As a member of the modern workforce, a seasoned employee knows two things are inevitable: change and challenge. Bosses change, co-workers change, job descriptions change, markets and consumers change, and yes, even the technology people use to do their jobs change. All of these result in challenges in which employees and managers alike are still required to produce results. One time this can be acutely true is during a software rollout.
To be successful at maintaining employee productivity and morale during software implementation is by supporting:
Employees want to make sure that their work won’t suffer during the time of the software rollout or thereafter. They also don’t want their current work to suffer if the necessary training required monopolizes their time. Flexible training schedules and understanding from management on the complexities of a transition to new estimating software can allow employees to feel supported and less stressed. The balancing of the extra work involved in a software rollout and allowing them to focus on current project needs will be a positive transition for them.
Overly stressed, overworked individuals who are leading the charge on a software rollout can make employees want to quit. Software rollouts temporarily make for an increased workload for these individuals—longer hours, new skills, and processes—and it is incredibly important their needs are taken into account at this time. Time off should still be encouraged, their necessary budgeting needs to be supported, and technical support from the vendor should be easily accessible to them to answer questions or help them tackle problems as they arise. Strong and happy implementation leads make for happy teams and co-workers. Implementation leads also need to be able to focus on the benefits of the software rollout.
There will be some unexpected things that arise in a software rollout and it’s important to have some self-service problem fixes—such as real-time onscreen guidance and support—that employees can feel empowered to do themselves, thus reducing IT’s workload. During a software rollout, the IT department should be focusing their energy on solving problems other department members cannot fix themselves. This makes everyone’s lives better.
When employees give feedback on software rollouts and no one listens and/or their feedback is discouraged, employees stop talking and start looking for jobs elsewhere. Some of the best information a company will receive during a software rollout will be from its employees and the top should be listening. By listening, the company benefits, and employees feel supported in having a voice. Even if acting on the concerns of an employee’s feedback isn’t feasible, real acknowledgment of their needs can go a long way to keeping them on staff.