example, if your procurement team can identify 400 percent ROI from a new strategic sourcing solution, make sure that they make those results highly visible. That way, the entire company will understand how they could benefit from the new tool. Championing results can come in many forms, from a shout out in your monthly email update to a formal presentation at staff meetings. The important part is to find what resonates with your team and share successes accordingly.

3. Develop a Center of Excellence. If you don’t have a Center of Excellence (CoE) yet, now is the time to make it happen. Select a team of individuals, whether they be at the executive level or deeper within teams, that can lead others in best practices for your new solution and support them throughout the adoption process. If your team knows they have easy access to assistance, they’re much more likely to take a stab at something new. Then, have your executive team report the success of these best practices in your leadership meetings, which you can then report to the board.

4. Be patient. Last but not least, be patient in the face of change. Just because adoption of a new solution is taking time doesn’t mean that it won’t work in the end. Humans are inherently resistant to change—but as initial adopters grow more comfortable with a new tool, you’ll see it spread like wildfire in no time, and when that happens, the ROI will spread upward as well.

According to a recent report from Harvard Business Review in partnership with Scout RFP, most companies that have ushered digital transformation into their business are adept at using digital technologies for customer-facing activities, but lag behind in digital transformation for non-customer-facing operating activities, such as sourcing and procurement. This may resonate to your organization, but it doesn’t indicate that you can’t make a full digital transformation a success for your business. By taking these change management strategies into account, you can lead your team to adopt the most effective and efficient new solutions in the new year.