Key takeaways
- Adoption starts with visible leadership. Executive sponsors explain why the organization chose a new system, set expectations and stay engaged as teams adjust.
- Review current processes before configuring the software. Preserve workflows that serve a real need and use implementation to improve outdated or inefficient ones.
- Let users see how the system will work for them. A prototype of a familiar workflow can surface questions early and guide setup and training.
- Define success and roll out in manageable phases. Set measurable outcomes, start with high-priority workflows and keep supporting users after go-live.
Capital project teams tend to fall into two camps when a new software solution comes along: Some people are excited to get their hands on the new technology. Others fear the loss of long-established processes and dread the idea of another software tool being dropped on their laps.
There are a lot of factors in a successful construction software implementation: The team that decided to purchase the new system may not be the same people who actually use the new system every day.
We talked to implementation specialist Patrick Wiseman, who has worked on about 50 implementations, to see what he does to make sure the customer teams he works with are successful and the implementation works for everyone.
Change management starts early, he says, with strong executive sponsorship. More than setting up workflows, a successful construction software implementation asks people to change their habits, learn new processes, and trust that the system will support their work.
A lot of excitement and anxiety swirl around the process of getting a new tech tool. Here are some key actions that will help ease the transition and set up teams for long-term success.
1. Executive sponsors need a visible role.
Software users take cues from their managers.
If leaders wait until the system is live to talk about it, or fail to respond when users push back, teams might assume adoption is optional.
On the other hand, if an executive sponsor explains what motivated the decision to switch tools, describes what will change, and clarifies expectations, employees have time to start planning and more ownership over their adoption process.
Successful implementations have sponsor involvement: That often includes regular check-ins with the project team, updates for end users, and a pathway for escalating concerns.
The executive sponsor doesn’t need to answer every technical question, but they do need to connect the system to the organization’s goals and support the people responsible for using it.
2. Understand current processes before changing them.
No one knows the ins and outs of a complex system better than the person who has to navigate it every day.
Before configuring a new system, gather the forms, reports, and workflows in use today. Then identify the purpose of each: What works well? Where does the current process slow people down? Are there legal, security, reporting, or other operational requirements that need to stay in place?
This conversation helps the implementation team distinguish between a familiar process that eases the transition and an old workaround that the organization would be better off changing.
“Why do you do things like this today?” Wiseman often asks. “Are you happy with how this process works?”
Recreating a form may help users get started. Reproducing every step without questioning it can carry avoidable problems into the new system.
“I can implement Kahua to replicate what you’re doing today,” he said, “but we don’t want to replicate crap. It might make adoption easier, but is that really the best way? Maybe so, maybe not. We can also improve processes during implementation.”
3. Give users a way to test the new tech.
A generic software demo might not touch the issues users care about.
Choose one workflow the team uses—such as submitting a budget request, routing a pay application, or approving a drawing—and walk through it from start to finish in the new system.
Use a clickable prototype so people can see where they would enter information, what the approval process is, and how to take the next steps.
Ask individuals what feels unclear and what they’d want to see or be able to do, in order to trust the new software.
“Users just want proof that it is going to make their lives easier and that it’s going to work before they go all-in,” Wiseman said.
That feedback can turn general concerns (and anxiety) into thoughtful decisions about setup and training. It also gives managers some concrete milestones to meet and share as the rollout goes forward successfully.
4. Define how you’ll measure success.
Before starting implementation, make sure all stakeholders agree on a clear outcome and how that outcome will be measured. Set a baseline—for example, a number of regular users or level of proficiency—and a timeframe.
Logins and training completion show activity, but they don’t tell you whether the processes improved. For example, if you want to shorten approval cycles, record how long approvals take today before the new tech is live and decide when to check progress in the new system to measure outcomes.
How Kahua supports user adoption
Before the contract is signed, the experienced professional services team at Kahua is introduced to potential customers to discuss implementation questions and show how a workflow might take shape.
Prototyping workflows
A product walkthrough, mock-up, or prototype helps customers picture the change and gives the team a framework to discuss requirements.
When a workflow is prototyped before the contract, those requirements and decisions are carried into implementation, so the team can build on that work after signing.
“We can reproduce the forms from their current system to Kahua on the spot,” Wiseman offers as an example. This eases the transition and assures users that they won’t lose anything, even if the processes are improved upon.
During the initial implementation kickoff meeting, customers can share their current forms, processes, reports, and dashboards.
Kahua’s implementation team uses those materials to understand how work happens today, then works with the customer to decide what to carry forward and what to improve.
Some familiar workflows may make adoption easier, but other workflows could be more efficient with a fresh approach in Kahua.
A phased approach to configuration
Kahua’s platform can be configured to the unique needs of teams, projects, and programs—but customers don’t need to launch every application at once. Instead, they can help identify the highest-priority processes, and set practical phase-one goals that can be expanded as users gain experience and learn what the platform can do.
Recommendations and use cases from previous implementations can help customers work through the many configuration options in Kahua.
“Your customers don’t need to fit inside a box. We tweaked Kahua to fit us and meet our needs.”
“We searched for the right PMIS for quite a while until we found Kahua,” said Lee Powers, president of AVCOR. “Your customers don’t need to fit inside a box. We tweaked it to fit us and meet our needs.”
On-going training and support
Training and follow-up are also important to a successful construction software implementation. Kahua provides hands-on administrator and end-user training, along with a Help Center and customer training portal.
Because workflows in the Kahua platform are highly customizable, general training may not match every organization’s setup.
The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, for example, needed to connect material lab testing to quality outcomes that affected contractor bonuses, penalties, and rework decisions.
Before go-live, coordinate the cutover: Decide when users will move to Kahua, communicate what will happen, and manage access to the previous system to avoid duplicate work.
After launch, make sure users know where to get help and who owns the next stage of support.
Implementation decisions, user feedback, and success measures should stay connected to the reason the organization chose a new system. The executive sponsor keeps that purpose in the spotlight by backing the team as it adjusts workflows and following up on the outcomes the rollout is intended to deliver.
Talk to Kahua today and see how our team can help de-risk the pain of adoption.
FAQ
There isn’t one timeline that fits every team. Scope, team size, number of projects, data migration, training and time for user feedback all affect the schedule. Build in room to test workflows and address issues before expanding the rollout.
An implementation plan gives the team a shared view of what will change, who is responsible, and how you’ll know the rollout is successful. Include:
- Desired outcomes: Define what the organization expects the new system to improve.
- Scope and sequence: Identify which workflows should be the first to launch, and what can wait.
- Owners and participants: Name the executive sponsor, implementation lead, and end users who will provide input.
- Milestones: Schedule configuration, data migration, testing, training, and cutover—and don’t forget to include extra time to address issues.
- Success measures: Set a baseline, target, and review date to see whether the rollout is working as expected.
Onboarding a new technology offers an opportunity to create better, faster processes, so don’t necessarily plan to re-create every workflow in the new tool.
For data, start with the records people need for active projects, reporting and contractual or retention requirements. Decide whether historical data will help with future work and measuring results, or if it will reinforce outdated processes.
Review and test a workflows and outputs before migrating data in bulk; bringing everything over without scrutiny can create clutter and redundancies.