8 essential steps to successful adoption of enterprise software and tools
Software adoption is a crucial step for modern businesses. Whether you're a manager, director, CEO, business manager or CIO, understanding and mastering digital adoption is essential to propelling your organization to new heights.
However, this journey to digital adoption is not as simple as it sounds. It requires careful strategic planning to ensure that new software is quickly accepted and adopted by your teams. Digital adoption requires the ongoing commitment of all stakeholders to support its implementation within a company.
Fortunately, in this article we detail 8 simple steps to follow for successful software adoption in your company, and within your teams! 🤝
What is software adoption?
Definition of software adoption
Software adoption, also known as digital adoption, defines a process of integrating digital tools into a working environment to improve :
- people's connectivity,
- their efficiency,
- their productivity.
This includes the implementation of software and technologies, which must be accepted and successfully used by employees to improve their productivity by fully exploiting the benefits of these solutions.
💡 For example, a consulting firm adopts software offering a centralized workspace to improve collaboration. After employee training, the use of this software for meetings and document sharing becomes commonplace.
What benefits does digital adoption offer?
Today, digital transformation has become a strategic priority for many companies. The integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain enables companies to:
- automate routine tasks,
- improve decision-making,
- innovate their processes.
Focus on the benefits of enterprise software adoption:
Automate your processes
Automation enables employees to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks. For example, customer relationship management (CRM) software automates follow-ups and reminders, improving time and resource management.
It also reduces human error and delays, resulting in significant savings! What's more, maintenance on the cloud is much easier than on traditional storage systems, reducing IT support costs. 🤑
Optimize your resources
Digital tools offer better resource management, whether it's :
- task planning,
- inventory management,
- human resource allocation.
And better resource management means, once again, savings for the company and greater efficiency!
Facilitate communication
Some digital tools improve communication between employees via the Cloud, enabling teams present to share and retrieve documents quickly.
🎥 To explore in detail the issues involved in adopting software when implementing HR software, we recommend this webinar from Parlons RH:
How to implement a digital adoption strategy in your organization in 8 steps?
0 - Prerequisites you must not overlook
It's important to allocate enough resources and have a sufficient budget for software adoption, including training your teams to use the tools and technical support.
👉 Include an envelope to hire external trainers specialized in the software deployed, or to develop online training resources accessible to all employees.
Step by step!
1 - Research and evaluate digital tools
The first step in the digital adoption process is to research and evaluate the software available on the market. You'll need to identify the tools that best meet your needs. It's essential to take into account various criteria such as :
- functionality: will the tool really be useful to you?
- compatibility with existing systems,
- ease of use,
- cost,
- available technical support.
This stage enables you to make informed choices, ensuring that the digital tool adopted will be an asset rather than an obstacle for the company and its employees.
😀 O ur advice: use sites like Appvizer to compare software by category and make the right choice, according to your criteria. If you're reading this article, you've already passed step 1!
2 - Analysis of potential impact
It's important to assess the potential impact of implementing new software on employees and anticipate their reactions so you're not caught off guard.
💡 For example, the implementation of a new digital performance management system may raise fears among employees about transparency and their appraisal.
By anticipating these reactions, communication and training measures can be put in place to reduce the potential negative impact.
3 - Implementation phases
Establish a deployment plan
Divide the roll-out into clear phases with precise objectives and achievable milestones. This is essential for a project like this!
The first phase may involve deploying the software in a single department, followed by a gradual extension to other departments as feedback and adjustments are required.
By introducing the software in a single pilot department before extending it, the risks of major disruptions are reduced. This allows small-scale problems to be detected and resolved before they affect the whole company.
Use of a digital adoption platform (DAP)
Investing in a digital adoption platform can greatly facilitate the software adoption process. How can it help?
- DAPs provide real-time contextual guidance- in other words, instructions directly in the application - to help users understand and use features without leaving the software interface.
- They offer personalized training modules, tailored to the needs and skills of each user, accelerating the learning curve.
- These platforms help you monitor in real time how employees are using the software, so you can identify areas where improvements or additional training are needed.
- By providing solutions to common problems directly via the platform, DAPs reduce the burden on technical support teams.
- Finally, the feedback gathered via DAPs enables you to quickly identify weak points and implement continuous improvements to optimize software adoption.
We tell you more about DAPs, with a few examples, later in this article. 🤫
4 - Test phase
We recommend starting with a trial phase with a small group of users.
To do this, you can organize trials involving several members of the project teams, tasked with assessing ease of use, integration with other existing tools and potential impact on productivity.
In this way, you can identify potential problems and subsequently adapt large-scale deployment . 🪜
5 - Test feedback
Use feedback from the first team to test the software to improve the company-wide deployment strategy.
