With the average employee juggling 10 or more software applications on top of their own job duties, it’s no wonder that the thought of yet another platform can sometimes result in pushback. That’s why it is important to have a well-thought-out plan for launching new software into your business so that your team can get excited about using it.

The only way to avoid pushback is by carefully picking the right software in the first place. Then you can purposefully work on getting buy-in from your team. To do this, you need to show that the software you selected supports their efforts without adding confusion, frustration, or busy work to their days. While this might sound like a challenge, we’re here to share some ideas on how you can make the process as smooth as possible. Plus, we’ll have a few tips on what to look for in file management software so you can get the right tech on your side.

Getting buy-in from your team for new file management software:

No one wants to get new software when everything is working perfectly. What is inspiring you to take the leap to new file management software? Pinpoint the pain points of file sharing so you can clearly articulate to your team why you need to implement a system. Here are the 5 steps you can follow for a smooth software launch!

  • Select a simple and easy-to-implement solution that aligns with the business goals.
  • Solve for the team and show empathy for their pain points.
  • Outline a clear onboarding strategy.
  • Pick your champions and show them some love with additional training and recognition.
  • Use the data from your new tool to prove the benefits.

1. Select a simple and easy-to-implement solution that aligns with your business goals

Much of what determines a successful software rollout will happen before your team even gets to see or use it. It starts with a well-thought-out scope that takes the feedback of select team members and solves the business goals.

For instance, a great file management solution should streamline the efforts of your internal and external team members, not just those who are lucky enough to get a user license. Finding the perfect solution can be tricky, but the right system will be well worth it. Spending some time with the software vendor to understand how they can help you work better with your team, is a great start.

What to look for in a file management solution

While browsing file-sharing solutions, keep an eye out for these key features:

  • Secure file storage of all file types including documents, images, video, and more – in one central location
  • The ability to add unlimited team members and external users with no additional costs.
  • Real-time file sharing with tracking and view-only share links
  • Features that allow you to identify and merge duplicate files
  • Configurable control of system access at both the user and document levels
  • Up-to-date security features such as 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • Online chat support for your entire team

When you find the right file-sharing platform, you can say goodbye to confusing folder structures and having to use multiple platforms, such as Dropbox and WeTransfer, to do one thing! You can also skip overly complex enterprise Digital Asset Management solutions and say hello to a simple and intuitive system that everyone in your team can use.

2. Solve for your team and show empathy for their pain points

The most common driver for adopting new software is a change in the workforce of a business or inefficiencies experienced with an existing software solution. As workplace collaboration changes, particularly in relation to remote and hybrid working, many traditional software platforms have become clunky and ineffective. This is particularly true in the case of file organization and file sharing.

With teams more distributed than ever, having a system that improves remote collaboration is a great way to improve the day-to-day work lives of your teams.

Some things to look out for that can help you determine if your team is struggling:

  • They are unable to seamlessly share files with internal and external teams as needed
  • A lack of collaboration tools keeps departments from working together
  • Basic search functions waste time and causes important documents to be unsearchable or lost
  • The absence of cloud storage prevents you and your team from accessing files from anywhere at any time
  • The lack of version control results in duplicate, out-of-date documents across departments

All these pain points can add up to big losses. You can lose time and money due to the resulting decrease in employee productivity, the inability to collaborate as a team, and the need to recreate lost files. Showing an understanding of the pain and clearly defining all the ways that disconnected and confusing file management hinders collective success will help you on your way to authentic and business-changing buy-in!

3. Outline a clear and simple onboarding strategy, then implement it!

Even when you follow best practices, with changes come growing pains. An actionable plan for the transition can ease the worries of your executive team and your co-workers. Establish a shared understanding of why a change or addition of software has been made. Then it’s time to get everyone using it!

In the case of new file management software, creating a simple but effective permission structure that reflects the teams needed for the business is a great start. Think about the types of users you will have. Will you need multiple admins who can manage all your files and users? What about managers who can help you add new team members and configure settings, but don’t necessarily need access to all workspace files? Choosing a platform where you can create custom roles to adjust permissions such as upload capability, archive access, and more can make a big difference in the organization of your files.

You may have business units within your organization that work together frequently or rely on specific files to get their jobs done. If so, organize your workspace into custom teams so that the right files are accessible to the right people.

Creating a standard for your file organization and tagging structure will help keep all team members who are responsible for adding files, on the same page. Ensuring that your files are tagged in the right way will make it easier for all workspace users and teams to find what they’re looking for.

Making sure your team knows what to expect with a new piece of software is vital and will keep them from getting overwhelmed. They might even be excited to start using it! The old adage, you never get a second chance to make a first impression is as relevant to software as it is to people. Set the expectations and intended outcomes clearly, especially for key people in your business.

The last step to proper preparation is to offer one-on-one sessions with your teams where you can share best practices and gather initial feedback.

5. Pick your champions, show them some love, and share the feedback.

Once you have launched your new software into the business you can identify power users and work with them on extra training. They can be your eyes and ears on the ground and filter back feedback. Having someone who knows the platform and can help their teammates with any technical questions, and bring sensible suggestions back to you can be invaluable.

These champions can also be incredibly powerful when it comes to sharing positive feedback about the switch with your executive team. Showing absolute buy-in after a new investment instills confidence, especially when many workforces have had to rethink their approach to collaboration.

6. Use the data from your new tool to prove the benefits.

A benefits-focused approach can help establish continued use, even after the rollout is complete. But modern file management systems are more than just storing files, they can leverage powerful user data and report on effectiveness and productivity. A file management solution that provides detailed reports can help you unlock the long-term value of files by seeing which ones could be reused or recycled. It can also help you in working out your strategy for the creation of new assets based on what users are searching for.

Useful reports can include:

Overall analytics

Your analytics dashboard is the place to go to see workspace information such as the amount of storage you have used, the number of users you have, and information on downloads. It is designed to give you a quick snapshot of your workspace and is supplemented by more detailed reports.

Most searched terms

Search term reports can help you understand what your workspace users are looking for, and whether the tags you are using are helping them. If a search is returning no results, it doesn’t mean the assets aren’t there. It might be that your team is searching for a term that you did not consider, but may want to add, to your files.

Most viewed files and Collections

Most viewed assets reports are a great way to see which files and Collections are the most popular with your team. Knowing this can make it easier to understand what other types of assets you might need in the future, or re-tagging other ‘like’ assets to promote their use.

Most active users and teams

Seeing who your most active users and teams are is a great way to know who might help champion the platform throughout the organization. Those who are not as active might need a reminder about its important role within your business or organization.

Using reports you can show how your business has been able to increase productivity and save time and money in the process. This data can also be used to identify ongoing training needs, show gaps in usage, and be shared with your champions to reinvigorate your team’s usage.

Are you ready to upgrade to a simple, yet powerful file management solution?

Stockpress is making file management simple and accessible by transforming the way teams organize, manage, collaborate on, and share files and cloud projects. As the leading file-sharing platform for SMBs and the mid-market, Stockpress gives you a highly customizable place to upload, organize and share files with your internal teams and external partners.

You never have to worry about unwanted file access, lost files, and multiple versions of the same documents circulating throughout the company.

Are you ready to get the best file management solution for your team? Try Stockpress for free, or schedule a demo today!