Put Your People First. Best practices for a smooth retail technology rollout

Transcription

1 Put Your People First Best practices for a smooth retail technology rollout

2 Plan for change. It makes all the difference. A workforce management solution streamlines processes, boosts associate productivity, and improves visibility into store operations so you can deliver an exceptional customer experience. But even if your solution is intuitive and your deployment is flawless, project success is not necessarily a slam dunk. You ll achieve expected results only if your people embrace the new technology and use it consistently day in and day out. Bridging the gap between system deployment and adoption requires upfront planning, coordinated execution, and effective communication. You have to think about how the new tools and processes will affect your entire workforce part time, ful time, hourly, salaried, and seasonal and make sure everyone understands why and how the technology is being introduced. That s what change management is all about. With a strategy that focuses on creating awareness, encouraging buy-in, and educating users, your organization can drive user adoption and meet or exceed your project goals. It s all about the people part of change. Our job is really to get people to want the change, to get people excited about the change, and to see themselves being successful in the new environment. We need to provide them with the capabilities to do that... so we don t revert back to old behaviors. Director of Change Management Quality of Life Services Provider

3 A successful transition starts with engaging users. A people-centric change management strategy helps your organization plan for transition, overcome obstacles, and establish new behaviors. Communication is key to getting users at all levels to accept the new technology and change the way they approach workforce management. For example, you may be changing how: Regional directors track, analyze, and report labor cost and productivity metrics Frontline managers forecast demand, schedule employees, and manage labor compliance Customer-facing associates clock in and out, request time off, and swap shifts Because the technology will affect end-users in different ways, it s important to tailor communication content and timing to best address each audience. Whether you show videos at company meetings to build awareness, conduct demos at stores to gain associate buy-in, or cascade training throughout the organization, it s all about reaching the right people with the right message at the right time to speed and maximize system adoption. Read on to learn how three retail companies achieved their project goals real-time labor visibility and continuous cost, productivity, and service improvements across locations with change management strategies that put people first.

4 A large specialty fashion retailer Challenge: Strategy: Scheduling obstacles prompted the company to rethink its workforce management strategy. The company decided to deploy new technology to better align staffing with demand, minimize compliance risk, and lift in-store conversions while improving global labor visibility across thousands of employees working in hundreds of retail and outlet stores. The project team conducted a pilot to gather the data needed for executive buy-in. Based on the pilot s success, the team embarked on a large-scale technology rollout to all stores over a four-month period. Their bottom-up approach to change management focused first and foremost on gaining employee support and acceptance. First, the project team took steps to champion the project and build awareness. Established a store manager focus group to help define the ideal system Created video testimonials to reinforce senior-level support Posted detailed project information in store break rooms to communicate business benefits and promote enthusiasm among end-users Next, they worked with management to prepare all users for launch. Led area-based train-thetrainer workshops for district and store managers Conducted end-user training for frontline associates at the district and local levels The team continued its communication efforts right up to go-live and beyond. Presented the documented project strategy at an employee conference to ensure consistent messaging Published system rollout updates and tips and tricks in the monthly employee newsletter to optimize user adoption

5 A leading supermarket chain Challenge: Strategy: Disparate systems for managing forecasting, scheduling, and costs for hundreds of thousands of employees across the U.S. made it difficult to gain real-time visibility into the workforce. The company needed a better way to align staffing with demand, manage payroll, and control overtime while providing a consistently great customer experience. The grocer set out to introduce a new centralized system for forecasting and scheduling to field managers, store managers, and associates across thousands of store locations. The project team took initial steps to gain buy-in and support from management. Prepared a data-driven comparative analysis of the old and new systems to present a strong business case Encouraged field managers to vote on a name for the internally branded system to promote involvement and build excitement Held roundtables with field managers to solicit configuration and usability feedback and foster a sense of ownership They created multichannel communications to convey clear, consistent messaging to all employees. Distributed brochures with helpful how-to information in store break rooms and at training sessions to drive user awareness and understanding Simplified access to resources, including standard operating procedures, to optimize user adoption Finally, the team addressed education and accountability processes to drive continuous improvement. Provided system training for all end-users, and defined a process for assessing retraining needs Held regular meetings with business leaders to discuss report requests and configuration changes needed to meet evolving requirements

6 A quality of life service provider Challenge: Strategy: The company lacked the real-time labor visibility needed to control costs, improve productivity, and manage compliance across more than 4,000 U.S. work units. The internal change management organization implemented a comprehensive program to successfully transition all 126,000 U.S. employees to a single, centralized time and attendance solution. The team started by building a change infrastructure within the company. Socialized the project with executive leaders to win support and secure required resources Established a 250-person change champion network to communicate messages, identify key resistors, and assist with training across the U.S. Held monthly meetings with change champions to keep the people side of change moving forward Next, they assessed their audience and developed targeted communications. Conducted virtual roundtables to understand employee concerns, overcome skepticism, and determine what each group needed to know Engaged vice presidents to deliver consistent messaging across the enterprise Communicated each employee s role in the success of the project and empowered them to help drive positive change Throughout the journey, they kept people informed and focused on success. Maintained a constant communication flow to promote user acceptance and generate excitement Put training in place to prepare users from regional managers to frontline employees for system go-live

7 Don t leave change to chance A workforce management solution is a smart business investment, but you ll reap the rewards only if your people embrace the system and use it consistently. An effective change management strategy can help propel your retail organization past potential points of failure to achieve project success. While there s no one-size-fits-all approach to change management, the best strategies strike just the right balance between people and technology. That way, your project is far more likely to be a a win-win for your employees and for your business. Common best practices: Do a pilot project to gather metrics and build a business case Identify change leaders who will champion the project and manage the transition Assess different audience concerns and tailor communications Deliver consistent messaging across all communication channels Rev up communication efforts as users move along the change acceptance continuum Conduct training using the same configuration environment as the live solution to drive adoption Reinforce goals by auditing for compliance, taking corrective action, and rewarding success Awareness Understanding Buy-in Action Reward Change acceptance continuum To learn more about change management and how Kronos Services can help you achieve a smooth technology rollout, read Change Management: Driving the Long-Term Success of Your Workforce Management Solution.

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