Moving from a paper-based system to an electronic records system can provide tremendous value to any organisation, but it has to be well planned and executed. If it isn’t done right, your vital information and business operations can be adversely affected.
The transition from paper to electronic must be seamless and your staff need to come along on the journey to ensure buy in from the bottom up.
How can you help your staff understand the importance of the change and how it will positively impact their work day?
- Make sure staff understand the why, not just the how
Take time to demonstrate to staff why the business is taking an electronic first approach, what are the advantages to the business as well as in their own role.
Once staff realise that using electronic documents will make them more efficient, they are more likely to abandon old habits. You should also continue to provide demonstrations and training of the new system.
- Eliminate Delays
Staff attitudes are influenced by how their current work processes are affected by the transition. If they get the information they need when they need it, the project will be seen in a positive light.
- Keeping staff informed
Keeping staff informed of progress, as well as any problems or issues that arise throughout the duration of the project is essential in staff feeling they are being kept in the loop and giving them more reason to buy in.
Many people will have questions and concerns, and you should anticipate these and have processes and systems in place to address these.
Good communication between personnel and key stake-holders in the project is key for the success of a document conversion.
Moving from legacy paper-based systems to an electronic records management system is the first step towards digital transformation. But there is no sense in change if staff will not adopt to the new processes or continue to block change. Bringing staff along the journey is one way you can ensure a seamless transition.
