As many companies around the world look to upgrade and enhance their IT systems and digital tools, many of these upgrades and implementations have limited success unfortunately. Comprehensive training programs and change management strategies alone are not sufficient. In an era when adoption of digital technologies is key to future competitiveness and company success, the following are important factors to consider for a successful and sustainable implementation:
1. Compliance and Regulation:
It is essential to ensure that any new IT systems comply with industry regulations, such as EMA regulations in the European Union (EU) or FDA regulations in the United States. Compliance with data privacy laws, such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPA), is also critical. The EU is the first entity globally to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) regulations, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, and it is anticipated that other regions/countries will follow suit. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) Directive (NIS2) specifies cybersecurity requirements for EU companies and comes into effect on 17th October.
2. Data Security:
Given the sensitive nature of pharmaceutical data and intellectual property, robust data security measures must be implemented to protect against breaches and unauthorized access.
3. Interoperability:
Ensure that the new IT systems can be integrated seamlessly with existing systems and technologies to avoid data silos and streamline processes.
4. Scalability:
Choose IT systems and digital tools that can scale with the company’s growth and evolving needs, preventing the need for frequent upgrades or replacements. Unified Namespace (UNS) is a relatively new technology that will support future expansion, integration, and a single source of truth.
5. User Experience:
Prioritise user-friendly interfaces and intuitive workflows to enhance user adoption and productivity among employees. Implementation of Unified Namespace will also support this into the future. Involving multi-disciplinary users throughout all levels of the organisation as well as the customer (internal or external) early in the process is key to adoption and change management success. The old saying “the devil is in the details” is true here. Involving the wider team in mapping the current and future state process helps highlight elements of the process not previously considered, reducing gaps in the future state workflow. This will also help identify the training and skills that may be required for implementation.
6. Change Management and Training:
Provide comprehensive training programs and change management strategies to help employees adapt to the new IT systems and digital tools effectively. Human factors and change management are fundamental to a successful IT adoption. Ensure that the organisation is brought on the journey, is involved, and is bought into the process. Leaders should have sufficient human factor tools and knowledge to address a diverse range of experience, needs, concerns, and conflicting agendas the team may have. They must find ways to clearly communicate to their team the reason for the project, its benefits to the overall organisation and to their team, acknowledge any concerns raised, and highlight the importance of the team’s role in the project. This can foster increased engagement and improve teamwork and growth. Involvement of the wider team enhances productivity and safety, and ultimately creates a durable process and system that will align with the users’ capabilities and needs.
7. Vendor Selection:
Thoroughly evaluate potential vendors based on their track record, expertise, support services, and alignment with the company’s goals and values.
8. Data Analytics and insights:
Incorporate advanced analytics capabilities in the new IT systems to derive actionable insights from the data, enabling informed decision-making and driving business growth. This is a key upfront activity and not to be left to a follow-on project.
9. Continuous Improvement:
Establish processes for ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and improvement of the IT systems and digital tools to ensure that they remain aligned with the business objectives and industry best practices. The use of the Agile methodology will also support continuous improvement.
10. Collaboration and Communication:
Foster a culture of collaboration and open dialogue to get multi-disciplinary teams engaged, feel part of the transition, and aid in adoption. Regular communication throughout all levels of the organisation as well as involving multidisciplinary users at the early stage and on mapping processes is key to successful implementation.
In adoption of digital technologies, the legacy broad scope and long timelines have since been replaced with an agile approach in a race to a successful go-live as well as avoidance of failure and a stressful hyper care period. One of the critical success factors for any project, especially the introduction of new technology, is the human factor and the answer to “what’s in it for me”? Users need to have a clear picture of “what Monday will be like” for them; that is, the go-live day. Change can be difficult, and providing tools for the user to navigate the well-known Kubler-Ross change curve is essential.
If your firm is struggling with embracing digital technologies, Lachman can help you integrate these new systems into your business. Reach out to us at LCS@LachmanConsultants.com for a consultation.
