Technology Implementation – Executive Primer: Solving User Adoption
July / August 2007
Technology Implementation
Executive Primer: Solving User Adoption
If you introduce information technology (IT) into your organization, expect resistance. “We do not have time for this!” “It costs too much!” “We’re already doing a great job!” How many times have you heard statements like these? Perhaps, you have even said as much yourself.
If you introduce information technology (IT) into your organization, expect resistance. “We do not have time for this!” “It costs too much!” “We’re already doing a great job!” How many times have you heard statements like these? Perhaps, you have even said as much yourself.
It is often debatable whether a new system will help. But, once it is here, the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that to get any benefit, it needs to be used. IT-enabled improvement projects have an undeniable dependency on user acceptance for success.
Successful information technology adoption occurs when your user population understands its value and uses it as it was intended to be used. This is easier said than done. User adoption is a challenge for everyone. Traditionally, it has been thought of as an IT problem: How can we get them to use the new system? The truth is, however, as leaders of organizations that need to use the new IT, adoption is your problem as well. For your organization to benefit, your people need to use it. You will need to use it, too.
As a principal consultant for one of the Big-4, I had the opportunity to work on, and lead, some of the most complicated information technology adoption programs outside of healthcare. Common issues surfaced with these implementations. Each one was a warning sign that end-user acceptance would not go as planned:
- The reasons for change were clear at the higher levels of the organization but not the end users.
- Commitment and leadership were inconsistent.
- Expectations for the technology varied greatly and were often unrealistic.
- Time pressures resulted in more emphasis on getting the system up and running than on implementing true performance improvement.
- Changes in workflow were not sufficiently integrated with the new technology.
The Main Lesson
I saw these issues time and again, worked through the resulting organizational resistance, and learned this lesson: The way you implement affects user adoption. If you implement correctly — follow a methodology, have the right sponsor, involve the right people, communicate — the risk of low user adoption can be minimized.
The good news is you have more control over adoption than you think. The bad news is the vicissitudes of the implementation remain. Whether you are a small organization or are dealing with thousands of potential end users, implementations are complex. Where should you focus? The answer involves more than leadership, training, and communications. Those are, of course, important. But, to increase adoption, you need methods-based strategies.
Five Strategies
The following strategies are opportunities to stay ahead of resistance and get an understanding of the issues that can impede adoption. When and how you use them depends on your situation.
Build and use a realistic case for change.
The change process begins when stakeholders first hear there might be a switch to new IT. Regardless of industry, type of organization, or level of employee, the first question you will have to answer is: What’s in it for me? It may never get asked aloud, but it is there. Even if the answer is nothing, it is important to answer the question. The case for change is your chance to describe to your stakeholders why using the new IT is in their interest — in a way they will hear. A case for change that is well-constructed and communicated can go a long way to overcome resistance and improve acceptance.
Understand the impact on your organization.
Define your adoption population to include end users and their constituents. What groups and people will the system touch? Who is affected? It is imperative to take stock of all the players, organizations, and legacy systems. Now, how will they be affected? Document your findings and revise them as your initiative moves forward. Use this information as a management tool to proactively set expectations and plan for key changes. Understanding the impact of new IT on your organization before go-live increases the likelihood of user acceptance after go-live.
Look at processes first.
Enterprise-wide or cross-functional IT should not be implemented without first taking a hard look at the way you work. New IT ought to enable process and workflow, not the other way around. When IT compliments the work, it is more likely to get used because it makes more sense. Ask yourself whether your workflow provides optimal benefit, then think about how IT will fit.
Stick to a methodology that includes change.
Methodologies are proven ways to solve complex problems like user adoption. Your IT vendor undoubtedly has a systems implementation methodology. Does it take change management into account? Training, although important, does not count. The most effective methodologies are the ones that make sense to you. Pick one and stick with it. Resist the temptation to cut corners. If you skip a phase, or do not give it enough time to be done right, you risk not having the information you will need later to build user acceptance. For example, if you skip the analysis of your current organization, it will be hard to plan for the people in the high-impacted jobs or departments — the people who will use your system.
Demand more from change management.
Change management work starts before your system goes live and continues afterwards. You need a change function that is capable of rolling up its sleeves, learning about obstacles and enablers to adoption, and then working with you on implementation. The very best change managers act as program managers. They anticipate issues, look for ways to squeeze more benefit out of an initiative, and engage stakeholders in candid conversations to drive results and improve adoption. The problem is this is rarely asked, or expected from, people in this role.
Your System Is Already In
What can you do if you’ve already implemented and you are not getting the results you expected? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. But, here’s an approach that will get you moving in the right direction. First, update your case for change. What benefits are not being realized because the system is not being used? How much money is being lost? What are the data-driven reasons a resistor should start to use the system? Take this information back to your users and work with them to identify the obstacles to using the system. Your findings will tell you what needs to be done.
Conclusion
User adoption is a universal problem without a simple solution. Which strategy works will depend on your circumstance. A definite plan should be followed if adoption is to improve. This will take time and effort when it seems like you have neither to spare. But, if the use of new IT will save lives and improve the overall quality of care, the negative consequences of not working through the problem are far greater than the pain needed to solve it.
As a top performing principal consultant for PwC, Howard Perlstein led organizational and process improvement and technology adoption efforts for Fortune 100 companies including General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and PwC. Today, Perlstein leads the consulting firm HOW Management, LLC (www.howmanagement.com). Among its clients are Sleep HealthCenters, The Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions, National Leisure Group, and Akamai Technologies.
Perlstein earned a master’s of business administration from Babson College and a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Vermont. He is certified in the General Electric Six Sigma total quality methodology and is trained and experienced in multiple problem-solving methods. He can be reached at 617-734-4HOW or howard@howmanagement.com.