If test team users encounter difficulties with certain features, these problems can be resolved before full deployment. ☝️
Feedback can also provide valuable insight into how users interact with the software, enabling training and support to be adjusted accordingly.
6 - Large-scale trial period
Many software packages offer a free trial period. This allows organizations to test the software and decide whether it meets their needs before committing themselves. For example, you can try out a human resources management solution for a month to assess its functionality and impact on personnel management processes.
✅ If the trial is conclusive, the organization may decide to adopt the software permanently.
Once the software has been implemented, it is crucial to train staff and support them in learning its new functionalities.
7 - Training and supporting teams
Documentation and resources
It's important to provide detailed, easily accessible documentation to help users understand and use the software.
🔍 It's important to let them know where to find user guides, video tutorials and FAQs that cover key functionalities.
Appropriate training
Offer training tailored to employees' different levels of comfort with the software.
🔍 To make it easier to get to grips with the tools, organize basic training sessions for new users, as well as advanced sessions for experienced users wishing to deepen their skills. Management can organize meetings and training hours to explain the benefits of the new tools.
According to a study published by Cegid, 74% of employees believe that appropriate training is essential to mastering new software.
The importance of management support
It's important for management to show its support for the project, in order to facilitate employee acceptance and adoption of the new software. 🤝
According to a McKinsey study, 73% of change initiatives fail due to worker resistance and lack of management support.
To help employees manage the stress and fear associated with change, organize regular meetings where they can share feedback, voice concerns and ask questions.
8 - Ongoing evaluation and updating
Software must be regularly evaluated to ensure that it continues to meet users' needs. Updates and improvements should be made when necessary to prevent tools becoming obsolete.
Ensuring that software is regularly updated assures users that they are working with the most efficient and practical version for them.
This ongoing evaluation also helps to identify opportunities for improvement and maximize the benefits of digital adoption.
Have you considered a digital adoption platform? Benefits and examples of tools
As mentioned above, a digital adoption platform (DAP) defines a technological environment designed to facilitate the integration, use and mastery of new technologies or software within an organization.
These platforms accelerate the adoption process by providing training resources, personalized support and change management tools. 💪
5 features and benefits of a DAP
1 - Change management
DAPs use change management tools to facilitate the company's digital transition. They operate by providing:
- resources on best practices for managing change,
- checklists for the various stages of deployment,
- tools to measure the impact of new technologies on the organization.
2 - Content creation and management
Administrators can create and manage help content directly from the application. For example, they can :
- add new tutorials,
- update existing guides,
- customize content to meet specific user needs.
3 - Customized learning resources
Some DAPs offer customized courses on software operation. A DAP may offer specific training modules for different roles within the organization, such as :
- managers
- sales teams,
- technical support departments.
These resources can be tailored to the needs of each group, ensuring targeted and effective training.
DAP can also include a system of "pop-ups" designed to guide users in real time on their new tool, in the form of contextual messages. They appear to provide tips and tricks when using new features, or to remind users of the features that are most convenient for them.
4 - KPI tracking
Platform teams can track key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess learners' appropriation of the software.
For example, KPIs may include :
- course completion rates,
- assessment scores,
- user satisfaction rates.
These tools enable us to measure the effectiveness of software adoption and make ongoing improvements.
DAP administrators use tracking features to monitor software usage. They can use tools such as analytical dashboards to track which features are being used the most:
- to identify areas where users are experiencing difficulties,
- to determine which content should be retained or developed
- to adjust software functionality and training accordingly.
5 - Personalized support
Many DAPs today offer support in the form of a virtual assistant or hotline. They have an AI-based virtual assistant to help users without them needing to wait for technical support intervention.
Which digital adoption platforms to choose?
Whatever your situation, whether you're looking to :
- improve the engagement of your company's teams by making it easier for them to get to grips with their software,
- reduce dependency on technical support, and thereby cut costs,
- simply accelerate your return on investment (ROI) by providing your staff with the tools to become more productive,
there are software solutions on the market to meet your needs.
K-NOW, for example, is a DAP that works like an application GPS. In other words, it enables users to be guided step-by-step through their various business software applications, with contextualized help according to their profile and progress on the tool. When it comes to instructional design, K-NOW is seductively simple to use: you can easily create adapted content, then distribute it with a single click.
What does software adoption mean for your company?
Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) play a crucial role in the integration of digital technologies within companies. By optimizing performance and enhancing the user experience, they enable companies to remain competitive.
By following a well-defined strategy and using appropriate tools, they can succeed in their digital transformation and maximize the benefits of their technology investments.
Ultimately, software adoption is not just a question of technology, but also of cultural and organizational change. It is therefore essential to create an environment where employees feel supported and engaged in the transformation process, and where new technologies are seen as tools that facilitate their work and improve their performance.
Article translated from French