Product champions

The challenge:

Not everyone appreciates change. When rolling out new software, or some other technology-related change, CFOs and COOs sometimes meet resistance. But because the firm has to keep pace with the latest tech tools available to them, what can be done to ensure that a new product or software package is embraced by the firm?

Westley Anderson’s answer:

Our proven success in deploying new technology offerings and programs begins first with an assessment of our organization and determining what’s currently working for our teams and then where inefficiencies may exist. We strongly believe that gathering feedback from everyone in the entire organization is necessary before going out and testing a new product. It is crucial to determine if there is an actual need for something new, otherwise you’re going to meet resistance and not receive the critical buy-in necessary from your teams for a successful launch. Reach out to the individual team members and ask them what is inefficient about their current workflow and how it can be improved upon.

We are currently in the beta process of deploying a new CRM system and considering two strong contenders. We are empowering our team and having a few select employees experience the system, test it out and report back the pros and cons. We track their experiences on the systems as a way of discovering where they spend most of their time and consider what needs improvement or could be made more efficient for us. The idea is to have the beta users help us mold and fine-tune the pilot program so it’s a more polished product at the time of rollout.

It’s important to welcome honest feedback throughout this review process. If presented in a group setting, individuals can be hesitant to express their true opinions and feelings, especially if there are executives present. We conduct one-on-one review sessions in an effort to encourage team members to speak openly and share their opinions in confidence.

Once the need has been identified, and you feel confident that the product can provide a comfortable and impactful experience for users, we select key “product champions” who assist in combating any negative resistance people may have about embracing a new tool or system. It could be the beta users, or an individual team leader, but you want to select individuals across different departments and practices so the encouragement is spread across the entire organization. As champions of the new technology, these influencers are expected to take ownership of the new service, help sell the message of how the product can help and become subject matter experts for others to consult with during training.

This methodology has worked well for us, but in a worst case scenario, you want to have your old system or product on-hand in case you want to revert back to your prior methods. But, with enough preparation and research – including a review of other people’s experiences with the technology – you will be able to make an informed purchasing decision that is in their best interest and you will be successful in implementing a new system or software package that your teams will embrace.