Implementing New Technology: Success or Failure
Taira D. McJimson
University of Phoenix

Implementing New Technology: Success or Failure
In an effort to make this company more competitive within our industry I have decided to implement a few new technology solutions to improve our communication, productivity, accountability and profitability. Through several steps I will insure that all parties involved are comfortable with this pending change. Tech research, group discussion, IT feed-back, tech implementation, training, and support all play a part.
Know your Tech
The first part of implementing any new technology is to research the technology. Often times managers or other administrative members go out and purchase technology without a full understanding of its uses or what benefit it has for their particular organization, I will not fall into this trap as I will do all the research necessary to determine the best course of action. Several factors are needed to determine the tech needs and the products ability to meet those needs. Accessibility is important due to the fact that no technology is viable if the people who need it cannot access it. Having a laptop on your desk does you no good if you’re on the road (Salvatore). The ability for important information to be correctly sent and received depends on the accessibility of the technology. In this respect I will look for lightweight portable devices that will be easy to carry and provide the connections that we need. Communication is the key. The message sent by a client or vendor needs to be able to be received in its full context. Short texts will not do (Salvatore). For this reason I will search for technology that incorporates voice and/or video so that the full understanding of what is needed can be communicated. Usability is one of the most important factors in deciding on technology. If the tech is not usable for reasons such as weight, learning curve, or compatibility, then it will not be used (Salvatore). It is for this reason that I will research the usability of the technology and how our competitors like or dislike it.
Finally, the most important aspect of the research is the upfront cost and the long term benefits of the new technology. If the technology increases productivity, customer satisfaction, or profitability then it was worth it. If not, then it was waste of finances and time.
Let’s Talk About It
The next phase of the technology implementation is the planning phase. How will we come up with the best solution for purchasing and utilizing the new technology? It is important to include a wide variety of stakeholders in the decision making process. From the purchasing managers to the training department. From the end user to the support staff. All must have input on the need, usefulness and effectiveness of new technology. The staff may have questions about the tech as well as misgivings. It is up to me to answer those questions and to ensure that they have a clear understanding of my plans for the technology and their place within those plans (Simmons). Other things to take into account in the planning process are the ways that the employees will communicate with one another on an individual basis as well as in group settings. Does the technology take away from the work ethic of employees? Does it make managing groups more difficult? Or does the technology improve the management and communication Process (Todd). All of these questions are important. These are questions that can be answered in a group planning session. The input from the tech team themselves is important. We have to get input from those that know. The tech support team is at the ground level of all things tech and their opinion as to what is needed or even compatible is vital (Peacock). The last part of the planning process should be a discussion about the desired outcomes from implementing the new technology. Everyone needs to have a clear understanding of the realistic goals and timelines for putting the tech in place, training and using it as well as the desired effect or outcome. I recommend that we have the planning meeting as soon as possible and include a sampling from all aspects of the company for opinions and ideas.
Implement and Train
I believe that the actual implementation of the technology should be a two part process. First there should be a small rollout to a few employees and tech support departments to test the day to day use of the technology as well as to troubleshoot any problems that may occur due to software or hardware incompatibility issues. This will allow for the fixing of problems while still on a small scale as opposed to accompany wide breakdown which will cause a burden to the support staff. After training and testing a small group of users and getting to a high success rate we would then begin to train the entire staff that is to utilize the technology. It will be the responsibility of the training staff to insure that those being trained understand the use of the technology and have retained the information that they have received (Simmons). This can be monitored by asking questions that pertain to the use of the technology as well as the steps necessary to trouble-shoot the same. After completion of training and only after, will we roll out the technology to the staff that requires it making sure that all security measures required to safe-guard the technology that is in place.
Who Plays a Part?
In my opinion there is no reason to exclude anyone from the process of researching, planning, implementing, or training for the new technology. While the entire staff does not need to be in on the process, there should be representative from each of the departments that will be training, using, and supporting the new technology. By leaving people out of the planning process we set ourselves up for potential issues later down the line in terms of issues, complaints and usage. I would propose that managers send one to two members of their team to be a part of the planning process.
Conclusion
The process to go from the initial idea to technology usage is a long one and along the way there needs to be a clear understanding of what is needed, the cost associated with purchasing the technology, as well as the actual positive outcome that is expected from the new technology. The planning should include opinions from different areas and the actual use of the technology should be rolled slowly to the end user and then to a bigger population after training. Finally, the support staff becomes the key to keeping and maintaining the functionality of the technology.

References Peacock, M. (2009, July 14). Strategy, Technology, Topic. In Dont Work Backwards How to Develop a Strategy for Using Technology. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from ED Social Meida website: http://www.edsocialmedia.com/2009/07/ dont-work-backwards-how-to-develop-a-strategy-for-using-technology/

Salvatore. (2004, September 1). Commentary & Society. In Communication And Technology In The Workplace. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from Evolt.org website: http://evolt.org/node/60350

Simmons, D. (2006, November/December). Ready for Implementation. In Implementing New Technology: Keys to Success. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from Pharmascist Link.com website: http://www.pharmacistelink.com/technology/pdfs/ImplementationTechnology.pdf

Todd, J. (2007, July 4). Management Ethics. In What is the impact of new technology in the workplace . Retrieved May 25, 2011, from Helium.com website: http://www.helium.com/items/ 436615-what-is-the-impact-of-new-technology-in-the-workplace