How to implement new software: Part 1 – Strategy
Implementing new HR solutions into your business is always an adventure. If you get it right, you have the potential to revolutionise the way your business works. Get it wrong, and you could find time and money wasted on perfectly good software that no one wants to use.
Choose your strategy
There are 3 key strategies that businesses use when adopting new software. Each has pros and cons. Which one to use depends on various factors, from the size of your business to the type of software you’re implementing.
Phased Adoption 🍕
In this approach, we introduce the new software little by little. For example, it could be done on a team-by-team basis. Or if we have HR tools with an expansive feature set, we could limit the amount of those features we initially make available to our team.
It’s a highly organised transition. Users learn at a steady pace and work within defined phases that they can understand.
We minimise resistance by introducing changes gently.
If there are hiccups, they are usually less critical, and we limit the negative effect to small parts of the business.
It takes a long time to introduce the software into the business fully.
If the system has interdependent modules, it will require careful planning to introduce everything in the correct order.
The implementation can appear confusing to our employees if not explained properly.
Parallel Running 🚆
This method requires fully running both the old and new systems simultaneously. Once we reach a point where our employees are used to the new software, access to the old is cut off.
We minimise any potential issues as users can always switch back to the old system.
There’s less risk of negative reaction from our employees because they still have access to their established working methods.
It can help our employees learn by seeing parallels between the two pieces of software.
It can be expensive as we have to pay to run two systems.
The transition can become drawn out. Users always prefer what they’re already used to and may be slow to adopt the new software.
We risk issues with data consistency and security due to functionality differences.
Big Bang 💥
Who needs subtlety? With the bang bang approach, all our employees are migrated onto the new software at once. We will severely restrict access to the old system and force everyone to transition.
The implementation process is short, which simplifies planning and reduces cost.
There’s no need to worry about the consistency between two different systems and working methods. Everyone is in the same boat.
Forces employees to adapt quickly.
Without proper training, our employees can become confused and make mistakes.
There’s a higher chance of chaos and critical issues.
There is no fallback. If things really go wrong, work will have to stop until we fix the problems.
Which to choose?
Which strategy we choose depends on several factors. The Big Bang approach might seem too risky, but it could be perfect for simple software. It’s all that’s needed for something like a basic internal messaging system.
We also need to consider whether this is an entirely new piece of software for the company or if it’s replacing an existing solution. If it’s a replacement, phased running might make more sense than phased adoption.
It’s not a decision to take lightly. Software is a powerful tool for HR. And like any powerful tool, misusing it can cause a lot of damage.
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