New technology can be a tough sell in organizations with deeply ingrained processes and complex hierarchies. Significant change tends to invite resistance and skepticism.
The key to overcoming this inertia? A practical, stakeholder-centric methodology built around the unique needs and concerns of everyone involved.
A practical approach to user acceptance in legacy organizations
OCT. 9, 2024
In legacy organizations where change often meets resistance, implementing new technology successfully requires a strategic approach that balances technical innovation with the human elements of adoption.
After all, the tech itself is just one-half of successful technology adoption—the human side of change is equally important, if not more so. Let’s explore how to implement new solutions that are both embraced and effectively utilized across your organization.
Understanding the landscape
Legacy organizations often struggle under the weight of layers of history, complex structures, and entrenched ways of doing things. Even though they would benefit from new technologies, these traits make adopting them particularly challenging.
Characteristics of legacy organizations
- Established processes: These organizations often rely on tried-and-true processes and are reluctant to adopt new technologies that disrupt familiar workflows.
- Rigid hierarchies: They also tend to have hierarchical structures that have been in place for years and sometimes decades. While these structures may have served them well in the past, they can cause friction in the adoption of new technologies.
- Risk aversion: Many legacy organizations prefer the comfort of the familiar to the uncertainty of the new. Such comfort can lead to a reluctance to embrace innovative technologies, even if they offer significant benefits.
Complexity of stakeholder ecosystems
The stakeholder ecosystem in legacy organizations can be vast and intricate.
As Lumenalta’s Annie Quinton notes, “giant companies tend to have divisions that don’t normally talk to each other,” each having their own needs and expectations.
This complexity can make technology adoption challenging, requiring careful navigation and alignment of diverse perspectives.
Common pitfalls in technology adoption
Failing to address these complexities can lead to several common pitfalls, including:
- Lack of buy-in: Employees comfortable with existing processes may resist new technologies, leading to low adoption rates and decreased productivity.
- Poor communication: Ineffective communication about the new technology, its purpose, and its benefits can create employee confusion and anxiety.
- Inadequate training and support: Without proper training and ongoing support, employees may struggle to use the new technology effectively.
The stakeholder-centric approach
Successful technology adoption in legacy organizations requires shifting from a technology-centric approach to a stakeholder-centric one. It’s about understanding each stakeholder’s unique needs and concerns and tailoring your implementation strategy accordingly.
Importance of aligning with existing practices
Instead of being seen as disruptive, companies should advertise new technologies as enhancements to existing workflows and processes.
Stakeholders “want to feel heard, and they want the most important pieces of the legacy system kept,” Quinton explains.
Focusing on seamlessly integrating new solutions with familiar routines wherever possible will minimize resistance and encourage adoption.
Mapping the stakeholder ecosystem
A keen understanding of your stakeholder ecosystem is crucial for successful implementation.
“The hierarchy is huge in legacy organizations,” Quinton observes. “They follow it to a T.”
Identify all the key players, understand their roles, motivations, and concerns, and map out their intricate relationships.
This holistic view empowers you to anticipate potential roadblocks, address concerns proactively, and build a coalition of support for your technology implementation.
Identifying key influencers and potential resistance points
Not all stakeholders are created equal. Some individuals or groups may have more influence over the adoption process than others. Recognizing these key influencers and proactively engaging them can be a powerful way to accelerate adoption and build momentum.
It’s also important to anticipate and address potential sources of resistance. You may have to identify individuals or groups who may be hesitant to embrace change and develop strategies to address their concerns. For instance, Quinton explains, “You have to be very careful with meeting with business team members who don’t really understand how long certain things take.”
Building a practical methodology
Step 1: Comprehensive stakeholder analysis
Before deploying new technology, get to know your audience. Who will be impacted by this change? What are their roles, concerns, and needs?
“Ensure you identify the responsible and accountable contacts/stakeholders,” advises Tanya Brooks, Senior Associate of Product Delivery at Lumenalta. “Ensuring you are receiving and acting on the decisions from the correct stakeholders is important for team alignment and ensuring the end result meets the needs of the organization.”
A comprehensive stakeholder analysis allows you to anticipate potential roadblocks and tailor your approach to address their specific concerns.
