Written by Natalie Chapman, Passare Content

When I first started at Passare, my supervisor assigned me a 90-day onboarding plan to complete. The 90-day plan consisted of training sessions, essential meetings, and tasks to complete that would help me learn the ropes of my new position.

And while the learning curve was a bit overwhelming at times, completing the onboarding plan was essential to succeed in my role.

Think about the last time you had to learn something new. Whether it was a new job or skill, you likely experienced some learning curve like I did. The same goes for implementing a new technology at your funeral home!

While changing software can be scary, you can successfully implement a new software when you go about it the right way. Here are 3 facts about implementing new software that can help you achieve success from the beginning (even during the learning curve!).

Fact #1: You will have to get your staff on board

Learning a new process and implementing change is hard work. That's why it's essential to set your staff's expectations before implementing new software. Follow these steps to set correct expectations with your team: 

1. Share the “why” with your staff.

First, you should gain buy-in from your staff by communicating the benefits of the new software and the "why" behind making the switch. Doing this will give your employees a clear picture of how the new change will eventually make their job easier.

2. Set correct expectations about the software implementation process. 

Even after knowing the benefits of the new system, it's natural for your team to still feel uneasy about the change. Set their expectations in the right place and increase their confidence to learn new software by:

• Clarifying exactly which processes are going to change

• Sharing what kind of training and opportunities for practice will be available

• Informing them when they will begin using the software with families

When your staff is on board with the plan from the beginning, they'll be more willing to learn and use the software over time.

Read more about how to successfully gain buy-in from your staff here. >>>

Fact #2: There will be a learning curve.

When cell phones were first introduced, people were slow to use them. But today, over 310 million Americans own a smartphone. That technology was new, but people saw its value and were open to using it for themselves. And over the years, people have learned how to text, use apps, and check email from their phones.

With any new technology, including funeral home software, there will be a learning curve. That's why it's best to remember slow adoption is better than no adoption.

It's not realistic to expect you'll learn every feature on day one, so you have to be open to learning as your process change and improve. That way, you can learn and use new features over time to get the total return on your initial software investment.

Fact #3: Your processes will change.

When learning a new software, you'll likely tweak or change old processes to fit your new tool. This doesn't mean you need to do a complete overhaul of your processes overnight - learning a new software is a big enough task already!

Set your staff up for success by making smaller changes to your old processes as you go. 

Here are 4 different process topics to get you thinking:

1. Permissions: Who will have access to what information in the new software?

2. Data entry: Who enters the case information and when should it be entered in?

3. Accounting: When and how should your bookkeeper receive and send financial information?

4. Reporting: What reports are you accustomed to and when are you receiving those reports?