If your digital transformation involves rethinking your order fulfillment process, you may not consider this initiative your highest priority. However, every little organizational change you make as a result of digital transformation requires careful planning.
In fact, when implementing a new warehouse management system (WMS), supply chain management system, or manufacturing ERP system, most organizations experience change resistance from employees.
Today, we’re sharing tips on how to get employees excited about a streamlined order fulfillment process and the related roles and responsibilities changes.
How To Get Employees Excited About A New Order Fulfillment Process
1. Involve Employees From the Beginning
As you prepare to implement a new enterprise system, don’t wait until go-live to get your employees involved. Keeping them in the dark might seem like the easiest thing to do, but a quiet front can lead to questions, suspicion, and resistance.
One of the pillars of organizational change management (OCM) is keeping the lines of communication open from the beginning. As soon as you have the green light from the C-suite to communicate about the project, let your employees know what’s going on.
Then, consider how you might involve subject matter experts (SMEs) and department managers in the software selection and implementation process. Is there an inventory management SME that needs to enlighten the team about shop floor pain points? Is there a supply chain management lead who has the most reliable data on order fulfilment cycle time?
Involvement generates buy-in because it helps employees feel like they have at least some amount of influence over the nature of the coming changes.
ERP Training Plan Success Story
We helped this manufacturer implement an ERP training strategy to increase user adoption of its new ERP system.
2. Communicate the Benefits
Your workforce can’t get excited about something nebulous. You need to go into detail.
As you’re explaining the implementation process, remember to detail how the order management software will make their lives easier. Will it make it easier to find products in the warehouse? Will it simplify the entire pick, pack, and ship process?
You should also explain how the new solution will help them address any pain points they are experiencing. You can learn about their pain points by conducting software requirements gathering sessions and asking employees about bottlenecks, information siloes, and other issues.
3. Use Change Champions
Change champions are employees who visibly promote the project to their peers. They highlight the expected benefits, answer questions, and ease worries as they arise.
These can be department leaders, subject matter experts, or any employee with enough influence to direct the workplace conversation.
It also helps to get your leadership team involved. If employees see the C-suite expressing enthusiasm around the new order fulfillment software, they’re more likely to follow suit.
4. Prioritize End-User Training
End-user training is a critical component of a successful OCM strategy. Yet, a generic approach won’t do.
You need to tailor training materials to meet the needs and workflows of each core group in your organization. The way your sales team interacts with the order fulfillment software won’t align with how your warehouse managers use it. The same goes for your contracts department, executive leadership, and project managers.
By tailoring your training and making it a priority, you send a clear message to your organization. It tells them that you want them to use the tools at their fingertips and that you’re investing time and resources to help them get there.
Once your employees begin learning the new order fulfillment system, it will be easier for them to imagine its benefits and how they’ll use it in the future.
5. Address Post-Live Issues and Concerns
Once you go live with your new software, you’re not completely finished. In fact, much of the work is just getting started.
Instead of leaving your employees hanging, check in frequently to understand how they’re interacting with the new solution. Are they using workarounds? Is the organization meeting the key performance indicators (KPIs) you set at the beginning of the project?
Other questions to ask at this phase include:
- What are some of the most common issues employees are encountering?
- What is the rate of system uptime?
- Is the organization achieving the expected benefits?
6. Reward Small Wins
In the midst of an enterprise-wide change, one of the easiest and most effective ways to conjure up some enthusiasm is to recognize and reward small wins.
Did an employee successfully navigate the new software to handle a large order for a key account? Did someone receive positive feedback (from a client, partner, or colleague) after using the system?
You don’t have to go all out and make the reward expensive. In many cases, a quick shout-out or email blast will do.
According to one report, 40% of U.S. employees only receive recognition a few times a year, but when they do, they’re five times more likely to connect with company culture and four times more likely be engaged.
Build Hype Around Your Order Fulfillment Transformation
When you hype up even small, incremental changes, you can create a culture that embraces innovation at every turn. The more buzz you can build now, the easier it will be to guide your organization through bigger changes down the road.
Need guidance as you navigate digital transformation? Contact our enterprise software consultants below.
