It’s a common scene, played out in businesses across the globe: a need is identified for a technology solution. Hours are spent cataloguing requirements, researching the marketplace, comparing applications, talking to sales people, viewing demos. The solution with the best fit for the organization is selected, purchased, implemented… and then nobody wants to use it. Even the most valuable, easiest-to-use tool is going to face stiff competition from the status quo.
So when you’re rolling out an application like inMotion’s approval workflow solution, how do you convince your team to actually take advantage of it and not to just use email or verbal approvals that they’re accustomed to?
Here’s how you can encourage the adoption of inMotion:
Support – Ensure users receive adequate training and feel comfortable using the tool. Make sure everyone has access to a support person, whether it’s an internal expert or the service provider, and offer refresher training as needed. Make sure new users are fully trained to use the solution, and that new application developments are communicated. Our dedicated inMotion account concierges are on hand to help you with all of this.
Measure -Some solutions include reporting capabilities that can give you metrics around user adoption. For example, inMotion’s detailed reports can show you what percentage of your content reaches a final approval, so you make sure that projects actually reach approval status and that they aren’t being left with an “In Review” status. You may also want to ensure that reviewers are providing prompt feedback. These metrics can do more than just provide accountability; they can help to demonstrate department wide improvements and value. You can also use the metrics to share the success of the solution implementation.
Encourage – This is really going to be dependent on your company culture. Sometimes, all it takes is a mandate from on high, and everyone falls into line. More often, some incentivizing is needed. Simply acknowledging team members when they use the solution can go a long way. Using inMotion’s dashboard for status update meetings and reports can encourage users to keep their workspaces up to date. And everyone loves prizes – randomly selecting a completed proof and rewarding the uploader and reviewers is a fun way to motivate your team.
Inform – Before you begin to support, measure, and encourage it’s important to make sure your people understand why you’re adopting the solution, how it benefits the company, and how it benefits them. GigaOm has a helpful post about how to get your team excited about new productivity tools prior to rolling it out.
Have you had success getting widespread adoption of a new tool within your organization? Encountered obstacles? Share them in the comments!