Digital transformation is the process of adopting new, cloud-based ICT networks. It’s all about increasing your public sector organisation’s efficiency. This reduces costs and leaves you free to concentrate on what matters most.
After you’ve implemented a new digital process or system, it’s ready for use. Your managers, staff, customers, and any other end users must know:
- When to use the service
- How to use the service
- How to safely access or transfer data and information to the new service
- The most efficient way to use the new cloud-based service
In this blog post, we’ll discuss a few best practice tips to help push users to adopt your new software.
1. Policy and process updates
One of the major obstacles in driving user adoption is implementing solutions that don’t meet the requirements and don’t actually ‘improve’ things. Engaging with users early and collaboratively to ensure what is delivered is an improvement on what they have, or as a minimum doesn’t introduce new problems that the users have to work around, is essential.
2. Policies, processes & training
Policy and process updates should be drafted while digital transformation is in progress. By the time it reaches its operational stage, the documents should have been finalised and distributed. Don’t forget to supply all end-users with the necessary information.
Changes and edits to the policies and processes might become necessary as you use the system. Again, follow each revision with a careful distribution to all the users.
New technology is useless without staff training. You could have the best system in the world, but it’s worthless if nobody knows how to use it. The same applies if the technology is too complex – staff will naturally be put off. These issues can be avoided with a well-thought-out strategy.
We’ve found it’s usually most effective to implement training in a stage-by-stage approach (where appropriate). When integrating new solutions, your employees will naturally be cautious. Hold training sessions in small steps, across a variety of different training mediums – such as online, in person, Q+As etc – and allow hesitant users time to get to grips with cloud technology.
3. Appoint ‘Digital Champions’
A ‘Digital Champion’ is someone familiar with modern technology – specifically, cloud- and internet-based systems. Their job is to help other end-users who struggle to understand computers and online networks. They’ll encourage them through gentle teaching exercises and show how comfortable they are when using it.
You’ll already have ‘Digital Champions’ tucked away in your workforce. It isn’t always true, but these typically tend to be the younger staff members. They’ve grown up with the internet, social media, online games, and so on. They’re familiar with all of this, and it often doesn’t take them long to pick up new practices.
4. Set up a ‘Centre of Excellence’
Setting up a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for your digitally transformed system will help drive user adoption. A ‘Centre of Excellence’ (sometimes called a ‘Competency Centre’ or ‘Capability Centre’) is essentially a cross-department focus group. It’s often driven by the ICT team but requires feedback from all users throughout your public sector organisation.
This is a group of experts that’s there to help the rest of the organisation make best use of cloud. They set the rules, maintain the overall underpinning architecture and help educate the organisation and its employees in using the cloud services. When the organisation is using something like low-code, this group will define what can and cannot be done and probably have final say on whether any particular app is allowed to access corporate data, and will handle requests for new features in the unpinning platform to be made available for use.
Combining things like strategy, vision, culture, management, relationships and resources means the ‘Centre of Excellence’ can evaluate the best course of action at any time.
5. Lead from the top
After digital transformation, your business now works in a new and different way. Provided a sound strategy was planned out and implemented, this should help make day-to-day work easier for everyone. Leaders are needed to push this vision through. That applies to ICT department leaders, team managers, executive board members, the CEO, and more. Inspiring confidence in lower-position employees will encourage more to get on board.
Get AMDH Solutions Ltd to help
At AMDH, we’ve got two decades of experience implementing digital transformation strategies. We can help you design your ICT infrastructure, understand the cost implications, and build your organisation’s new cloud service.
We’re a consultancy. We’ll come into your workplace and meet with you and your staff on a personal basis. This helps us help you design a cloud-based system that’s functional and efficient. All of this means you’ll end up with a network that’s easy to understand and drives user engagement.
Could AMDH help your organisation out with digital strategies or training? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us using the form at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, give us a ring on 01332 322 588, or email us at info@amdhservicesltd.com.
We look forward to hearing from you.
