Reaping Returns from Technology Adoption

The Human Element in Speeding Change... A frequent refrain echoed by real estate executives is the frustration at the low level of actual technology usage by their employees.  They often lament, "Why should our company invest in more IT when only 15% use what we have in place?"  Why make fruitless expenditures when the motivation to adopt technology innovations is frequently lacking?

In preparation for a talk with the REALTORS Commercial Alliance Advisory Board this week, I searched for answers to the elusive technology adoption question.  Among other sources, my research included articles written by Charles R. Myers Jr. at the Software Engineering Institute, who argues that the perceptions regarding proposed technologic advancement are often the key to speeding widespread adoption.  To be effectively transferred to the marketplace, the perceived net benefit of the new tool or application must be clearly articulated for BOTH an organization and the lowest level user.  However, benefits to an organization may often be diametrically opposed to the benefits afforded to users.   Addressing the motivations of those individuals who will use the new systems every day can best neutralize resistance to technology change.

In building a solid foundation for technology adoption, five key elements should be incorporated into the overall plan:   (1) incentives for rewarding behavior change; (2) reasonable allocation of funding to cover both equal access to the new infrastructure as well as training costs on a 1:1 ratio; (3) united vision by senior management that the change is a positive move for the entire enterprise; (4) selection of internal champions to build momentum with pilot projects and to sustain longer cultural change; and (5) a transitional period of support (both for key clients and internal constituents) while initial capacity is created. 

My research also yielded three overriding tenets for why technology endeavors succeed.  First and foremost, the initiatives are customer-driven value propositions.  Second, metrics are put into place to measure both progress and failure.  Lastly, management embraces a "versioning" philosophy -- recognition of ongoing and continuous technology upgrades -- that there is no end point in the quest for continuous innovation for the organization.  If you have opinions on why technology adoption has either succeeded or failed within your company, send me e-mail.

-- Eileen Circo