Tips for Incorporating New Tools Into Your Business Operations
Innovation is the most crucial thing in any industry, but sometimes your business can get stuck in old habits, and for technology to outpace you. While adopting new tools can help you gain an advantage over your competitors, it can also be a difficult transition to make, especially if you’ve relied on a particular technology for a long time. However, there are some steps you can take to make adopting new tools more manageable.
First, it’s essential to understand what the tool you’re trying to replace does for you, specifically; what are its essential functions? Identifying these aspects of the device will help you make a list of things the new technology needs to do. When you’re looking for a new tool, it’s important to make sure that it will be an adequate replacement for the old one and improve on its performance. Make a list of essentials and other features it would be nice to have; remember to consult everyone in your business using the tool.
Armed with this information, it’s time to begin the search. Consult others in your industry about what they use, and research what options are available. There are many tools, so remember to keep your list to hand for easy eliminations. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, invite the vendors in for interviews. Discuss pricing options and how their services compare to their competitors. Once this process is complete, gather the relevant team members and go everything again until you’ve built a consensus on which option will be the right fit for your company.
Next, test each of the most promising tools to ensure that they work as advertised and meet your needs. With this done, you can either make a selection or move back a few steps to reevaluate which tool might work best for you. When you reach the adoption step, make sure to be communicative about how it works and when your company plans to switch between systems.
Having thoroughly evaluated your options and prepared your team members for the transition, you should be well-prepared to adopt your new tool and successfully integrate it into your company.
This article was originally published on Rick Simon’s leadership blog.
