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The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by听months听or even years听as many companies听evolved their听use of听technology听to support a hybrid work听environment.听The听need for听successful adoption听of digital applications听to avoid disruption, unnecessary costs,听and productivity听issues is perhaps more important than ever.听

While speed, agility and adaptability have become highly prized attributes in today鈥檚 economy, there鈥檚 also a danger of moving too fast听without having first put the right processes in place.听Introducing complex applications听requires adequate support and听ongoing听training听to help employees keep up with the transformation听and to ensure accessibility.听If these are lacking, digitisation听is destined to听fail.听

Productivity鈥痑nd Accessibility鈥�鈥�听

Technology听has听no doubt听streamlined tedious and wasteful processes while exponentially increasing productivity听for most,听if not all,听workers听and in听today鈥檚 digital world, it has helped听workers听to听become more efficient than ever before.

However, there are important considerations听to ensure efficiency.听For instance, can all your employees access your听software,听and听do听they听all听know how to听use it听–听or do听many still lean heavily on听colleagues or听search听engines for听answers?

The ever-evolving access to new technology can be good for business,听but frustrating for employees.听Truly accessible technology听is听technology听that people with a wide range of functional abilities can use successfully. In other words,听they听can听interact with it in ways that work best for them.听The solutions to address updates and issues听must听be readily accessible, fast, and intuitive听for听all employees in real-time, especially with a globally distributed workforce.

According to听a recent piece of research from Userlane,听86 percent听asserted that their organisation has rolled out new digitised tools and processes in the last听18 months听that they鈥檙e听expected to use regularly.听Almost听half听of this group (43 percent)听stated that introducing听these tools and processes听had left them more frustrated with their jobs.

Technology can听indeed听be both a boost and a burden to听the overall employee experience听鈥�听it all depends on听how successfully a company implements it,听how听they ensure full accessibility,听and听how they听get employees to understand听and use it effectively.听A poorly managed听induction into new technology with little or no training and additional support will听result in a visible drop in productivity.

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Slow Adoption鈥�鈥�听

Another downside of inadequate support and training is a low adoption rate,听further contributing听to below-par productivity and higher costs.听For CTOs or CIOs,听this might听be difficult to detect, especially if employees are working from home听some of the time听or听in听siloed听departments. The same applies to unawareness or general avoidance of software use.

The underutilisation of product features is surprisingly high.听In one of our听customer studies, we learnt that, on average, users (including power users) interact with听just听40 percent of the features in software applications听they are required to use.听The reason for this could be three-fold: either they don鈥檛 know how to use the tech, it isn鈥檛 accessible, or they听don鈥檛 see any value in the other features. Therefore,听it鈥檚 critical to听make the听software accessible听to听motivate them to use the technology.

Technology was never created to be a one-size-fits-all solution.听It evolves continuously,听which is听why employees need to be听as self-supporting as possible when听adopting new technology.

To听empower听employees to leverage the full power of software applications,听focus on听the following听five听areas:

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Rethink Your Training methods听

Teaching employees how to use new software via traditional听training methods,听such as team workshops,听are becoming increasingly redundant because听new features and functionalities are听constantly听being added to products.听As a result, such training quickly becomes obsolete, which听is not only听demoralising for employees听but running听regular, bespoke workshops is also prohibitively听expensive听and time-consuming.

Rather, they听need to听鈥渓earn and do鈥� simultaneously instead of 鈥渓earn and then do鈥澨齛nd do it autonomously.听Using digital adoption platforms听(DAPs)听to create听鈥渆mbedded training鈥澨齱ithin commonly听used software applications is becoming increasingly important听to听encourage听this self-sufficiency.听For example, employees might听get听access听to听an interactive guide听for lead management to听find the right leads in the company鈥檚 CRM system.

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Focus on the End-User Experience 听

Be mindful of听the broad impact of听how people鈥檚 jobs will change听and what it will take to achieve adoption and utilisation success. A successful project outcome starts with a听thorough听understanding of the听ultimate听impact on the end-user.

Traditional training rarely considers the听bespoke needs of the end-user,听whereas a听DAP听can provide the听right content听at听the right time for the right job.

Call on the Experts听

The success of a听digital transformation听requires a tailored approach to change.听As business leaders, we need to actively champion the change process and engage with employees throughout the program.

To听guide the overall adoption process,听enlist听the help of seasoned change management teams.听Ultimately, their听longer-term aim听should be to encourage as much self-sufficiency as possible.

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Measure Your Progress听

To address the strategic shifts and adoption behaviours at the organisational level,听use analytics to measure听and sustain the impact of听the听change management听process.

Analytics will听also听highlight which听features and processes within software products听have the highest error rate or lowest adoption rates.听This will allow organisations to invest more time听in tailoring听training content that听addresses听the right problems.

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Make Provision for Disabilities and Different Learning Styles听听

Employees with disabilities approach the access of information in different ways, depending on what works best for them.听The same applies to听older听or less听digitally savvy听employees, where听accessibility听also听needs to address听the听perceived听generational digital divide.

To accommodate听such听individuals,听present your content in multiple formats to maximise the communication process.听An example of an听accessibility听service that benefits various audiences is captioning听鈥� a critical听necessity for people that are hard of hearing, older adults,听and English language learners.听Digital adoption听platforms听provide intuitive on-demand assistance in real-time and听are听the perfect vehicle听to听support听all听employees听using new software, including those with learning or disability needs.

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Future鈥疧utlook听

Digital transformation is听impossible without听proper digital adoption.听In turn, full adoption is only听achievable听by making it as simple as possible for all employees. Offering听constant on-demand support in whatever application听employees are using听is听one of the best听paths to simplification.听听

By Felix Eichler, Co-Founder鈥痑nd CTO, Userlane鈥�鈥�听