TECHNOLOGY
Implementing change management strategies One of the core pieces of advice that Schwarz stressed was the importance of change management strategies , chiefly involving the team in this transition to the cloud .
“ It ' s one thing to look on paper and say that , ‘ Okay , this application has more functionality than what I ' m using today ’, and see that it ’ s ticked all the boxes , bells and whistles . But it ' s of no use to the company if your users don ' t adopt it . So , as important as it is to make sure that the application meets your needs for a business , it ' s just as important to have change management processes in place throughout the implementation ,” Schwarz explains .
“ It ' s about involving people from the start , helping them to understand what their business processes are , how they do things today , and how that ' s going to map out in the future . Then , people feel more like they are a part of a solution . That change management process is , I feel , just as important to successfully achieving a good adoption rate of the new cloud application .”
As much as the cloud promises a wealth of new capabilities , efficiencies and advanced applications , in the context of an SME , the transition to the cloud needs to be undertaken in a transparent and informative way . Otherwise , the initiative could risk alienating employees or creating anxieties within the workplace .
“ Everybody has some apprehension to change , right ? There ' s always some anxiety or apprehension to change – that ' s just our human nature . But then , in this case , apply that to somebody ' s salary or how they ' re making a living .”
Schwarz advises that , to ensure success , a cloud adoption process should help employees feel confident of , and secure in , the technologies themselves .
“ It ’ s just like in management more broadly : I don ' t want to be a manager who is just barking down orders ; I want my employees to be empowered , make their decisions and come up with solutions .”
128 January 2023