Adopting A New Approach

To maximise results from IT initiatives and investments, organisations need to maximise user engagement before, during and after…

I have a confession to make; I am passionate about new technology. From intelligent washing machines and virtual reality headsets to smart light bulbs, I like to be an early adopter.

Historically, the public sector has always lagged behind private companies when it comes to deploying new technologies. While the private sector has had to invest to remain competitive and agile, the public sector’s focus has been demonstrating value for money or meeting austerity targets.

Austerity and agility, however, don’t have to be mutually exclusive. For example, digitalisation can help deliver both financial and efficiency gains by simplifying and automating common processes and transactions.

Implementing new technologies, however, can be fraught with hidden costs and complexities. One of the biggest challenges that is often over-looked is adoption; so many IT projects fall at the final hurdle due to a failure to engage with the right people at the right time – the end users.

People power

New workplace initiatives, such as collaboration tools and peer-to-peer support, can transform the user experience, resulting in greater productivity, satisfaction and flexibility. But these solutions and services have to be developed, designed and deployed with people in mind: to maximise results, organisations need to maximise user engagement.

Roadshows, workshops, e-books, virtual classrooms, business champions and webinars can all help to drive greater user engagement throughout IT and business transformations.

At Computacenter, we’ve developed a four-stage user adoption framework, based on Agile methodologies:

• Discovery: agree the best approach for implementation
• Awareness: update user communities on why we’re doing it
• Engage and launch: let users know how it will benefit them
• Adoption and advocacy: ensure behavioral change becomes the norm.

The framework integrates with organisations’ business change functions to accelerate and simplify project delivery, while ensuring that the expected benefits are achieved.

This user-centric approach increases a project’s chance of success. For example, when we implemented our Next Generation Service Desk for Hays, more than 61 per cent of its user base logged into the new portal in the first three months. Business champions also helped to drive the piloting and testing phases, and continue to provide feedback on the user experience.

Spend to save

When millions of pounds are at stake, it can be easy to become too focused on the technology components of a new solution or service.

By keeping people front of mind before, during and after any implementation, IT departments will be able to maximise the benefits for everyone involved.

As a result, organisations will be able to prove that you can spend to save when it comes to new technology.

For the public sector, demonstrating that taxpayers’ money has been well spent is essential – especially as the focus on austerity continues. Delivering IT and business transformations on time, on budget and to scope will help drive future investment, improvement and innovation.

Now, I wonder if I could apply the same spend to save principle to the new iPhone 7?