Making Software Adoptions Stick with Change Management

3-minute read

Quick summary: Successful software adoptions requires a strategic approach to change management that engages users at all levels. Find out how from Travis Jones, whose insights on the subject recently appeared in Fast Company.

Every year businesses spend millions of dollars on new software applications … and every year, up to 50% of those platforms go unused, according to a recent study. Sometimes the cause is a misunderstanding of requirements, or it may be a case of duplicated capabilities (purchasing two or more applications that do the same thing).

But in my experience, the most common stumbling block for software adoption is the human factor. All too often, organizations that devote hundreds of hours to selecting the perfect platform will give short shrift to the task of introducing applications to the employees who will use them.

Below, I’ve outlined a four-step change management process to help organizations address the human dimension of software adoption from the very beginning. I’ll explore how each of these steps ensures successful adoption by engaging users at all levels, giving them a stake in the outcome, and laying the groundwork for long-term change.

1. Align the adoption plan with organizational strategies

If a software adoption initiative lacks cohesion with the organization’s values and strategic goals, gaining user acceptance will be an uphill battle. Conversely, the more employees recognize how the change supports their collective mission, the greater the chances of success.

To read the entire article, visit Fast Company.

Travis Jones is the Chief Operating Officer at Logic20/20.