This article will provide you with 5 tips and best practices for how you can adopt the AskCody Platform in your organization.
1. Start early
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you want to adopt the AskCody Platform in your organization is to inform, involve and train too late. This is why we also advise you to “set the right team” at the very beginning of the implementation. Not only for the purpose of the technical setup of the Platform but to be sure to identify and involve key end-users early. The Key end-users are a valuable asset at this time in the implementation because they bring insights to their current process of booking and their daily pains so you know how to configure the platform to make them work smarter, easier, and more efficient.
When looking at the value of involving key end-user early, from an adoption point of view, we learned that the resistance to change is one of the biggest barriers to successful software adoption, and by making the user feel like they have an influence on the processes being created and set up the platform, will help to break down that resistance.
So remember to plan and involve the end-user already at the beginning of your implementation of the Platform.
2. Identify your Key end-users
If we circle back to the Software adoption model shown in the previous article, Prepare for end-user Adoption, you should always try to win over the Innovators and Early adopters first before moving on to the early majority and so on. Simply because Innovators and early adopters are the ones who will get the most excited about new software being implemented in your organization. Once you’ve set them up as your internal AskCody champions, they’ll be more than happy to not only adopt it in their own daily tasks but their enthusiasm for the platform can be used to encourage even the most resistant employees to give it a try.
Now we know, we need to start involving the Key end-users early, and we know the Key end-users should be innovators and early adopters, so in practice “how do we identify them”?
When we talk about the adoption of the whole AskCody Platform, it will of course involve a lot of different departments because AskCody is a platform with many touchpoints in your organization. From the secretary to the receptionist, to the service staff, the facility managers, IT, finance, etc. But we would advise you to split your employees into either the specific user groups as just mentioned, or by department, or office. take a look at what makes sense in your organization. From each of these groups, you will identify who is the innovators and the early adopters. If this is tricky, you could reach out and ask themself or their managers -they are perhaps more likely to pin out the right ones for you to contact.
It is important to have innovators and early adopters represented from each group because your fines job is to make them the Internal AskCody champions. They will help you crack the code to get those Late Majority and Laggards onboard because they then will have someone close to them, talking good about the “new” system.
3. Communication
The right communication is really important when creating a successful adoption. Nobody, not even your innovators, and early adopters appreciate change when it’s sprung on them. Communication, therefore, is the most important step for securing a good adoption of the Add-ins.
Referring to tip nr. 1 Start early, not only by involving your key end-users but also with the communication. Sending out a few sporadic emails a few days before the Add-ins goes live, will not be enough. It requires a solid plan that starts a few months before with Announcement emails, Introduction meetings, Training, Tests, Follow up sessions, etc.
But one thing to remember is that the best communication goes two ways!
Your employees’ routines are changing, new habits need to be formed, and, if they’re responsible for the implementation, they are going to need to work out the kinks as they go along. It can be hard to understand just how much stress this new change can cause, so remember to hear them out.
Give them a chance to give you their feedback and tell you what concerns they have regarding taking specific parts of the Platform into use before you go live. This gives you the opportunities to catch them and turn their concerns around, instead of them ending up not being adopted. This makes them feel heard and listen to, even if you don’t have the answer to their question.
Also, be sure to carefully consider the language you’re using when introducing the new software to your organization. Using language like “game-changer”, or “the new way of doing things”, for instance, could put people on their guard and get defensive. I will encourage you to use language that helps them recognize the benefits of the Platform, “The Platform will simplify your processes”, “it will make your job easier”, for example.
4. Let them know WHY
We already know that most of your employees might be resistant to change, and it is, therefore, important to give them a good reason WHY. If you put in the effort and time to really explain the benefits and why the organization has chosen to go with the AskCody Platform and not something else, and how it can make their daily tasks easier, faster and save them time, you can build up excitement around the Add-ins and the following adoption program.
It is not only important to give them the benefits around their own position and area, but give them the full picture of why AskCody was the right choice because the Platform solves pains and makes processes better across the whole organization and not just for them.
So by having a big focus on “what’s-in-it-for-me” can help them embrace the platform and be more open to the changes.
5. Product Training
Product Training is a key part of your way to creating a successful adoption program. Having training sessions is a great tool to set your employees up for success when they start their new journey with the Platform.
There are a few things you can do to create effective product training:
- Keep the training sessions relevant
You can do that by understanding the processes of your different user groups and how they currently are working. This will help you make your different training sessions relevant for them. Your product training should be customized to every user group with a big focus on WHY this is important for them. - Create engaging training
When creating engaging training sessions, it is important that it does not just consist of show and tell. Be sure you plan some sessions where they get the time to try out the Add-ins themself, in their own environment. And that there is time and place for them to ask questions.
Another way you can engage the employees in your training sessions is by creating mini-games, quizzes, or reward programs. - Make the training accessible
Employees today want the freedom to learn wherever and whenever they want. Think about how you can make the training more accessible, by for example hosting the sessions online, recording the sessions for the users to see when they want, and having Q&A sessions live, You can place all material online, etc.
This might help you get a little bit more people on board, for those that might not be able to make it for the physical sessions.
Next Step: Content to support adoption of the AskCody Platform