If you’re in the IT space, you probably know how challenging it is to roll out new technology. However, if you want to stay competitive and increase operational efficiency, you need to regularly upgrade your IT infrastructure. It’s important for companies to adapt and evolve as the digital frontier expands. Here are some of the best practices when it comes to introducing new technology to your organisation:
- Identify the problem and create a vision
Before you start with anything, ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve. Are you trying to reduce costs? Increase revenue? Make sure to keep these objectives in mind when assessing the new technology. Now that you know what it is you want to achieve, create a vision and articulate it clearly to the rest of the organisation.
2. Recruit technology enthusiasts
In order to get your team onboard, you need to identify and nominate a team of ‘technology enthusiasts’. This needs to be a group of individuals who can be responsible for the implementation. They should receive training so they can help the rest of the team use and roll out the software, and basically, take on the role of an internal project manager.
3. Understand your current IT infrastructure
Are your current systems performing the way you need them to? Before you jump into something new, find out what you need and what you already have in place. If your current infrastructure isn’t working for you, sketch out the process of moving to a new system and communicate this to your vendor.
4. Create an implementation plan
Before you get started with anything, make sure the new technology will be able to seamlessly integrate with your existing systems. Create a step-by-step plan for the new system’s implementation and integration. Every piece of the process should be captured. It’s also important to determine who in your company will be responsible for the new technology. Make sure that all the necessary parties are involved, including executives and key stakeholders.
5. Get ready to go live
Before you go live, make sure you test the system’s functionalities, and how it improves business processes and meets your needs. This is your chance to check for defects and identify valid user activities. Check in with your technology enthusiasts and stakeholders to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Adopting new technology isn’t the easiest task, but a solid plan should ensure a smooth execution. Once you implement new technology, make sure you decommission your old, obsolete systems. Legacy system decommissioning is sometimes necessary when you want to introduce new technology to your landscapes. If you’d like to explore legacy system decommissioning in more detail and find out how Proceed can help, contact us here. Or alternatively download our decommissioning white paper to learn more.
