New technology in business is a double-edged sword. It can provide drastic improvements to business operations in both the near and distant future, but it can also cause headaches among employees trying to learn how to use the new software. Convincing staff members to uproot their familiar processes and move on to updated or completely new software is no easy feat, but it can be accomplished through patience and persistence.

In the wake of an economic recession, companies are still keeping a close eye on their expenditures. However, even for software implementation that is being ran on a tight budget, ensuring employees adopt the new software is crucial to seeing the benefits and improvements that companies expect when implementing a change. This is why it is so important for IT managers to ensure that any new system implementation runs smoothly.

Training on a tight budget
While it is important to remain within budget while implementing new software, it is equally important to provide employees with the appropriate amount of resources they need to be successful while using it. Employees on the ground level are the ones that end up using the software on a day-to-day basis, so it is crucial that they not only understand how to operate a new program, but that they also have support throughout the learning process.

It often falls on the IT department to answer questions and provide assistance to those who need it, but they do not always have enough time to address every issue with each employee. One solution is hosting what the U.S. Small Business Administration calls "brown bag lunches," or optional training sessions where employees can have their individual questions answered. At BrainStorm, we call these Lunch and Learns. Another option is to use a third-party training solution. Our QuickHelp™ program integrates with new and updated software so staff members can individually access help videos as questions arise in their daily operations. Having access to training right while they are working helps employees learn the new software without relying on the help of the IT department.

Even though companies are looking to pinch-pennies wherever they can, skimping on training is not a solution. Training employees to use the software efficiently should be seen as a long-term investment that will increase the company's productivity and profitability.