Agency workflow software has long been—and continues to be—a headache for agency principals, managers and their employees. Elaborate, all-in-one systems are often complicated and labor-intensive, impairing (instead of improving) efficiency and deterring employees from adopting or learning the system. Simpler, module-based systems are frequently difficult to synchronize with accounting packages. This has lead many agencies to test cloud-based systems or task-specific apps. Even these more intuitive workflow programs can gather dust from employee disuse. So here’s a suggestion we believe will help.
Appoint a workflow system “zealot.” This person becomes the system champion, and should be vested in the system’s success. Your zealot will learn how to get the most out of the system, then serve as chief in-house trainer and “IT person,” available to troubleshoot when other employees struggle or need help using the package. The zealot can also create lunch & learn training sessions, spot-train small groups, report when new features are added, and encourage agency-wide use of the system.
Try appointing a workflow system zealot in your agency. Having an in-house champion takes some of the pressure off agency leadership, and is likely to gain more peer support than top-down management. Just be sure to support this person’s efforts to ensure the system functions efficiently. Lack of management support is one big reason why system adoption falls apart.