ERP solutions are the go-to technology for all kinds of business planning, business intelligence, project management, and implementation. Regardless of the industry, ERPs’ usage is dynamic and universal. The fact as it may be, it is also true that when companies usher ERP solutions into the organizational fray, there is bound to be resistance to change. Employees dislike when there a shift in the status quo, in any capacity, and that’s why an organization must be prepared in advance to tackle user resistance. In this blog, we let you in on some tips and tricks that your workplace could use to address and mitigate user resistance to ERP implementation.
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Pitch a Strong Business Case:
The first step towards stalling user resistance to ERP entails presenting a strong justification for the need to implement the ERP solution in the office. The project managers and other management staffers must meet to do a thorough discussion and analysis about how the inclusion of an ERP solution will result in the turnaround of the business for good. The organization’s top-level executives must also possess answers regarding the different business gaps that the ERP system will help fill. The more solid and research-backed inputs are put on the table, the more convinced the employees will become.
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Keep All Communication Lines Open:
After the organization’s top-tier staffers have brainstormed, and readied a plausible business case, the need for change must be communicated with utmost clarity and accuracy at all levels. Practicing succinctness is the key, and will help in navigating through user resistance to ERP. Also, employers and managers must ensure that they convey the “bigger picture” (as in the vision, what are the goals the organization hopes to achieve) about the ERP implementation to the workers. The more well-informed and well-aware the latter are, the more accommodating they will be about using the ERP solutions in the workplace. Additionally, and most importantly, it is recommended that leaders and managers encourage employees to ask questions, pose queries they may have about the ERP solution and implementation.
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Ensure that Top-Tier Executives and Managers are Onboard:
User resistance to ERP may be difficult to overcome if the top position holders in the organization are not on the same page about the ERP implementation process. Make sure all the key players within the company are lending their vocal support to the new impending change.
Training: The use of adequate training tools and mechanisms can significantly curtail the frequency and impact user resistance to ERP. It is up to the organization’s top management to chalk a proper plan wherein they incorporate full-fledged ERP training sessions for employees. Doing so before the actual implementation will serve as an opportunity for the workers to get introduced to the ERP system that is to be deployed organization-wide. Suffice to say, in this context, familiarity breeds awareness and acceptance. Continuous and thorough training is said to be the trade trick that leads to adjustment, comfort, and reciprocation with any organizational change, including ERP implementation.
