The technology available in the marketplace today can dramatically reduce your IT overheads, fortify your business against the latest cyberthreats, and enable efficiencies in your business that you never thought possible. These benefits, however, can only be realised if the migration to these new products is successful and embraced by all.

Clearly, you will need a reputable IT company, a sufficient budget, and the support of your co-directors for your project. But there’s one aspect that often gets overlooked – involving the members of your staff who are not part of the management team nor particularly tech-savvy. Consider asking:

• What do they think about the changes?
• What frustrates them about the current system?
• What are their work priorities?
• What improvements would they like to see in the new systems?

Involving your colleagues at all levels has two clear benefits:

• Firstly, they can serve as your critical friend. They are likely to identify pitfalls that you may have overlooked and suggest ways to make the project more efficient, cost-effective, and successful.
• Secondly, having had their input considered, your colleagues will be more receptive to the impending changes and will be more invested in its success.

Depending on the size of your team, the best way to gather this input might be to walk around the offices, warehouses, factory, or shop floor, chatting with colleagues face to face. Alternatively, you could distribute a digital form using a tool like Microsoft Forms or Google Workspace’s Forms.

The most significant gains can be made when considering solutions for accounting, ERP, and MRP, but this logic also extends to every other area of IT.

Inevitably, you may receive feedback that is difficult to accept. However, ultimately, your business stands only to gain from this exercise. The cherry on the cake is that this process does not add to the financial cost of your project; it only requires a modest investment of time.