The Importance of a Software Implementation Plan

You might wonder if your business really needs a rollout plan for your new software, especially if it’s an intuitive platform. But even if your plan is simple, it will help you ensure:

A Smoother Implementation Process

A smooth implementation process means you’ll be able to transition to using your new software without interrupting your team's workflow or experiencing costly downtime. This will reduce stress levels for you, your employees and your clients.

Better Team Buy In

When your employees are enthusiastic about your new software adoption, you’ll benefit from guidelines being followed correctly. You’ll spend less time explaining how to use the new software or correcting errors. In fact, your employees may even approach you to suggest ways to make the most of your software.

Don’t overestimate the value of this: studies show that businesses that fully adopt new software and other technology can more than double their revenue rate.

Improved Staff Motivation

Carer burnout is a major issue facing the Australian aged care and disability support industry. Labour shortages are exacerbating the issue and making effective staff hiring and retention more important than ever.

Unfortunately, 40% of employees complain that their organization has difficult-to-use software and other technology. 

A well-planned implementation will help ensure that your new tool improves, rather than harms, the employee experience. In turn, this will lead to better motivation and retention levels.

7 Tips on Making Your New Care Management Software Easier to Implement

Follow these tips to ensure you successfully implement your new technology.

1. Prioritise Easy Implementation When Selecting Your New Software

Your new software tool doesn’t just need to have essential features for managing clients and employees. It should also be easy to use and implement.

If your new software is too complicated to use or requires lengthy training sessions, you’ll add to your team’s workload. Chances are, they’ll believe that this new tool will make their day-to-day work harder — even once they’ve learned how to use it effectively.

When your new software can be set up in minutes, however, you’ll save yourself and your employees time and stress.

2. Test Your New Software Before Implementing

A demo isn’t enough to see if your new software will meet your needs or is truly easy to use. 

Take advantage of your software’s free trial and fully test out its features. It’s worth getting users from across your company to try the software out at this stage. Ask for your team’s opinions, and even more importantly, take them into account.

3. Get Your Employees’ Support

The successful implementation of new software is often a result of staff buy in. Take the time to outline to your team members how this new tool will make their work better and easier. For example, you could explain how the scheduler can improve work-life balance, as well as coming with features for bidding on new work or accessing client details on the go.

Your staff may have reservations about the transition to using this new software. If you welcome their feedback with open arms, resolving their concerns will often prove easy.

4. Create Supporting Documentation

Good documentation helps ensure a successful software adoption. Ideally, your new software will come with plenty of supporting documentation so that your employees know how to use it for key tasks. However, you should also update any internal guides to processes. 

You will probably find that your new software enables you to simplify your processes. For example, templates for progress notes can often replace lengthy guidelines. Regardless, updating your documentation will remove confusion. It’s also a chance to check that you know exactly how you want your employees to use these new tools.

5. Provide Training Before and After Implementing New Software

Training will help ensure that users feel comfortable using the new technology. Often, this can be as simple as a video guide or asking team members to review the updated process documentation. Make sure you also invite and answer questions on the new software.

6. Create a Clean Switchover

Before you switch to using your new software, double-check that you’re ready to go. All your client data should already be uploaded when you ask employees to start using this technology. This will avoid confusion and unnecessary stress.

7. Have a Transition Period

A successful software adoption doesn’t happen overnight. Your employees may need a few weeks to get used to using this new software. Show patience during this transition period, and make sure managers are available to answer questions.

Set Up Your New Care Management Software in Minutes

Your choice of technology should make work easier for you and your employees, not harder. That’s why it’s important to understand your team’s workflow, look for software that’s easy to set up and plan for a smooth transition.

Good preparation is key to success when implementing new software. So too is picking the right tool. 

ShiftCare’s care management software is designed with aged care and disability support providers in mind. With rostering tools, a document management system, client communications, progress tracking and more, our software will help you and your employees spend less time on admin work. As a result, you’ll be able to prioritise what really matters: providing excellent care and support.

You can set up ShiftCare in under 10 minutes. The software is intuitive, with most users requiring zero training. But if you do need some help, you’re not on your own. Our live support has a 96% positive satisfaction rating, plus we’ve got a wealth of guides in our Help section.

Discover how easy your work can be with the right software. Try ShiftCare for free.