Planning a Successful Rollout
It’s designed to be easy
From our initial design of the user interface, to the SaaS model (meaning you don’t need in-house IT support), to the simplified pricing tiers, the objective with Bluerithm has always been ease of use and adoption. That being said, there still are a few things to consider when rolling-out the software to your organization.
The suggestions are based on industry best practices and our experience. Not everything will apply to your organization, but we hope it will help get you off on a path to maximize the value you get from Bluerithm as quickly as possible.
Communicate the benefits
Clearly communicate the benefits to your teams of adopting the software. Make it known that it’s a tool designed for making people’s work more efficient and enjoyable, and that there are business benefits that will help your company earn more business and be more profitable, which benefits everyone.
If the implementation process begins to flounder, talk to us for advice or additional support, and customized training if needed.
Set clear expectations
The expectations for your teams should be clear – if everyone is not on board or if there are vocal detractors, the adoption and integration into your business could fail. Try to use positive reinforcement techniques, like awards or contests related to outcomes that come from the use of the software. This is in contrast to a penalty / consequence approach where someone could end up playing process police, which could accelerate its demise.
Find the Champions, and the Detractors
Identify those among your teams that are detractors and those that are product champions. The champions are the ones evangelizing the benefits of using the software, while the detractors are the ones stubbornly setting roadblocks. The champions are the ones that are going to pull the adoption forward, and their voices need to be the loudest.
Keep open dialogue flowing
Regularly and openly discuss wins and challenges with Bluerithm. Talking openly about successes helps move detractors into the champion category. Openly discussing challenges keeps a level of realism and honesty around the process and leads people to desire contributing towards solutions versus becoming cynical. We also love getting your feedback, so if there are sticking points with your team, let us know, and there’s a good chance we can do something about it.
Consider timing and pace
Allow enough time for new processes and habits to develop. Implementing a new software system that is involved in day to day activities can take time to work its way into everyone’s routines, and for your teams to figure out the most effective ways to use it.
It’s also important to be thoughtful about how the software is integrated into your firm’s portfolio of projects. The goal should be 100% of projects in Bluerithm – this is to help drive consistency and quality. Maintaining multiple processes and asynchronous paths leaves more opportunities for inefficient redundancies and quality control issues.
Although the goal is 100% of projects in Bluerithm, this doesn’t mean it always makes sense for the transition to be abrupt or immediate. We’ve seen many successful rollouts where only new projects are started in the system, and sometimes even a subset of new projects.
We continue to invest in making Bluerithm as self-evident and easy to use as possible, but your approach may depend on several things:
- The comfort, ability, and adaptability of your team in using technology.
- The comfort, ability, and adaptability of your clients and project teams in using technology.
- The size and complexity of your projects.
It’s a team effort
Ultimately, reaping the benefits of a successful adoption and integration into your business falls on everyone’s shoulders, but starts with the leaders in your organization.
We are confident that if this effort is put into the adoption process, you will see the value you hoped for from Bluerithm.