Meta: Exploring six best practices that enable enterprises to ensure effective digital transformation roll-outs that are embraced by the whole team Introducing a new digital tool or automated business process can cause quite a lot of enterprise disruption – especially when it involves AI, automation or cloud migration. It requires employees to learn a new tool, change the way they work and maybe even lose some productivity as they get up and running. It often requires a cultural shift and even some psychology. Many people simple don’t like change and others fear the possibility of losing their job to automation.
This is a topic I explored recently in an article for CMS Wire. New tech adoption is becoming a business imperative. An article published by Deloitte quotes Suresh Soundararajan, CIO at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), as saying, “the pace of innovation is so much faster today that if organizations are using something they built 10 years ago, they’re probably falling behind.”
So how can companies not only ensure a smoother roll-out of new tech, but make sure they’re adopting the right tools to begin with? below are six of the top tips that I shared in the CMS Wire article.
First get to the root of the problem. Before considering a solution you need to understand what you’re solving. Gather all stakeholders to identify the real business challenge and what types of digital tools or processes may be able to solve it. It’s also important at this stage to define clear business objectives, create a roll-out strategy and identify success criteria.
Become evangelized before you preach to the choir. Every vendor is going to tell an IT or business leader how their business will change for the better by deploying its CRM, chatbot or other marketing tool. Before you can convince your staff why it’s a game changer, you need to believe it yourself. Do diligent research and when you’re ready to move forward, begin with a prototype that can be tested in the field before too much cost is incurred. This not only ensures that you’re building the right solution, but it’s also a powerful way to convince finance teams and executive boards that the project is a sound investment.
Foster a culture of innovation. While this is something that can’t happen overnight, employing effective change management strategies can enable innovation to become embedded into the company’s DNA. This culture is fostered when all team members feel like they’re part of the decision-making process and have a full understanding of the project and its goals. Technology initiatives should also be executed gradually and broken down into manageable phases, with ample time for employee training and time for staff to voice their questions or concerns.
Establish clear tech governance. Especially when it comes to AI adoption or data-driven tools, it’s important to establish governance and set standards of use from the beginning. This may include designating how the solution can be used, how data is shared and kept secure and how it is disclosed when AI isn’t being used to generate content or communication.
Be ready to adopt new tech when the opportunity arises. Advances in technology come about quite frequently these days and those companies that embrace innovative solutions are often seen as trailblazers and best-in-class. So when new opportunities arise, it’s important to be ready. Companies should audit their IT tech stack regularly to see what may need updating, and keep room in their budgets for new solutions.
Today’s pace of technology innovation is constantly enabling a new level of efficiency, productivity and better business results, but it’s no easy task to roll out new solutions that can cause major headaches and growing pains as they become assimilated into the organization. With a strategic plan, however and an atmosphere of innovation, enterprises can ensure technology that sticks.
Interested in learning more about how Wovenware can help you ensure a smoother tech roll-out? Contact us today at info@wovenware.com.
