A CIO Driven Approach Helps Avoid Pitfalls The digital age offers incredible new experiences and opportunities both internally and externally for today’s manufacturers. Technology continues to transform how companies do business by enabling more sophisticated communication with employees and customers, but it’s not always without stumbling blocks. Enterprise- or facility-wide changes should be communicated properly for an organization to experience the least amount of resistance. Employee acceptance and commitment to change is a critical piece of the puzzle. According to Techopedia, the key is to prioritize how technology facilitates a more seamless employee experience first and then showcases how it can drive toward broader business objectives. The role of the CIO - As a transformation progresses, a company’s CIO has an important role. They are ultimately responsible for collaborating with leadership on digital strategies and leading implementation. They also have to be willing to take risks and experiment with new and emerging technologies. That’s why the Harvard Business Journal says digital has to be embedded in the company culture for employees and senior managers to embrace the change coming – it has to start at the top of a company. One company first focused on creating a leadership development program that provided executives with learning experiences, roadmaps and mindset shifts needed before enterprise-wide adoption was rolled out.
Identifying Tools and Resources - The next step in implementing new technologies and encouraging their adoption requires structured processes throughout the entire workflow across the organization. Most importantly, though, it requires a focus on meeting the needs and expectations of the mid-level and frontline employees by providing them with the tools and resources needed to fill any skills gaps and make them feel comfortable throughout the transformation journey. Helping frontline employees see how they fit into the transformation is crucial. The CIO and transformation team should work directly with human resources to identify and address any skill gaps as they will undoubtedly exist. As digital technologies continue to evolve, the skills required will evolve and need to be boosted on a continuous basis. This important step will help the transformation team filter out platforms or initiatives that may not work and build out those that will. Online training that allows employees to learn at their own pace and requires less time away from work will result in more satisfied employees. So consider videos, webinars, gamification, live Q&As and support networks that enable engagement, goal setting, incentives and interaction with other employees. These are great strategies for creating worker-powered opportunities that drive real, bottom-line change. Driving Positive Change - Experiential platforms are designed to provide employees with a sense of purpose and help them excel, and research suggests they ultimately lead to greater retention rates. These more positive employee experiences will also drive additional bottom-line value and help a company meet the ultimate goal of delivering a superior customer experience. While there may be some growing pains, the pay off in improved employee engagement as well as customer service is worth it, according to HR Technologist. Employees benefit greatly as going digital enables companies to more easily offer continued learning opportunities, access to knowledge sharing systems and learning networks. Has your company started its transformation into the digital age? Comments are closed.
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