So your company has decided to invest in an enterprise Q&A system in order to capture internal employee information and promote the proper flow of knowledge throughout your organization. That’s great! But before you get too excited, be aware that new software implementations fail all the time – no matter how excited the team sitting behind the launch may be.
Fortunately, there are a number of different things you can do to maximize your chances of implementation success. Consider investigating and carrying out all of the following key tasks before launching your new enterprise Q&A software program:
Key #1 Identify stakeholders and assess their needs
One of the first things you’ll want to do when considering the launch of a new enterprise Q&A system like Quandora is to carefully identify which members of your company’s staff will be using the program most often. Then, once these key constituents have been mapped out, think through how they’ll use the new tool and how your Q&A system can be best structured to meet their needs.
Ultimately, it’s much easier to structure tools like Quandora around your company’s existing infrastructure than it is to attempt to patch a default implementation onto your staff’s needs. By talking with key staff members before your launch to see how they anticipate using your enterprise Q&A system can go a long way towards smoothing out future wrinkles and ensuring that your program is structured in a way that suits your organization.
Key #2 Find product champions
Another major sticking point for new software launches is employee buy-in. Employees are often resistant to change, so if your company actively invests in purchasing and implementing new technologies, you’ll also need to consider strategies to get your workers excited about your new software tools.
As a result, one thing you’ll want to do is to identify the “product champions” who can get the rest of your staff excited about the potential of your enterprise Q&A solution. If it was your employees who suggested the implementation in the first place, identifying these key staff members won’t be a challenge. These champions can then be utilized to boost employee morale and encourage others in their departments to make full use of the program.
If, on the other hand, your enterprise Q&A software install comes as the result of a top-down decision, finding product champions may be more difficult. In these cases, it may be necessary to “sell” department leaders on the advantages such a tool offers in order to convince staff members to fully utilize it.
Key #3 Develop technical training programs
Finally, be aware that excitement is only half the battle. Yes, it’s important for employees to feel motivated to use your new enterprise Q&A software program, but they also have to know how to use it!
To get employees up-to-date on your new tool, technical training programs are an absolute must. Although tools like Quandora are generally easy to use, you’ll still want to ensure that all staff members are on the same page about the proper use of the program. In addition, be sure that your technical training program discusses the best way to structure queries and responses in order to appropriately manage the flow of employee information throughout your organization.
While all of these steps may seem like extra effort on your part, the truth is that a small amount of preparation can go a long way towards ensuring the success of your enterprise Q&A software implementation. Taking the time to cross your “t’s” and dot your “I’s” will enable your product launch to proceed smoothly, resulting in an information management that best suits the needs of your employees and your organization.
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