Implementing New Technology: 6 Tips Businesses Should Know

June 21, 2023
Executive mentor explaining intern or new employee online task pointing at computer screen
The state of technology is ever-changing. With each passing day, innovations, software applications, and implementation strategies are required. If your company wishes to acquire or maintain a competitive advantage in the market, it is important that it maintain technological relevance.

Technology can increase a business's profit, productivity, security, work culture, internal communication among team members, and external communication with clients through constant innovation and optimal implementation strategies.

  • According to a Data-Mania study, 90% of executives believe advanced analytics help their organizations become more competitive.
  • Spiceworks reported in 2019 that 57% of small businesses wanted to grow their business by purchasing new technologies.

As new, advanced technologies continue to emerge, old technologies will inevitably reach this end-of-life point. Adapting to new technological advancements is necessary for any company that wishes to continue operations. This article aims to provide tips and implement a guide that businesses can follow to ensure the successful integration of new technology.

Implementation Guide for Your Business: 6 Tips Businesses Should Know

The implementation of new processes, procedures, or technologies should be aided by a step-by-step process regardless of the size of the organization, whether it be large or small. Management should measure deadlines and progress checkpoints, communicate them to the team, and enforce them. Although each organization's requirements differ, these general tips can help ensure that critical points are not overlooked.

Analyze Needs And Requirements

Before purchasing a new technology, it is necessary to check its implementation process as a decisive factor. Establishing whether your organization will benefit from the new technology is the first step in developing an implementation process. Your organization is likely to have adopted a new technology because of a motivating factor or perhaps multiple factors.

To determine your need for new technology, consider the following factors:

  • What is successful within the organization? What aspects are profiting or advancing?
  • What within your organization is failing?
  • Where are opportunities for improvement? What difficulties are team members encountering?
  • What precisely will be impacted by the introduction of new technology?
  • How does your organization intend to evaluate the software or equipment?

It is advantageous for the workforce to determine the priority of key components of new technology to maintain a clear, sequential understanding throughout the implementation process. 

Develop a Calendar for the Implementation of New Technology

An effective project management calendar is crucial when introducing new software or technology to a company. A visual representation of milestones and progress points can keep employees, executives, and administrators on the same page and timeline. During the product purchase stages, ask about the implementation stages and adapt them to your company's needs.

Ideally, the implementation process should be divided into multiple phases, with regular review meetings to determine how well employees and managers understand each phase. Ensure your team stays on track with each phase's start and end date. 

Provide Support To Employees During The Implementation Of New Technology

It is essential to comprehend how easy it can be to implement new technology if it offers a transition path and training known in advance. With appropriate transition and training, a team will be able to realize the full potential or development possibility of new software or equipment.

An implementation training program with a mentoring system can aid employees in understanding the technology's newly introduced procedures and operations. Consider a comprehensive training program for designated executives and supervisors to share their knowledge with the staff. Once designated mentors have received extensive training with the new technology or software, they will have a genuine, firsthand experience of effectively communicating this information to other employees.

If you're looking for an easy transition to a new workforce management solution, we offer a one-day transition service, which includes team training and data migration, so you can quickly start using their platform without any hassle. The personal account migration manager will take ownership of the process, while the Data Migration Service (DMS) handles all the heavy lifting when migrating from other platforms.

Ensure The Technology Is The Right Fit Before Introducing It To The Team.

With new technologies emerging daily, it's difficult for businesses not to feel pressured to adopt new technology. Still, it's essential not to refrain from adopting a new, promising software or program. If your organization is experiencing a decline in profits, new client acquisition, or a similarly-defined metric, company executives may be compelled to purchase and implement new technology hastily.

When an organization implements software or apparatus too quickly, employees and managers may find technology overwhelming and discouraging. Before introducing new technology to the workforce, take the time to identify and resolve any flaws, defects, obstacles, and optimal training methods. Give the account manager in the new product you are interested in purchasing a list of the problems you would like to solve, so you can examine whether and how the new technology can help with that. 

One way to ensure the security of network connections during the implementation process is by utilizing VPNs. This is particularly important for implementation teams using macOS or other operating systems, as it can prevent potential data breaches or cyber-attacks resulting from introducing new technologies.

Try Out The Trial Period Before Making A Commitment

You should request one even if a solution does not offer a trial period. Make sure you sign up for the free trial at a time when you will truly use the product. Give the solution the appropriate amount of time and attention so that you can become accustomed to it; this is essential for determining whether it suits your organization.

Predict Challenges

Finally, anticipate roadblocks during this implementation process and how the new technology will integrate with your existing platform to prevent complications and delays.
The initial project management schedule you created in Step 2 will likely require modification or additional time between deadlines to account for obstacles. Plan by incorporating a few trial-and-error or additional training days into the timeline. Through customized, strategic communication journeys, employee communication software can maintain employee engagement and participation during large-scale initiatives such as introducing new technology.

Conclusion

Implementing new technology in a business requires careful planning, analysis, and execution. It is crucial to identify the need for new technology, develop a calendar for implementation, provide adequate training and support to employees, ensure the technology is the right fit, try out the trial period, and anticipate challenges. 

The successful integration of new technology can bring several benefits to businesses, including increased productivity, profitability, security, communication with clients and team members. By following these tips, businesses can ensure a smooth transition to new technology, keeping up with the ever-changing technology landscape and maintaining their competitive advantage.

This blog was written in collaboration with Cybernews.

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