Careful consideration at the end user level should be given to any process, technology or application upgrade. Beyond the cost of servers, equipment, software, licenses, integration, and downtime, it’s going through all of this only to have very few adopt the update or worse, use the update the least. possible.
Now, it’s just human nature: everyone resists change (including you). That is why it is imperative that you consider your end users early in the selection of any technology. Some things to ponder include:
- Use familiar tools whenever possible. A lot can be done with just one phone these days!
- Try not to add another physical thing for them to take care of, carry or carry. Web-based solutions, such as Unified Messaging, require nothing more than an email address or an Internet connection.
- If you add another piece of equipment, try to make it do double duty. A Treo is the equivalent of a Blackberry (TM) + cell phone (+ PDA; + mp3 player, etc.)
- If you can improve a known process, so much the better! Definitely update rather than introduce new ones.
- End user training is vital. Consider the cost of individual, group, or online training for each type of user.
- Along with training, add end-user manuals, reference materials, and online access to support for better adoption.
Lack of training is often seen as the reason new technology fails. However, not all users are consummate software manipulators or even typists. If a software or technology requires all users to be, it may not be your best option.
And a word of caution: don’t just listen to a consultant say they have to make their workers do it “this way.” The work your staff has been doing existed long before there was technology to help or consultants to earn money from their referrals. Sure, there will be cases where you’ll have to say it’s “my way or the highway”, but those should be few and far between.
In fact, survey your users, those in the trenches, ask them what they like and what they don’t like about the processes, technology, software and equipment they use every day to perform their functions. Also ask about the software and processes used by previous employers and if they liked it better (and why). You will be amazed at how much valuable information and insights you gain.
Using that information, you and your consultants can adjust the technology to the job (and if the technology cannot be modified, you know to keep looking). The way I see it, it is much better to have a happy staff than a happy consultant any day.
In the end, tailor the upgrade to the end user rather than the other way around to get the best possible return on your technology investment.