Why you need a Change Management Strategy
Implementing Microsoft is far from a straightforward process. Improved functionality brings with it increased layers of complexity which, without the application of a robust change management strategy, can ultimately lead to a Microsoft implementation process that falls short of the mark in terms of delivering the desired results.
Change management, in a nutshell, involves helping people to understand what's happening throughout any kind of transition process. The objective is to explain to employees why changes are happening and show them how they can benefit from said changes in practical terms. It is a crucial part of the training process in any organisation as it allows people to adapt to new technology quickly and efficiently.
When a company chooses to implement Microsoft tools without solid change management principles, employees often find it hard to get to grips with new technology. When someone is unaware or uninformed about the full range of benefits on offer with such tools, they may be hostile towards change and simply choose to stick with what they know. This invariably results in poor returns (negative ROI) and increases costs for things such as support and training.
Such wasteful practices can be cut out with an effective change management strategy to guarantee that your employees use the new software as intended and get the most out of it. Without these strategies, Microsoft implementations have a considerably high chance of failing.
So, that's the "why" covered; to give you a hand with the "how", we've done our research in order to draw up the most successful Microsoft adoption and change management strategies.
Essential further reading: How to enhance your Microsoft Dynamics deployment
Microsoft Change Management And Adoption Strategies:
Change management frameworks make it possible for you to communicate the essential details of the Microsoft rollout project to your employees in order to prepare them for the changes that are about to be implemented.
They also give people a helping hand to get up to speed on using new features and tools, ensuring they can get the most out of their work processes with the new system in place.
The Microsoft change management approach consists of four distinct phases:
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Planning
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Awareness
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Learning & Development
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Readiness & Adoption
Phase 1: Planning
Get your planning done early
It's absolutely vital to have a comprehensive change management plan ready to go before any kind of Microsoft rollout takes place. You're considerably more likely to get a positive reception from your employees if you get this planning done early.
One of the biggest challenges is when a new system is poorly received by people at your company. When this is the case, you have to make sure that you fully understand the reasons behind employee resistance and address the issue or issues before going any further with the change management process.
It's extremely important to communicate the entire change process with your employees throughout the planning phase. By doing this, people will feel more included in the process and will be less likely to think that changes are being imposed on them against their will. In addition, you can sell the new system to your employees by making sure that they understand exactly how changes being carried out will have a positive impact on the organisation as a whole. This can be achieved by doing something as simple as sharing factual data or providing examples of success stories brought about thanks to Microsoft rollouts.
Phase 2: Awareness
Communicate and help employees fully understand the changes being made
Awareness helps create the much-needed "buzz" around your new Microsoft product. This is why you should always make a conscious effort to communicate the benefits and value of switching to Microsoft to your employees. On top of this, creating an effective communication strategy ensures that you send your end-users the message that you want them to receive.
As the Microsoft rollout takes place, it's important to offer employees a channel that allows them to ask questions and give feedback. As a general rule, you should always be open to receiving feedback, be it positive or negative; ensuring that any doubts or queries from end-users are addressed promptly.
Phase 3: Learning And Development
Develop a comprehensive Microsoft training plan
This phase is a necessary part of onboarding, educating, and training employees with Microsoft products. An effective Microsoft learning and development strategy will help companies to shorten their employees' learning curve, allowing users to adapt to the new ways of working much faster than they would otherwise.
Developing a change management training plan allows for the successful deployment of Microsoft productivity tools and leads to efficient business processes. Your training plan must be flexible enough to accommodate different learning styles, resource constraints, geographic challenges, and use cases. A comprehensive Microsoft training plan increases your chances of a successful deployment and efficient business processes.
Phase 4: Microsoft Adoption
Innovate and make use of the latest technology
Microsoft adoption doesn't happen overnight; it can take more than six months until you are using the new system to its full potential. However, well-planned training allows companies to achieve a quicker return on investment by reducing the end-user learning curve.
Keep a close eye on the user adoption rate and make use of the latest technology such as digital adoption platforms in order to optimise and maximise adoption.
Apty offers in-app Microsoft training which gives your employees the chance to learn faster and more effectively with a seamless learning experience; keeping your employees engaged throughout the Microsoft training process, and ensuring successful change management.
Apty can:
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Improve employee productivity and take pressure off support teams
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Provide effective training with in-app walkthroughs and announcements
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Drive user adoption and ROI of Microsoft products
With Apty, you can create customised software walkthrough content to help your users overcome any difficulties that they may have. Employers can analyse user behaviour in order to pinpoint exactly where they're getting stuck, while employees are provided with a solution-centric approach that helps them engage with and master the Microsoft application.
