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If a tree falls in the forest, we’re
pretty sure it makes a sound even if no one is around to hear it. We’re 100%
sure that if you implement Kaizen software and no one uses it, there will be no
impact. There might be a lot of noise from grumbling executives who’ve just
wasted a lot of money, but no positive change.
That’s why it is so important to plan your Kaizen Software roll out with a
focus on broad user adoption. We’ve helped tons of clients with improvement
technology implementations and here’s what we’ve learned works when it comes to
getting people on board.
If the idea of using Kaizen software seems to come out of nowhere, people
will probably view it as a solution looking for a problem. Instead, the concept
of Kaizen and the culture that will be created around it should be introduced
and people should receive training around what it means, why it matters, and how
it will transform the organization. It is helpful for people to be given
examples of the impact Kaizen has had on other organizations and what leadership
expects it to do for yours.
Remember - technology is NO substitute for culture. For a successful
implementation, you have to focus on developing your improvement culture through
methodology and leadership behaviors. Kaizen software helps make that cultural
development possible, and should be rolled out in the context of supporting your
organization's transformation.
Your technology decision will have a big impact on whether employees love or
loathe your Kaizen software. Ask yourself a few questions from the employee’s
point of view. Can I get the information that is relevant to me quickly and
easily? Can I access it from the mobile devices I love? Is the interface
intuitive? Can I get help if I need it? Does it align with how we work and
manage improvement projects?
Download a free software comparison matrix to evaluate how your options stack
up against each other.
Perhaps the most important aspect of your kaizen software solution is that it
must be easy to use for EVERYONE - which means showing different information to
different people to accommodate their different needs. For example, your
frontline users need an easy easy way to submit improvements, while more
advanced improvement professionals need a way to organize their project
workflows. Senior leaders, on the other hand, need custom dashboards that show
them relevant KPIs and the associated improvement work.
To suit all of the diverse needs across your organization, you'll need a
platform that was built specifically for kaizen that can be customized to fit
exactly what you need.
If you’ve made a great technology choice, the system should be well-designed
and easy to use, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t need to be trained on
how to get the most out of it. The best solutions let users configure the system
to fit with their role and preferences, so people aren't overwhelmed by access
to features they don't need. For example, people working on the front lines
might just need a simple template for submitting their ideas for improvements
and a digital Kanban board, while quality leaders and system admins need
training on the kaizen software platform's reporting and project
functionality.
Make sure that the platform you need has an online support site for people to
reference 24/7, as well as a support staff that can answer more complicated
questions. The best platforms will provide custom training that matches your
workflows and processes as part of their onboarding process, as well as assign
you a dedicated account manager that serves as a point of contact for all future
training needs.
People tend to use things that are useful to them (folks are funny that
way). To employees, the introduction of Kaizen software may just feel like one
more task to add to the list. Change this thinking by explaining what’s in it
for employees. When employees understand that a key goal of kaizen is to make
their work more productive, more enjoyable, and more important to the company,
they gladly accept and leverage the tools designed to help. Too often we see
leaders focus only on the benefits that improvement brings to the company’s
bottom line and miss the point that workers benefit as well.
Kaizen software is a way to make their voices heard, streamline improvement
work that they are already doing, learn from past experience, and eliminate
complicated email strings. It also amplifies the employee’s accomplishments and
gives them a way to document the impact of their improvement work.
If leaders aren’t vocal about their use of the system, employee enthusiasm
will almost always wane. No one wants to enter information into a system that
they don’t believe is being used by management. Smart leaders reference
information from the Kaizen solution when they address the organization. They
talk about how the data is used to make decisions and share impact reports so
that everyone knows Kaizen is making a difference.
One key feature to look for is the ability to broadcast successful
improvements to the entire organization. Using the system to do that reinforces
the idea that engaging with improvement work will get employees recognized by
management. Improvement broadcasting has an awesome snowball effect in companies
with everyone wanting to be the next to see their name in lights.
As they say, that which gets measured improves. If you want employees to
really engage with your Kaizen solution, it is important to make doing so part
of how they are evaluated. Set goals related to improvement activities and
reward those who achieve them.
Ideally, part of each person’s performance review will involve opening your
Kaizen solution and taking a look at how engaged the individual has been with
improvement work. Of course, everyone should know ahead of time that this will
be a normal part of how folks are measured. They should also have goals related
to improvement that align with the overall objectives of the organization.
You know your team better then we do, so you’ll figure out what works for
your organization, but there are lots of ways to make using Kaizen software fun.
You can throw in a little gamification by rewarding the person or team that
enters the most opportunities for improvement or gets the most measurable impact
from improvement. You can use it to manage event planning for holiday parties or
outings. Maybe you announce the most innovative, out of the box idea for
improvement once a month. Whatever approach you choose, bringing a bit of fun
and humor to your Kaizen culture isn’t a bad idea.
Sure, folks are somewhat resistant to change, but you probably aren’t still
using MySpace or getting DVDs from Netflix in your mailbox. When something comes
along that’s better than the way you are doing things today, you get on board.
That’s how you want your team to think of Kaizen software – the new best way to
achieve innovation.
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