Adopting an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a necessity for staying competitive. However, merely implementing an ERP isn’t enough; it’s using it effectively that truly matters.
This article explores why achieving robust user adoption through expert training and change champions is imperative for realising the full potential of your ERP system.
The pivotal moment of Go-Live establishes the tone for success or failure. It is especially at this point when you must be closer to your key players and have a champion that glues it all together.
Don’t just take our word for it; let the director of Shops for Shops, David Witchell, narrate the experience firsthand. In this video, David emphasises their Go-Live’s experience.
“The Go-Live was quite unremarkable; in fact, it was so insignificant that I can’t even remember it. Everyone turned up for work, everyone turned on their computers, and everything was working.”
David Witchell, Shop for Shops Director
Klugo’s help in empowering key individuals within Shops for Shops made this transformation possible. David Witchell says, “Our staff were feverishly doing administrative work and trying to find data. Well, it’s all there now, and Klugo definitely helped with that.”
The journey never ends at implementation; it sets the stage for a culture of change that delivers the expected savings and results.
The Challenge of Poor Adoption
All too often, organisations invest substantial resources in acquiring and implementing these new tools and tech, only to find that their teams struggle to adapt their work practices to the changes. Without effective strategy – including a strong culture of change, a change champion and the right training program – the potential benefits of a new ERP can fail to materialise or wither away, and old habits may resurface.
Poor adoption of a newly implemented ERP can lead to wasted time and money and negatively affect morale and organisational enthusiasm for future change projects. Change is hard. When it’s hard and fails to bring the anticipated benefits, it can leave a nasty, disillusioning aftertaste behind.
Invest in expert training and empower change champions within your organisation to ensure that your ERP is not just adopted but embraced.
Comprehensive Training Options
The reasons why you need a training strategy to transform your ERP implementation:
- Proper training is the foundation of successful ERP adoption.
- Investing in training options tailored to your organisation’s needs will increase user adoption.
- Including customised training programs supported by ongoing industry expert guidance will ensure your team can set up and leverage unique business workflows.
Finding Your Change Champion
A change champion is a colleague who volunteers to help make change happen, ideally from the planning stage through implementation and into the new process integration into BAU. They don’t need to be tech experts, although being tech-savvy is certainly a bonus. Instead, their value lies in their ability to understand how the tools can help deliver value to customers and working with the vendor, colleagues and leadership to optimise this potential.
When selecting a change champion, look for someone who:
- will be significantly affected by the change,
- excels in communication and problem-solving,
- enjoys the respect of their peers,
- demonstrates emotional intelligence, including the ability to build trust and influence others,
- is familiar with current workflows (a subject matter expert), and
- believes in the power and necessity of change.
Once you’ve found your change champion, take some time to brief them on the change project you’re proposing, focusing on why the change is necessary and what your organisation hopes to achieve through it. It’s also worth giving them the opportunity to learn about the idea of change management in general. They don’t need to become master change managers. However, familiarity with the key concepts of change management will help them with the work ahead.
How Your Change Champion Boosts User Adoption
1. Aligning the ERP with Your Needs
- Change champions bridge the gap between your team and expert ERP partners, communicating the needs and limitations of current users.
- They use their hands-on knowledge to explore how customisations can power-up users’ experience and advise stakeholders on the best ways to leverage the system for your business.
2. Building Trust and Belief
- Successful adoption relies on support from top to bottom. A change champion can communicate across these layers to build a mutual understanding of the vision and challenges.
- Change champions can transform a theoretical strategic objective into a powerful and real vision for improvement worth getting behind.
3. Continuous Support and Upskilling
- ERP training doesn’t end after the initial rollout. Change champions can facilitate ongoing support and guide team members toward best practices as your ERP moves from new to BAU.
- They can help users tailor the ERP to their specific needs. By assisting people in tailoring saved searches, alerts and dashboards to their precise needs, for instance, change champions are a powerful tool for saving time and delivering insights into your business.
The Importance of NetSuite Training
The importance of training is clear. Lack of training frustrates people using the software, killing the initial enthusiasm. A lack of training will also mean valuable features go unused.
However, there are many different ways to access training when implementing a new NetSuite implementation. The right training program teaches your staff how to use the new tools and why.
Free or off-the-shelf solutions offer some help.
NetSuite’s videos and courses are packed with information and regularly updated with each NetSuite release. Options include:
- Oracle MyLearn is a free training portal from NetSuite. Access training, track progress, and receive course recommendations.
- Updated product data sheets on a range of different topics.
- Learning Cloud Support Pass, a subscription-based complete NetSuite learning offering.
A custom training program is better.
Have you ever completed a generic training pack only to be left with the question – what did that have to do with my job? Or even failed to find the time and motivation to actually complete the generic training?
Ready-made training solutions can fall short of meeting an organisation’s unique needs. To truly optimise your ERP implementation, partner with experts who understand your business, industry, and requirements. Klugo excels in field service management and manufacturing implementations and offer tailored training solutions that directly target your organisation’s needs.
Klugo’s ‘train the trainer’ approach ensures that area managers and change champions possess in-depth knowledge of NetSuite, enabling them to train their teams effectively. They’ll work with your stakeholders and change champions to ensure the product solution and the accompanying training directly target your needs. Klugo understand that the most important part of training is not in NetSuite but what we do before going live, prepping and upskilling your team.
A partner like Klugo, who was part of the implementation and has been engaging in constant system upgrades, can also help train new starters with not only NetSuite knowledge, but also train these new roles with the business’s unique and specific set-up. Change champions should also stay in touch with system upgrades and help spread the word about the new benefits they bring.
Conclusion
Achieving the full potential of your ERP system demands more than just implementation. It requires a strategic focus on change management, expert training, and the support of change champions. The implementation phase is the juncture that determines whether your new software fulfils its promise or falls short.
To maximise the effectiveness of your NetSuite ERP implementation, be sure it includes customised training and support, experts like Klugo, who understand your industry, can help empower change champions within your organisation. Doing so will create a culture of change that propels your business towards growth and excellence, ensuring your investment delivers the expected savings and results.
