Minimizing resistance of new software/tools

[callcentertiger]

I am trying to find online and offline resources for smooting out and minimizing CSR resistance to new CRM /callcenter software and attaining steep adoption rates among users.
I am managing a large scale 70 callcenter new CRM single app application which replaces 6-8 separate screens mostly in DOS to manage and document simple TelecomCarrier customer transactions and service calls.

Any feedback, articles, sitelinks, studies, courses, books and referrals will be appreciated.

[mikael]

Tiger,

Where are you in the rollout process? Have all of the screens been designed?

I've not seen a lot of material written up on your issue, but I will tell you how I go about it with my clients. I form several small teams, making sure that I include all of the influential reps on those teams, and charter them to design the screen layouts and the system so that it meets the performance specifications that Mgmt has defined for the system. It can take awhile, but the end result is -their- system, not mine. Make sure that one of those teams is the Communications group, whose role is to explain to all of the center's reps AND the customers exactly what is being done and why. (Note that this is an -excellent- opportunity for you to teach contact center management 101 for your people in the process. Even if the design has already been done by the implementation crew, you might still do the team exercise *IF* you're sure that the teams are not likely to design a better system. So long as they are likely to come up with the same design, it will still be theirs if you do your job properly in leading them.)

I recommend that you don't put supervisors on those teams because they tend to dominate the team process, which reduces participation and perceived contribution/ownership. If the supervisors want to play, form them into a separate team and have them work on the reporting suite. You might also assign them to review the designs that the rep teams produce, but make sure that they give their feedback only to you and in private.

In a re-engineering project for a 70-seat center, I'd expect to spend about 60-90 days on the above phase. The rewards can definitely be worth the time and trouble.