THE HUMAN SIDE OF A TECHNOLOGY LAUNCH

The last time you tried to program your VCR, did you perhaps wonder wh ether the engineers consulted any actual living beings before ther des igned the system? The same thing happens in organizations. New gee-whi z technology may look cool, but it won't improve productivity or finan cial results if employees won`t use it. An organization that is planni ng to roll out new technology can't afford to overlook the people fact or. Through real-life examples at leading companies, the article descr ibes how to get employees that will be using newly launched technology on board from the get-go. Getting them involved early on helps overco me their resistance. increase their buy-in, and make them proficient a s quickly as possible. As the president of a consulting firm experienc ing a technology launch has advised, ''Involve, don't tell.'' Suggesti ons include having employees participate in focus groups and cross-fun ctional. Also recommended, is that they have input during the technolo gy's design and development to ward off potential problems In Its actu al use. A phased rollout and pretesting are critical keys to successfu l implementation. Caudron points out several lessons from experts-such as making sure that HRD policies and job descriptions support changes in the way work is done, and not making assumptions about what employ ees need and want. With that advice in mind, an organization should be ready for the countdown to launch and blast off.