You might think, in this era of streaming, smart phones, blogging, podcasting, and cloud computing, that the entire world has moved to the fabled paperless society. But agency owners across the nation (and possibly around the globe) know better.
A member posted a frustrated query on Second Wind’s Member Forums about the difficulty of convincing her intransigent employees to embrace their agency management software as part of the daily workflow.
“We have been using [the software] for over two years and are still encountering internal resistance to doing more than opening/closing jobs, billing, and tracking time,” she said. She wanted to know if other principals had encountered the same problem, and how they had overcome the resistance.
Members Share Input
One Kansas City, MO, agency principal responded that they had gone through the same process, and that they had set goals for converting all paperwork to digital records using their agency management software (AMS). The principal said her agency wanted client contact reports, job input, etc., to be cross-linked for agency-wide access. This meant shifting from word-processing to AMS tools. Adoption had been a long process, but worthwhile. She offered her feedback on possible pitfalls.
“First, systems must work perfectly,” she advised. “If your employees find one glitch, they will use it as an excuse not to use the software. We also had a consultant come out to do customized, week-long training on site, and we sent key employees out for training.”
She also spoke strongly in favor of applying inward marketing tactics to ensure successful software adoption.
“You must show a benefit to your employees, such as how it can help them do their jobs more easily, save time and give better service to your clients. Also, try incentives.” The principal reported that they held a weekly drawing for a $25 gift card for those who entered time using the new software. Further, they made using the software an employee policy—just part of the agency’s processes.
“Just keep thinking benefit and WIIFM (what’s in it for me) to get them to use the software,” she concluded.
Over in Newark, OH, another principal confessed to finding technology “very scary stuff.” But he also stated that, as an agency partner, he saw the end benefits of agency-wide software adoption as “enormous.”
“Part of the sell may be that using your system benefits your colleagues and the health of the enterprise, to which everyone’s well-being is attached,” he affirmed, concurring with the “WIIFM” focus.
Offering another perspective entirely was Nick Tomlinson of Rebus Software, Inc., a global company whose software is positioned as “management software for creative people.” Nick had many years’ experience installing software in agencies.
“While the problem [of resistance to adoption] is common, it is not universal,” said Nick. “I have tried to identify why some agencies are better than others. The fact is, most people will prefer what is familiar to even the very best, unfamiliar system, even if ‘familiar’ is a mess of Excel, Word and Post-It stickers.”
Nick offered a few suggestions from his experiences.
Identify champions. Some people naturally take to new systems, so identify them and nurture them with extra training.
Have your champions train the rest. Internal, employee-to-employee training nearly always works better that an outside consultant. If necessary, bring in a freelancer or temp to free up some of the champion’s time.
Set achievable goals. Set a percentage of compliance to be achieved within a month, three months, six months, etc., and reward achievers. Mentor those who don’t meet the goals.
Set up templates and samples wherever your software allows. Most people hate having to create forms, but will use existing ones (with some persistent reminders to do so).
Persevere! All software adoption has a learning curve.
Commit to Training
The stereotype of older employees resisting technology vs. younger employees who grew up with digital gadgetry is an oversimplification: lack of training is always a factor. People of all ages resist learning complex new things when tasked with self-training in their “spare” time at work. Training is essential. Some employees will embrace the new stuff quickly simply because it helps them do their jobs, or the training fits their particular learning styles. It helps if the software creators have done a good job in creating the supporting training materials.
Carefully investigate any software you are considering purchasing with the following things in mind.
- Is the system right for your agency? Consider whether it does all you want it to do right now, but is expandable as you grow and your needs change.
- Can you customize the system to your specific business needs? Many software packages come in “modules” that allow you to use some elements and set others aside, or simply elect not to use. That’s great for paring down to just as much system as you need.
- What user training do they offer? Do they provide a certain number of training hours as part of the purchase cost?
- What kinds of tutorials are provided with the software? Many systems offer online tutorials. Ask to preview training materials before you make a purchase decision and get feedback from employees who will have to use those materials.
- Do they offer ongoing customer support? How good is it? Are there extra charges for using it?
- Does the company have a good track record for regular updates, fixing security issues, etc.?
Comprehensive agency management systems can be intimidating if you’re used to a patchwork system. Focus on the benefits to your agency and individual efficiency, and the day will come when none of your employees will think twice about using broad function agency management software. As Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never, NEVER give up.”
