Linear Asset Management Solutions provide huge benefits to railroad companies in terms of increased efficiency, safety, and reliability. If your company is still weighing the options for updating or augmenting your existing Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system with Linear Asset Management solutions, we can make it easier for you. In this blog, we share a few common ‘reasons to resist’ technology changes and how to overcome them.
Familiarity with Existing System
Most of us know the unease that comes with switching our phone from Android to iOS or vice versa. It takes time until we get comfortable enough to operate the new phone intuitively, without actively thinking about it. This discomfort is an integral part of technology change and sometimes it is the reason that makes us resist technology changes at workplace.
The best way to overcome such attachments is to ask honest feedback from key decision makers and team members about their concerns. If there is no sound technical, financial, or legal reason to resist the change, it is time to consult a change management expert. They might be able to break down the change process to help you become comfortable with the unfamiliar technology.
Fear of Unknown
Another rationale behind resisting a new technology is that the devil is in the details and it’s only when the new system would be implemented that we’d know the drawbacks. This is a fair reasoning, given most organizations have experienced failed technology upgrades or debauched system replacements in their recent history.
The way to overcome or minimize the fear of unknown is to pick a modular system and give your team enough time to unfold the change one department or one functionality at a time. This approach might also help with overcoming the attachment to the existing systems. By the time the system is ready to be rolled out in full scale, each team member would have had time to know the new technology at some level, making the change process less intimidating.
Team is Not Ready
If your team is aware of the industry trends, market studies, and financial data to support a technology change and still doesn’t feel ready, the reason could be that the team is not up-to-speed to make the new system work. It is critical to get a buy-in from all stakeholders in the company for a successful technology change. So, this factor needs to be addressed before making any commitment to technology change.
To overcome this challenge, a practical approach would be to identify the skills required to manage the new system and empower the team to upgrade their skill level. Ensure that the team members get the training and are ready to make the necessary technical or operational changes. Another way is to launch a pilot project with the team members who already have the skills to work with the new system. Then gradually increase the number of ‘ready’ team members to make a seamless transition to new technology.
Let us know if you’d like to discuss your challenges with technology change management. TekTracking experts provide customized consultancy and support to get teams ready for a huge technology updates like augmenting a traditional EAM system with Linear Asset Management Solutions through a modular approach.
