The purchase of software alone will not make your organisation more innovative. 

Therefore, we have decided to dedicate this article to platform, channel and process administrators who work hard to engage colleagues in innovation across their organisation.

User adoption of new technology doesn’t happen overnight

Your company has invested in an idea and innovation management software solution, such as the Nosco Platform, to help eliminate process bottlenecks, increase efficiency, save time, scale innovation efforts and leverage internal knowledge to boost innovation efforts. 

But the implementation process often comes with its challenges. After all, software adoption is about transforming the way that people work. As most of us are creatures of habit, there is bound to be fear of change. Your colleagues’ routines are changing, and new habits need to be formed. Without an actionable adoption plan, software implementation can be difficult and lead to frustration. However, done right, software adoption can be a process that replaces fears of change with anticipation and support. 

In this article, we will share six key steps toward successful idea and innovation management software adoption for your organisation.

The Six Key Steps 

1. Let People Know the Software Is Built for Them

Some colleagues may not have a high level of technical expertise. Speak their language and assure them that their needs have been heard – if a team is convinced that the software is designed and was selected with their specific needs in mind, you may just have overcome the first roadblock to successful software adoption.

2. Select User-Friendly Software

Have you selected software that is easy to navigate and use? If the software is what your team needs but they have a hard time using it, you will lose the battle before it starts. Understand the environment people are used to, the positives and negatives of the current systems or workarounds in use, and select software that is user-friendly, and highly efficient. An interface design that makes adoption and navigation smooth and hassle-free gives you a tailwind for succeeding with software adoption in your team.

3. Find Internal Champions

Identify who your early adopters are and use them as ambassadors for the adoption process. Early adopters are the ones who will get the most excited about the implementation of the new software in your organisation. Not only will they be happy using the software in their daily tasks, but their enthusiasm can be used to encourage even the most reluctant colleagues to give the new software a try. Remember to communicate well with them throughout the process and back them up with reliable support.

4. Make the Adoption Process As Un-disruptive as Possible 

You cannot expect business to stand still while you implement the new software solution. Understand your current business environment and existing processes. Try and ease in the new system with these aspects in mind. Let people know how you will make sure that the incoming system does not interrupt their workflow.

5. Provide Ongoing Support

In order to successfully implement idea and innovation management software, we suggest you go beyond the implementation itself. We generally say that users of the Nosco Platform do not need training. However, admins need to be trained and have access to ongoing support. When you reassure your admins that this kind of support will be provided both during and after implementation, the organisation is more likely to embrace the new software.

6. Take the Software for a Spin

It is difficult to learn how to swim on land. Similarly it is difficult for an organisation to truly learn how to use idea and innovation management software without taking it for a spin.

If you are concerned about how the new system or ways of working with innovation will be received you may want to consider starting out small – testing it on a smaller topic or targeted group of users in order to learn and adjust.

Idea and innovation management software is well suited for such an approach:

• Start out small, e.g. by setting up a channel to gather ideas within one functional area
• Scale your initiative to run multiple, cross-organisational idea campaigns inside your company
• Advance to running open innovation challenges with external participants

To help make adoption smoother for your organisation, Nosco has an extensive Help Center and Nosco Academy where you find everything from quick, practical guides to courses that get you and your team started and scale your innovation efforts. 

On top of that, our goal is to assist you in running successful innovation initiatives. Therefore, you always have the opportunity to reach out to our experts for additional sparring, guidance and training tailored to your needs. Our team of experienced consultants can help you every step of the way, including ideation, screening, maturation and incubation of ideas.

Innovation is a team effort – so let us back you up. E-mail us or schedule a call if you would like to learn more.