Step 2: Tailored communication strategies
Any successful change initiative requires communication. But a one-size-fits-all approach won't cut it in a legacy organization with a complex stakeholder ecosystem. You must craft tailored messages that resonate with each stakeholder group, using language and channels they understand and trust.
"Make sure to have a broad understanding of the technical knowledge of the stakeholder group so that you can tailor the communication strategy to meet their level of knowledge/understanding of the solution," says Brooks. "For example, spend the extra time to explain what a tool does and how it benefits them if it is a new concept to the stakeholder group."
Step 3: Incremental implementation
Trying to implement a new technology all at once can be overwhelming and disruptive. Instead of biting off more than you can chew, adopt an incremental approach, breaking down the adoption process into manageable phases.
Doing so lets you test the waters, gather feedback, and make adjustments.
"Engaging teams early to tackle just one page and setting up training programs makes it so much easier to see successful implementation," Quinton explains.
Step 4: Continuous feedback and adaptation
Technology implementation isn’t a one-way street—it’s an ongoing conversation between you and your users. Establish feedback mechanisms that allow you to gather insights from stakeholders throughout the adoption process.
Use these responses to identify areas for improvement, address concerns, and continuously refine your solution to meet evolving needs. “Setting up an open channel for feedback and engaging from the start is crucial,” advises Brooks.
For instance, let’s say you’re launching a new project management tool. Instead of just providing training and hoping for the best, set up a dedicated Slack channel for questions and suggestions, conduct regular surveys to gauge users, or organize focus groups to gather in-depth evaluations.
Step 5: Targeted training and support
Even the most intuitive technology requires training and support. Develop role-specific training programs that equip your employees with the knowledge and skills to use the new technology effectively. Then, provide ongoing support and resources to ensure they feel confident and empowered to embrace the change.
But you can’t train everyone in the organization yourself—you need to empower leaders to train their teams themselves. “The biggest challenge is educating the leaders in each team and making sure they have the tools to then pass along and educate everyone else,” Quinton says.
Measuring success
Flawless implementation doesn’t define success in new technology adoption—it’s more important to achieve lasting user acceptance and tangible business value.
Defining key performance indicators (KPIs)
Clearly defined KPIs are the yardstick by which you measure progress and success. They provide objective measures of both the technical aspects of your implementation and the all-important human element: user adoption.
From system uptime and performance metrics to user engagement and satisfaction scores, the right KPIs tell a comprehensive story of your technology adoption journey.
Balancing technical metrics with user adoption metrics
Beyond technical perfection, how effectively are your users embracing and using the new technology? Are they actively using the system? Are they finding it intuitive and helpful? Are they seeing a positive impact on their work?
Balancing technical metrics with user adoption metrics will help you paint a complete picture of your implementation's success. It's not just about whether the system works—it’s about whether it’s working for your people.
Regular assessment and reporting
Technology adoption is more about the journey than the destination. Frequent assessments and reporting will help you ensure you're staying on course and your implementation continues to deliver value. Tracking your KPIs and gathering user feedback will help you identify areas for improvement, address potential roadblocks, and make data-driven adjustments to your strategy.
Case study: Logistics company
Let’s take a look at a real-world example of how embracing technology adoption can drive success in a legacy organization.
A major player in the logistics industry faced the daunting task of modernizing its sprawling tech infrastructure. The company’s legacy systems, once the backbone of its operations, were now hindering growth and efficiency. Siloed departments, scattered data, and outdated processes slowed them down.
Lumenalta partnered with the company to implement a new shipment dashboard, a tool designed to streamline operations and improve visibility into the supply chain, despite initial resistance from stakeholders accustomed to the old ways, clear communication, targeted training, and a focus on demonstrating value led to the team's wholehearted embrace of the new dashboard.
The result? A streamlined workflow, improved efficiency, and increased customer satisfaction. The company broke free from the constraints of its legacy systems and embraced a more agile and data-driven approach to logistics management.
Conquering change in legacy organizations
Driving change in legacy organizations can feel like an uphill battle, with resistance to new technology and complex stakeholder ecosystems often creating roadblocks. But remember, the most cutting-edge tech is only as powerful as the people who use it.
Focus on winning hearts and minds, not just implementing new systems. A people-first approach, coupled with the right technology partner by your side, can transform even the most resistant organization into a modern, future-ready enterprise.
