Over 70% of projects fail to be launched, go over budget, or result in unmet expectations. But when it comes to digital transformation projects in today’s digital era — not innovating isn’t an option. According to PwC, 60% of leaders believe digital transformation was their most critical growth driver in 2022.

While digital transformation is a powerful force, executives must facilitate user adoption to reap its benefits. With a dedicated focus on mobilizing change, this blog outlines how to facilitate user adoption and measure success.

What is Change Management?

Change management encompasses the methods a company uses to define and implement change within internal and external processes. These methods include identifying the steps required for change, preparing and supporting employees, and monitoring activities to guarantee a successful implementation. In essence, change management is a repeatable process that uses a holistic set of tools to drive meaningful change.

Why is User Adoption Critical to Change Management?

Implementing a digital transformation project impacts essential aspects of employees’ everyday jobs. It requires new processes, systems, reporting structures, roles, tools, attitudes, and behaviors. Such changes can cause discomfort among teams and build resistance to new ways of doing things.

Dispelling this resistance is key to a project’s success in many ways. After all, a company’s people are the ones who bring changes to fruition. Managing the people side of change has many benefits, including:

• Improved Project Outcomes — Ensuring good user adoption enables organizations to achieve optimal results and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
• Better Team Cohesion — When all employees follow a standard approach and belief system, there is less friction on and between teams.
• Efficiency Gains — With all hands on deck, projects will run more smoothly, cost less, and take less time to complete.
• Increased Project Control — With a comprehensive user adoption plan, companies can keep tabs on the amount of change occurring to ensure that too much isn’t happening at once.

The Right Mindset to Drive User Adoption

Creating the right mindset to encourage user adoption requires leaders to plan ahead and invest in their teams. The below tips can go a long way in encouraging user adoption and improving outcomes:

Outline why the change is happening — Explaining why the solution is being implemented will motivate more users to embrace it. Employees who don’t understand the reasons behind the change are less likely to adopt it.

Delegate responsibilities — When employees understand their responsibilities, they’re more motivated and aware of expectations. Creating and distributing a document that outlines each employee’s responsibilities helps everyone feel they’re playing a valuable role.

Invest in proper training — Group training, one-on-one sessions, training videos, FAQ sheets, and other training resources go a long way. Closing technical knowledge gaps is critical to boosting adoption.

Enlist change champions — This group includes tech-savvy, respected peers who advocate for change and influence the rest of the organization to embrace it. It includes front-line employees, managers, and leadership members who make others feel comfortable sharing concerns.

Lock in executive support — Sometimes, executives will announce a change but not be involved in or endorse it. When leaders are engaged throughout the project and can communicate what’s happening, they often encourage others to buy in.

Wrap-Up

At Gerent, we understand the critical role user adoption plays in each digital transformation project. Our increasingly digitalized world calls for such projects to launch more frequently — and our objective is to ensure yours is successful.

We are prepared to empower your business, its leaders, and its employees. While our User Adoption Guide is a great place to start, our dedicated experts are ready to provide your organization with specialized user adoption support anytime you need it.

To learn more about how we can help your company thrive in its transformative journey, get in touch with us today!