Organisations across all industries face the same challenge – successfully introducing new technologies. Unfortunately, introducing a new technology seems easy on paper but is the most challenging project for an organisation of any type and size. It is why experienced teams mostly lead such projects, but even this does not guarantee success.
There are numerous reasons for new technology project failures, including lack of communication among the stakeholders, unclear project objectives, mismatch between the technology and organisational requirements, no management support, and poor planning. It is why many organisations outsource technology rollout and deployment to IT outsourcing companies.
These companies are responsible for ensuring that organisational IT infrastructure is compatible with the new technology, deploying it, training the end-users, and providing technical support. This article will discuss the top tips to effectively roll out new technologies in an organisation from an IT outsourcing company’s perspective.
Rolling Out a New Technology
- Plan
The first thing an IT rollout and deployment company in Pakistan or elsewhere must do is build a solid plan. The IT company must ask questions like:
- Why is the organisation implementing this technology?
- What are the expected outcomes?
- What is the level of management support for the project?
- What are the success measures?
- How should the technology be rolled out?
These questions will help the implementing organisation to build a detailed plan. Please note that this is separate from a technical plan. One of the most significant advantages of using a specialist IT rollout and deployment company is having a team of qualified experts. As technology rollout projects are complex, such a team can increase the chances of success.
- Communicate
The next step is communicating the project’s intended benefits with key stakeholders. This point is crucial as it will help build project support. Most of the resistance to a project is because the stakeholders do not have enough information about it. For example, employees may perceive that the new technology will make their jobs redundant. If that’s not the case, communicate it to the employees to avoid unnecessary resistance. If there are likely layoffs, talk to the employees about how the organisation will support them or assign them new roles. Communication must not stop in any case!
- Run a Pilot Program
It is wise to run a limited pilot program to assess if the project will be successful or compatible with the organisation. If the pilot program fails, it is better to re-evaluate the implementation and technical plans. If alternative technologies are available, the IT company should conduct a feasibility study for them.
- Train the Users
The next step is to train the users. Technology will only bring value to the organisation if the end-users know how to use it effectively. Otherwise, the technology will be a failure and a waste of resources. For example, how many people know about Microsoft Excel besides its use for entering data? It is a complete data visualisation and analysis tool, but users are not trained in it. Therefore, to reap the maximum benefits of technology, users must be trained at least to an intermediate level. Some users must be provided with advanced training.
- Incentivise the Users
This does not fall under the purview of the IT rollout and deployment company, but they can ask the organisation to incentivise users to use the new technology. For example, users who complete the training exercise will be offered a cash bonus, an additional holiday, or any other benefit. Humans tend to adopt new things only when they see some benefit in them. Hence, organisations must put in place the right incentives to ensure that the new technology is adopted permanently.
- Monitor & Control
The final step is monitoring and control. If the implementation does not have the desired impact or meet its objectives, change the plan. Do not let the plan derail/side-track. The implementation team must work tirelessly to ensure that the project stays within the agreed scope.
Conclusion
It concludes our article on how to roll out new technology in your organisation successfully. The above tips will help organisations of all shapes and sizes roll out new technologies confidently and guarantee success.