In a recent blog, we discussed the digital shifts companies have been making to their operations. More than ever before, businesses are choosing to adopt software and technology solutions to improve efficiency. Once a business selects a software, the next step is to integrate the software into the company—also known as implementation. Below, we’ve broken down the key steps of Opportunity Manager’s implementation process, and laid out our best tips for general implementation to help your team onboard smoothly.

The Implementation Process

One of the keys to a successful implementation is not rushing the training process. If employees are not given adequate time to learn a software, they can quickly become overwhelmed. It’s best to start with the basics of the program and build from there. Once your team has the essentials down, it will be easier to eventually fill in the gaps and become more advanced.

At Opportunity Manager we’ve tested various program lengths over the years and have found that four days is an effective amount of time for information to be communicated and retained. Our first three days focus on getting the basics down, while day four is devoted to any additional training and lesson repetitions designed to increase retention.

What to Expect after Training

Once you have successfully completed your training, you should feel ready for your company to use the new software, but it is important to remember that the first few months of integration can have some growing pains. Some employees may feel more confident than others, and all software programs come with a bit of a learning curve.

Luckily, there are steps you can take after training to keep your team up to speed! You can host software discussions to answer questions, reinforce the tool’s benefits, and demonstrate its daily practical application for the team. If you’ve opted for a software that provides customer support, such as Opportunity Manager, you can also reach out to the support team for further assistance. In fact, in the weeks following Opportunity Manager’s implementation, our onboarding team schedules multiple follow-up calls to check on your team’s progress, arrange any additional trainings, and answer any questions.

We hope these tips have made you feel more at ease about implementing your new software. The key is to be patient with yourself and your team, and to recognize all of the benefits that the software will have on your business.