Implementing new software systems is a significant change for any business and can seem quite a daunting task. While the decision is being made with the right intentions of achieving improved efficiencies and productivity, the onboarding process to a successful implementation can be complex and at times offer many challenges. To achieve a seamless adoption as possible, careful preparation and planning will play a key part. In this article our UK Onboarding director will give five tips from their experience of onboarding Prima dealers over the last 11 years.
1. Understand your Requirements and Objectives:
Before any onboarding process It’s key to understand and relay what your requirements and objective are. Ensure you have a good understanding of the specific problems you are facing with your current system and what potential opportunities you see in the future of your business that you want to achieve by utilising the new system being onboarded. I would recommend that you create a detailed checklist with the input of your team members of their daily struggles and request to see how these would work or what improvements can be made during the demonstration of the new system.
2. Form an implementation team dedicated to the onboarding of the system:
Onboarding new software systems always requires the input of dedicated team members to oversee the whole project. At Prima you will have the support of our onboarding team; however, it’s highly recommend that you have someone, or multiple members dedicated internally to the project. We recommend that the people who form this dedicated team are individuals who have a deep understanding of how the business operates on a daily basis, ideally, we would also recommend that this person can easily adopt to IT systems as it’s important that this person becomes an advocate and promotes positivity within the team for the reason behind the change. Ultimately the team you form will be the driving force behind a successful onboarding.
Choosing the correct software or provider to partner with is a crucial business decision that can significantly impact the success of your onboarding and future success as a business.
3. Evaluating and choosing the right software solution/provider for your business:
Choosing the correct software or provider to partner with is a crucial business decision that can significantly impact the success of your onboarding and future success as a business. We recommend that you research potential software partners thoroughly and think of their services as a whole considering factors such as accessibility to contacting them, the support they offer to their products, their business plan and direction/investment, experience with in the industry (including business connections), customer reviews, and the development of their software. Always ensure that you request detailed demonstrations on the software and discuss their plans on future developments.
4. Build an in-depth onboarding Plan:
An in-depth and well structured onboarding plan is a key roadmap to a successful onboarding. Work with your internal implementation team and the system provider to produce a detailed plan containing timelines, milestones, scheduled training, and deliverables that are key. When building the plan, make sure it is adaptable to changes and is realistic to work with. Keep referring to this plan throughout your onboarding to ensure the key deliverables are being met.
5. Manage Change and Make User Training a Priority:
Common reasons why the implementation of new software systems fail is due to inadequate training provided to the users and/or poor management of change. Ensure that your employees have an understanding of the new software’s capabilities/features, the long term benefits this will bring, and how it will impact their daily routines/tasks. Be sure to provide In-depth training sessions that address different skill levels and learning styles but keep the sessions specific to their daily roles within the business to avoid over exposure. Additionally, create a positive strategy of change management that focuses on avoiding resistance and promotes a smooth transition. Involving your team in the process by gathering their feedback it the best way to promote this positivity.
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