Technology adoption is hard to see if you aren’t monitoring your employee’s progress in new tech implementation. But this year, when new tech solutions were being added rapid-fire, we saw firsthand how easy it is to implement a tool without fostering adoption.
The temporary measures we added to deal with COVID-related changes have left holes in our workforce’s understanding of collaboration tools. Here’s how the pandemic accelerated technology adoption.
The Importance of Adoption
“If technology is part of the Innovation or Process Improvement that you are undertaking, your firm’s users must adopt the technology fully for any profound ‘change’ to occur,” says an Above the Law article.
When you focus on technology adoption, you can create a system where your tech solutions are fully integrated into your employee’s expertise. Rather than training for individual commands or projects, complete adoption of a tool means you can use that tool in more collaborative and valuable ways across the board.
The Role COVID-19 Played in Tech
As COVID-19 spread across the US and the world, businesses of all sizes had to pivot strategies from in-person dealings to contactless and online offerings.
Now that the dust has settled a bit, there are a lot of instances that highlight the need for true adoption in terms of technology and collaboration tools. Zoom meetings, online shopping, Microsoft Teams project collaboration – all of these things existed before 2020, but they were made necessary by the emergence of this virus.
As we move into 2021, these collaboration solutions have become commonplace and are likely sticking around for the future.
The Remote Work Boom
Remote work has been trending upward in popularity for a number of years and now that COVID-19 has forced a lot of new jobs and industries to figure out how employees can work from home, that collaborative technology expertise and adoption needs to be stronger than ever.
Though some remote positions will revert back to their pre-pandemic locations, many will stay remote, or become a hybrid of remote and on-site work. Without technology adoption, the skills and communication gaps that created issues before and during the 2020 changes will only be exacerbated.
Looking Forward
The coronavirus has changed the world and thrust the importance of full-scale technology adoption into the spotlight. Collaboration tools are constantly updating their platforms and features to keep up with the demand for online solutions (see these update articles about Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex Teams).
As we continue making decisions that move us toward a tech-friendly future, adoption is the best way to ensure our teams, leaders, and employees have the best training so we can continue to make the most of these collaboration tools.
The Road to Full Technology Adoption
Meet Me In The Cloud is your go-to resource for white-glove support and training of collaboration services and tools.
Whether you need training and education, event assistance, or other collaboration-based support and service, contact us today.
