Australian businesses have historically been slow to adopt new technology. In 2016, the latest year for which we have figures, only 50 per cent of Australian businesses had a web presence, while only 38.2 per cent used social media, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports. Meanwhile, less than half (43.1 per cent) of companies could be classed as "innovating businesses."
However, this trend is beginning to change as the need for digital transformation becomes clearer. For example, an EY report has found that Australia ranks fifth in the world for adoption of fintech, and other industries are also starting to adapt.
While many business leaders and tech workers are seeing the need for digital transformation, employees can often be resistant to new technologies. Many dislike change, especially if managers or the IT department don't properly communicate the reasons why they are implementing the technology.
How can you get your Australian company on board with new tech?
Australian companies have historically been slow to adopt new technology - until now.1) Choose your technology wisely
User-friendliness is key to adopting a new technology - especially where it's going to be rolled out company-wide. It's a good idea to run pilots with select groups of people in your organisation, ideally with a range of technological experience, in order to find out how easy it's going to be for the rest of your company to use.
You can then make adjustments to the roll-out plan and to the technology itself where necessary.
2) Explain why
It's not enough simply to say what the new technology is - you also have to explain why you're adopting it. This shouldn't just mean talking about how it will improve your organisation or whether it will increase company profits. You also need to show the tangible benefits it will have on your employees' work. For example, will it help your team to reach their targets quicker, or take care of the little tasks, leaving them to work on more important jobs?
All too often, employees oppose change because they can't see that it's going to impact their lives for the better - it's up to managers and the IT team to show them otherwise.
If you can get key players on board with new technology, they will help to influence the mindset of the rest of your employees.3) Get key players on board early
Once you've decided what technology you're going to adopt and worked out a roll-out plan, it's important you get key employees on board. Team members that are in positions to exercise influence over other employees will have an impact on how they see the new changes. If you show them the benefits as described above, you'll have a much easier ride convincing the rest of your company.
4) Customise training to different levels
Not everyone in your organisation will have the same proficiency with the new technology. Older people may know nothing at all, while some may have worked with similar devices in the past. It's important to take this into account when devising a training scheme - have different levels for different proficiencies, and let people move up the levels as they master the basics.
One technology your team will easily see the benefits of is unified communications, which can increase opportunities for flexible work and dramatically improve productivity. For more information on Fonality's unified communications services, contact us today.
