Encouraging adoption of new software solutions

Introducing new technology can be a huge benefit to your team and your business. But sometimes, people find that the initial rollout of a new way of doing things can be challenging, time-consuming, and stressful. Team members may be less than enthusiastic about learning new processes and concerned about the way a new tool may affect their workflow. But with careful planning and the right strategies, introducing new software doesn’t have to be stressful.

The Quickbase platform provides the flexibility needed to create unique project and process management solutions using a low-code model that can help to quickly enact change, streamline multi-faceted projects, and simplify your day. Our robust features empower builders to take charge and create custom software solutions.

Solve your biggest business challenges with our high-efficency, low-code platform and use the information below to ensure you are reaping the full rewards of a new solution with minimal end-user push-back.

Create custom database solutions and business apps to fit your needs

Use Quickbase’s powerful low-code platform to help you organize your databases, streamline workflows, and transform ideas into action. Because we give builders the power to design their own apps, you’ll be able to structure online database solutions tailor-made for your processes. Quickbase empowers builders to create business solutions in the following areas:

• Financial management
• Project management
• CRM and sales management
• Business process
• Contract management
• Work order management
• Portfolio management
• Training management
  

Our technology has helped companies across a wide variety of fields to transform their business processes and manage their databases. Some of these industries include:

• Healthcare
• Government
• Real estate
• Education
  
• Legal
• Building projects
• Manufacturing
  

Common pitfalls to implementation

New tools can be notoriously difficult to introduce because they feel unnatural when users are accustomed to other methods, and it can seem like learning a new process is adding extra work. For those who are uninvolved with evaluating the software or vendor, it can be hard to see how new technology will save time and be useful in the long term.

In too many instances, the implementation of new software fails. Identifying problem areas and common causes of failure can help you avoid pitfalls in your own implementation.

1. Resistance among employees is an issue. When employees worry that the new software will change their jobs or slow them down, they may resist using it, making implementation an even longer process.
2. It’s unclear who is responsible for the technology. If no one is sure who is taking charge of adopting the technology or what their role is, the process will fall apart. No one will know how to use the technology, and it’s likely that they’ll simply abandon the system.
3. The tool isn’t marketed. It’s important to communicate with employees about upcoming changes in technology. If they aren’t prepared for coming changes and don’t know about the positive impacts the software will have on their jobs, they won’t be excited and motivated to engage with it.
4. Success isn’t defined. There is no way to declare whether the software is having a positive impact if goals aren’t set and there is no way to measure the success of the implementation and projects it can be used for.
5. There are not enough incentives to use the software. People will be reluctant to change their work patterns to accommodate new systems unless they understand the clear benefits it will have for them. Incentives may be monetary, but they can also be tangible demonstrations of ways the software will improve the employees’ work experience.
   

Best practices to implement and incentivize

With an understanding of why implementing a new solution might fail, the next point of attention should be the strategies that will make it succeed. These techniques have been studied and proven to help speed up the implementation of new technology by filling in gaps that disrupt the process.

1. Introduce the software. This is the step that will remedy any miscommunication. Be sure to clarify the roles of the team, demonstrate the benefits of the software, and offer any incentives to using the software. Involve the team in the process as much as possible and they’ll have a more thorough understanding of the product and heightened enthusiasm.
2. Allow for testing and experiments. Involving everyone to try things out and add their ideas will help ease any worries about the upcoming implementation and allow them to become familiar with the software before they have to begin using it for day-to-day tasks.
3. Offer training and tips. Organize a training session and a database of tips and tricks that will give users confidence in their abilities to use the new system. This will be a convenient time to answer questions about the tool and make employees feel as though they have plenty of help and access to information and support.
4. Make time for help. If you are an administrator in charge of implementing new software, make sure that you are available to answer questions. Consider setting aside Q&A times if you have a busy schedule. As long as employees feel that support is available, they’ll be willing to try out new technology.
5. Be encouraging. There are many ways to encourage use of a new platform. Make sure that you acknowledge team member successes with using the application. It’s especially important to praise those who may be late in picking it up or may have struggled with use early on. If you have a newsletter, news app, or another way employees are kept up-to-date, this is a great place to provide notifications about using the new technology.

More tips for encouraging team members

Getting everyone on board and excited about using new technology is easier in word than in deed. Here are a few more tips that will help you motivate team members to embrace a new platform and get them involved:

1. Use the buddy system. There is likely to be at least one person who is on board and excited about adopting the new software. Ask them to be your partner in troubleshooting and teaching others to use it. This will set a positive and collaborative tone from the start.
2. Have a systematic approach. If many colleagues are going to be using the solution, consider splitting people randomly up into training groups or creating groups based on their role. You could also train based on personality. Let those with the most enthusiasm who enjoy experimenting be the “guinea pigs,” and use them to smooth the troubleshooting process. You can use their help to train the next group.
3. Hold multiple training sessions. This can prevent a lot of confusion. Smaller training groups will offer more one-on-one time. You’ll want the sessions to be brief so they aren’t too overwhelming. Presenting more than one training session will allow you to offer flexibility to accommodate people’s schedules.
4. Be consistent. Once you’ve done everything you can to teach employees how to use the new technology and get them excited about it, now, you have to stand your ground and make sure everyone is on board with using the new tool and makes the time to get trained.
5. Accept feedback. If you want your employees to embrace the new software, it’s important to be open-minded about feedback, both positive and negative. An open dialogue will make everyone feel that their concerns, questions, and thoughts are being heard, making them more amenable to using new software.

Consider a custom implementation

Following the best practices for implementation will position you for a successful rollout.

Another consideration is how custom your solution needs to be. Point-solutions aren’t as flexible or robust at handling different types of data and unique workflows. Why take a one-size-fits-all approach when you can build your own custom data management solution?

The beauty of low-code platforms like Quickbase is you don’t have to sacrifice any customization. Quickbase helps you organize your data and workflow in an endless variety of ways. Quickbase empowers you to design custom apps and structure an online database tailor-made for your processes.

Quickbase can handle any type of data from documents to contact details to contracts and more. No matter the industry or use case, our technology streamlines and improves the way work gets done.

It is time to take charge, make change, and build your best database and workflow solutions. Quickbase empowers builders to do just that, through an accessable, robust platform. Organize your business data in a way that is most meaningful to you and enjoy real results, increased quality, easier adoption, and time saved with custom solutions built by you using our low-code platform.

Adopting Quickbase as a new solution

Our powerful point-and-click software allows any user to create new apps with ease. Employees can experience the benefits of using Quickbase to create custom solutions right away through streamlined and automated workflows that allow for better collaboration. Since those closest to the work can be empowered, Quickbase is the perfect tool for getting cross-departmental involvement and ensuring user adoption.

Discover the ways Quickbase can help your business to thrive by starting a free trial today. For 30 days, you can start building apps of your own. You don’t need to be a software developer to design an app with us. Start a free trial and you’ll discover right away that we’ve made app-building easy.