Deploying New Technology Requires Diplomacy

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Deploying new systems, enterprise software with electronic storage, and other intangibles in places where filing cabinets crammed with manila folders still give users a sense of control requires thorough planning and more than a dose of psychology. While IT personnel take the challenges of working with new technologies in their stride, many end users feel apprehensive about changing from systems they are already accustomed to. But a project's success or failure rides on the end users' confidence and willingness to adopt. For that reason, a diplomatic approach to winning over end users must be integrated into any rollout.

In the case of deployment of new systems in the enterprise aimed at internal users, the IT group normally chooses the new system, prepares a plan for deployment focusing on the technology more than the people, and then installs and runs it. Once deployed to the general masses, they assume or hope that the end users will embrace it and work out the learning of the new system mostly by themselves. But if you think back upon past deployments you may have experienced, you know what really happens: some of the more adventurous users tackle the learning curve without much ado, but other users (the less tech-savvy, perhaps) can respond with resentment, tears of frustration, and even accusations that the system is faulty. For CIOs and project leaders, seeing a system they’ve carefully chosen not used to its full potential -- or not used at all -- is disheartening at best.

The key to successful user adoption is to place the importance of the human factor above the technology. Users need to agree with the IT department that the deployment of this new system is valuable to them. From the top up, confidence in the project and the value of the new technology must be solid. Provided that the planning, testing, and installation have been successfully and fully executed up front, the IT team needs to arm itself with patience and total confidence in their project to sell it successfully to users. No matter what the reaction within the organization in the early stages of the transition, IT operations and support need to be steadfast. They own the project and should resist taking any negative feedback personally as they focus on the larger picture.