Do you remember the original word processor technologies WordStar and Word Perfect? They were the leaders in the DOS world in the 1980s, even eclipsing the original Microsoft Word product. WordStar was a little wonky, but WordPerfect consistently earned top ratings and was largely the go to for most corporations.
WordPerfect finally fell behind when Microsoft created Word for the Windows operating system and then went on to create Microsoft Office Suite. The rest is history.
True story. As Word came to dominate the market, a legal publishing company decided to move its attorneys from WordPerfect to Word but had a difficult time getting the grumbling lawyers to make the switch to the new Windows system. One non-attorney employee who was fascinated with the new platform begged to be sent for advanced training to learn all of the nuances.
That single employee became the office expert and the go-to whenever an attorney wanted to learn a new facet of Word and consequently eased the frustration of switching to a new system for everyone.
This idea of training an expert user is a great model for effectively introducing new software to your staff. Here are some steps to consider when you are adopting new technology or when you want to maximize the use of your current technology.
Identify eager users early in the process
We all know who they are, those first adopters of technology whose eyes light up when the latest gadget hits the market. (Truthfully, they probably knew about it before it hit the market and have been enlightening everyone around them about its virtues before it even appeared.)
As you begin to explore adopting a new technology or software, or upgrading an existing platform, consider who on your staff will be using it the most extensively and invite them to be at the table as you discuss the possible investment. Letting someone who is truly interested in the technology “play” with a demo model before deciding if it is right for you can provide you with valuable insight and an understanding of what it will take to get it up and running.
Provide adequate training time
One of the challenges of adding new technology to your tech stack or switching platforms entirely is the learning curve. Make sure your assigned expert has plenty of time in their schedule to devote to learning the technology in-depth before launching it inhouse.
Remember, this expert is not someone who is tucked away on the IT staff but is an actual user who is working shoulder to shoulder with other users on staff. Having someone knowledgeable who can answer questions right out of the box will greatly shorten the learning curve for everyone.
Lifeline to the tech creator
Most importantly, your inhouse expert should have a direct connection to the technology provider should they have questions or feedback or want to have a deeper understanding of how to maximize the use of the software.
This connection is a lifeline for the technology company as well. Software evolves based on user feedback. Responsive technology providers rely on insight from their users to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
At alanna.ai, we love hearing from our customers. Our main goal is to improve operational efficiencies for title companies through the use of conversational artificial intelligence technology. We know the best way to do that is to understand how our customers interact with our technology and the ways in which it improves their customers’ experience. Contact us today to learn more!