We often rave about the benefits of using software (perhaps we're a little biased?) but we understand that the reality of implementing new software can be more challenging, especially for your team. Having walked many glazing businesses through this process, here are our tips for a pain-free software switch in your business.
Keep employees in the loop
There's no quicker way for your employees to disengage than to feel like they've been left out of the conversation. Before you decide on a vendor, talk to your employees about what their pain points are and how those could be addressed. Once a provider has been chosen, communicate this to your employees and focus on the specific benefits the solution you've chosen provides for them. Ask them for feedback throughout the process and address any concerns they have.
See our post on improving employee engagement in your glazing business here.
Find the software superhero/es in your business
In almost every business, there is at least one person who is more of a tech enthusiast than the others — this is your software superhero! Get them on board right at the beginning of the process, they'll understand the benefits of using a digital solution quicker than their colleagues. They are more effective advocates if they aren't a member of management. You want to avoid at all costs the impression that this new solution is being imposed top down by the bigwigs.
Make onboarding tailored and interactive
It may seem efficient to get onboarding 'over and done with' by cramming it into a day-long session with as many staff as you can fit in, but it's an incredibly unproductive way to learn.
We've found that staff pick up new software much quicker when onboarding is broken out into multiple short sessions over a number of days or weeks. It's also far more effective to divide onboarding sessions by role type and tailor them accordingly, for example the accounts team will only learn the accounting elements of the software that are relevant to their job. When we're running onboarding sessions, we get staff involved in actually using the software, rather than just watching us demo it to them.
Bite-sized onboarding sessions combined with hands-on experience will have your staff comfortable with new software in a few weeks.
In summary
Rolling out new software in your glazing business doesn't have to be a painful exercise, there are ways you can mitigate the stress and keep your staff feeling engaged and excited. Once you've implemented your new solution, be sure to review it regularly and ask your employees for feedback.
