Visicase

NDIS software: helping your team adapt to new technology

4 minute read – Business Management Series – Your NDIS software roadmap

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, there will always be someone on your team – often multiple people – who don’t do well with change.

For those people, change feels difficult, it creates insecurity and uncertainty, and it can cause them to question their place in an organisation.

But change doesn’t have to feel like that – and when it comes to introducing new workplace software, it shouldn’t feel like that!

The implementation of new workplace software is a very exciting time, because often it means a product is being introduced to solve problems and make life and work easier for the people who use it.

When implementing new NDIS software, concentrating on positive communication like this can help overcome some of the challenges employees might feel as they adapt.

At VisiCase, we have been involved in decades of workplace technology implementation – in fact, we’ve even had change management specialists on our team to help ensure our clients’ transition is smooth and effective.

Through that experience, we have built a solid understanding of some of the best ways to approach NDIS software implementation and achieve user buy-in.

1. Assess your NDIS software need and make sure the solution fits

A very important part of selecting a solution – especially NDIS software – is really understanding the needs of the users and the business, and any challenges they are experiencing with the current software.

Of course, this is best learned by asking people who use the software in different ways, to have input. As an example, for NDIS software, you might ask administration employees about rostering needs and frontline employees about reporting requirements.

To achieve real buy-in, get stakeholders from right across the business involved in assessing the need and making sure the proposed solution fits.

2. Give plenty of warning of change – in the right way

If people are told of an important change immediately prior to that change being implemented, they can experience distress, frustration and even anger.

If they are told too far in advance, with not enough information, they can experience anxiety and uncertainty.

Once your leadership team has decided to transition your NDIS software – even if you haven’t chosen your new solution – a good way to communicate the pending change is to invite people to get involved, as above, in the decision-making process.

For those who choose not to be involved, the invitation helps them feel consulted and considered and like this is happening with them, rather than to them.

3. Thoroughly test before implementing

For solutions like NDIS software that are often highly customisable and affect multiple parts of a business, it is important your rollout is smooth and easy.

Hiccups are normal and are a part of any change, but minimising frustration-causing errors all comes down to how well you test and how well you work with your supplier account manager.

Lean on your account manager during implementation to get the set up right and introduce a thorough testing schedule to work through every part of how your new system works, before rolling it out.

4. Communicate the positives to the team

Once you have selected a solution, you can start to get wider buy-in from your organisational team.

Communicate to employees frequently so you can ensure everyone is aware of the change – remembering not everyone reads every communication you send out, so you need to use multiple channels.

When crafting your communication, identify pain points users might experience while doing their jobs or using the old software. Highlight how the new software will solve those problems and provide an easier and more intuitive process for them.

5. Get users involved in implementation

Often, there is little that is more motivating and credible, than peer encouragement or review, and this is very true for software implementation.

Employee advocates for this transition will be crucial to building business-wide uptake and acceptance.

Gather together an implementation working group of employees from different roles across the business – ensuring they are compensated for their time if outside normal hours.

Invite the group to training and implementation workshops with the provider team and enable them to ask questions – noting down what different parts of the business are most concerned about, to inform your organisational communication.

In addition to becoming advocates for the platform and confident supporters of other users, this group will also be invaluable in providing open and honest feedback to your leadership team, enabling you to mitigate risks and address opposition or concerns.

6. Launch new software with style

If this is a big change to the business, make the launch an event – something exciting, that is seen as positive and interesting, rather than just another platform they need to learn.

Invite teams to the launch event and training events and continue to communicate the positives they will personally experience from the change.

Ensure they have access to all the resources they require to get comfortable using the new software solution, and that support is on hand and accessible when they need it.

7. Don’t stop communicating

Statistically, few people adapt to something new very quickly, with the majority of people waiting to see how it works out for those early adopters before they really commit.

Similarly, with NDIS software, even though everyone may need to start using it from launch, some will do so with reluctance, some with excitement.

For this reason, it is really important to keep communicating about the new solution.

This might mean introducing small training and tips sessions to team meetings, organisational newsletters or even sending out videos by text so users can continue to grow their skills and comfort.

The bottom line is change is only successful if your team is on board. Getting them on board means addressing their concerns and their challenges, helping them understand the benefits, and providing them everything they need to use the solution and feel comfortable.

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VisiCase provides an NDIS-ready business automation platform, built on powerful workflows. It helps you manage, streamline and optimise every component of your business, and its modules empower a positive employee and client experience.

Photo by Mimi Thian

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