Hurdles of Implementing Workplace Technology And How to Overcome Them

by James McDonald on January 31, 2018
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As a facility management professional, the benefits of digital workplace technology is already obvious to you. Why rely on phone calls and Post-Its for service requests when you can get automatic notifications? And why would you want to use static floor plans to prepare for a big move when you could use an integrated workplace management system (IWMS) to visualize different move scenarios? You also see the potential for your employees to use mobile apps to find people, find places and reserve rooms wherever they happen to be working that day.

While you may be sold on new workplace technology, the rest of your workplace may still need some convincing. Here are some of the biggest hurdles you can expect to encounter and how to overcome them.

Difficulty Getting Buy-In From Leadership

Business leaders are concerned with a company’s overarching goals and strategy. Before they invest in any new workplace technology, they need to see that it aligns with these broader goals. This requires more than just enthusiasm on your part— it requires research.

For instance, if your organization is particularly focused on cutting costs, leaders will be interested to learn about the room reservation software that tracks conference room usage. With the data it collects, facility managers can easily see which spaces are used the most and leverage this information to make better use of space assets. This helps to save on real estate costs, the second-largest expense for most companies. 

Resistance From Employees

Every workplace is home to employees of different ages and personalities. This means their expectations and desires vary as well. While some employees might embrace the idea of digital workplace technology, others will likely resist the change.

To promote buy-in from employees, give them opportunities to actively participate in the process. Ask them about the challenges they encounter in the workplace. For instance, you may find there’s confusion among employees about which workstations or meeting rooms are available and how to let everyone know they’ve reserved a space or a room. Implementing room reservation software with an employee-facing app that’s easy to access from anywhere can eliminate the confusion.

Prior to the switch, it’s also helpful to provide employees with resources on how to navigate the new workplace. This can come in the form of guidelines describing the new tools and how to use them. When they have a good grasp on what to expect and what’s expected of them, employees are more likely to jump on board with the idea.

Legacy IWMS Software

In many cases, the systems and databases that companies use have been in place for decades. Oftentimes, they are full of valuable data that businesses want to preserve. This can raise concerns when it comes to transferring data to a new system. Businesses may fear that they will lose data in the process or simply might not be aware that such a transfer is possible.

Another hesitation can come from the time involved in training employees on a new system. Companies may worry that this process will create inefficiencies for some time before all of their workforce is up to speed.

To calm these fears, you’ll want to identify a solution that easily connects to your current system and is user-friendly. This will ensure that companies have access to all of the data they need while enabling the workforce to quickly take advantage of the new tools.

With iOFFICE Hummingbird, your transition to the digital workplace is simple and fast. This plug-and-play workplace technology easily integrates with many of your existing software, including your employee directory, lease accounting software and more. The addition of a user-friendly interface empowers both employees and workplace leaders to make valuable business decisions — ones that improve the workplace experience.

Ready to see iOFFICE Hummingbird in action? Request a demo here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James McDonald

James McDonald is a sports enthusiast, brother in Christ and once swam in a tank with the infamous TV sharks.

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