How to Help Your Installers to Adopt New Software: 5 Lessons We Learnt

Digital transformation provides us with an exceptional opportunity to get ahead of our competitors and reach new business goals. Yet, there is one concern that comes with this change — will everyone get on board?

Hesitation to use new installation management software by freelance signage installers is often mentioned to us as one of the biggest challenges by project managers, who benefit from managing every aspect of many jobs in one place and want to share those benefits with their team. Sometimes though, installers might express reluctance to utilise new digital tools as they are used to the old communication methods and schedule their work.

Nevertheless, through our experience working together with installation project managers and installers as a project management software provider, we have learnt how to increase adoption and help installers use new software to get the job done easier, faster and right the first time.

Lesson #1: Choose user-friendly applications‍

Functionality is vital, but so is user-friendliness. Your job is to choose technology that will be the most approachable and straightforward for your team to adopt. There are several factors you should take into account if your goal is a high adoption rate among installers. 
A simple and intuitive interface is the essential characteristic of an application that is a delight to use. The screens should not be cluttered, and should clearly present the relevant information. Additionally, make sure that the software you introduce to your team offers support. In-app chat support will ease the transition and reduce confusion as requests and questions will be resolved faster. ‍

Lesson #2: Train your team

62% of employees feel that they lack digital skills crucial to enterprise technology adoption. Therefore, it’s important to consider what training and support your freelance signage installers might need to effectively utilise newly introduced digital tools. 
Adjusting your training approach to various team members’ learning styles is one of the ways to optimise the learning experience. Some installers might prefer hands-on sessions to get direct practical experience of using the tool and have the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. While for more tech-savvy installers, it will be more beneficial to familiarise themselves with new technology by watching short video overviews of the available features or checking a simple instruction manual. Familiarity will help you increase your team’s interest in this new digital technology, and getting their interest will power the motivation to use it. ‍

Lesson #3: Try before you buy‍

When you’re shopping around for new software to optimise the signage installation process, consider that not all tools will suit your team’s needs. To ensure that you will get the most out of your digital transformation, encourage your team to do trials. This way, you will be able to get feedback before you commit and invest in specific software. 
For example, Vantage — project management software built specifically for graphics and signage installations, offers a 14-day trial to explore the different features for signage and graphics installation management and make the right strategic decision for your team. ‍

Lesson #4: Consider industry-specific software‍

Software for signage installers will work best if it is specifically tailored to their job’s needs. The tool should include features that will improve communication throughout the signage installation process and ultimately make it easier for installers to use it. 
Taking into consideration that many installation locations do not have proper internet reception, the availability of offline mode is crucial. Installers should be able to access the information and files needed for the installation rollout without an internet connection. Additionally, installers are more motivated to use the app when it requires fewer actions from them before and after the rollout. By enabling them to take and submit photos offline, which are sent once a device goes online, you’ll reduce the amount of friction in the process and encourage quick submissions before they even leave the site.

Learn more about simplifying wayfinding signage installations in our article.‍

Lesson #5: Emphasise the benefits to them

‍Last but not least, there should be a set of incentives for your freelance installers to take part in the digital transformation process. Everyone needs to understand the goal and benefits of the implemented digital tool, both for the business and for them. 
Highlight the key benefits of using the software that will be most meaningful to them. For example, emphasise that it will ease the photo submitting and sign-off process — installers can share completion photos and signatures instantly once the job is done.  So once the completion information is updated, the project is closed and sent to accounts for invoicing — and installers get paid faster!
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‍‍Final thoughts ‍

Driving digital transformation requires persistence and consistent challenge of the status quo. It’s a cultural change, and not everyone in the team will always be ready for it. However, you can speed up the technology adoption process by consistently communicating the benefits of new software to installers, providing the relevant training, and staying open to feedback. ‍

VGL implemented Vantage in early 2019 to streamline its installation workflow. In order to smooth the adoption process, their installation managers made sure that everyone had received instruction on how to use Vantage together with the invites to sign up before launching it across the business. The deal-maker for installers to get on board has been the simplicity of Vantage and the order it brings to your installs. 

At Vantage, we do not only offer software to our customers — we help you communicate and achieve the desired results of digital transformation together with your team. To ensure your investment is a success and you reap the rewards — sign up for a 14-day Vantage trial now!