Managing the 'people factor'

The goal of this section is to explore strategies for obtaining staff acceptance of digitisation and digital images produced in business process and back-capture digitisation programs.

A common reason for the failure of digitisation programs is overlooking the ‘people factor.’ Change is a core component of digitisation programs, and often requires reengineering the way staff handle information. This shift may disrupt established work routines and duties, causing short-term challenges. However, these disruptions are necessary for long-term success.

For example:

• Older, rarely used records may be unavailable for short periods.
• Staff duties may shift temporarily during the digitisation process, such as when staff are needed for digitisation tasks instead of their usual roles.

In some cases, changes may affect many staff members, particularly when working with high-use records or when digital processes replace paper-based methods.

For example:

• High-use records that are crucial for daily transactions may require quick access, but staff will need training to use digital images in place of paper documents.
• Back-capture projects could involve changing business processes across multiple units, which can impact a larger number of staff.

Harness ‘people power’

A significant part of achieving acceptance for digitisation lies in leveraging the right people within the organisation.

Implementation team

Digitisation programs require careful planning. The implementation team should be both technically proficient and skilled in project and people management. To win support, the team must be able to adapt solutions to meet the specific needs of each business unit.

For example:

• The implementation team may work with different departments to ensure that digitisation solutions meet their specific workflow needs. For example, the finance department may require different access controls than the HR department.

Senior management support

Securing ongoing support from senior management is crucial. They should act as champions for the program, advocating for it and communicating its value across the organisation.

For example:

• Senior management can support the program by attending demonstration sessions of the new system to understand its potential and by communicating early successes, such as improved document retrieval time or reduced paper storage needs.

Business unit manager support

Real change depends on the backing of business unit managers, who oversee day-to-day operations. Engaging these managers and demonstrating the business efficiencies of digitisation can convert them into advocates for change.

For example:

• A business unit manager in a department with heavy paperwork can be convinced of the benefits of digitisation, such as faster processing times, reducing the workload for their team and improving customer satisfaction.

Staff champions

Identify and empower staff champions—those willing to support the change. If they possess technical skills, they can become experts in digitisation, helping colleagues and finding innovative solutions to challenges.

For example:

• In one organisation, a staff champion with strong IT skills became the go-to person for solving technical issues during digitisation, helping other staff members transition smoothly by providing support and tips.

Other change management strategies

Don’t roll out all at once: consider a pilot or staged approach

A gradual rollout allows time to test, adapt, and refine approaches. 

For example:

• A department introduced a digitisation pilot in one State office before expanding to others, which proved valuable for identifying issues early.
• Another conducted a pilot project in one office to refine their digitisation approach before rolling it out to the entire agency, allowing them to address technical issues and streamline procedures for larger projects.

Communicate regularly

Ongoing communication is key to maintaining staff support. It’s essential to tailor messages for different groups:

• For staff: Show how digitisation will improve efficiency and make information more accessible.
  • For example, staff might be informed that digitisation will allow them to access documents from any device, reducing time spent searching for physical files.
• For managers: Emphasise opportunities to re-engineer processes, improve data security, and enhance the organisation’s competitiveness.
  • For example, managers can be informed how digitisation will help streamline reporting processes and improve compliance with data retention policies.

Involve staff in the process

Engage staff early to ensure their views are heard and their expertise is used to shape the transition. The reality is that the people who know most about a business process (or parts of a process) and what changes are possible and how they might work are the staff performing the process already. If their views are taken into account and they feel that they have been able to influence the nature of the change, they may be more inclined to accept it.

For example:

• A department conducted a needs analysis with staff to understand their roles and challenges, which helped shape the design of the digitisation process. Staff who had previously experienced pain points in manual processes were able to suggest improvements to the digital workflows.
• A local government council involved key staff members in designing their digitisation processes, ensuring that staff input shaped the final solution. These staff members then acted as advocates and helped onboard others.

Address problems immediately

Address any issues as soon as they arise to prevent frustration. For example, if technical issues delay access to digital images, these must be resolved promptly to prevent staff from reverting to old habits.

For example:

• If staff members report that the system is slow and takes too long to load images, the issue must be addressed promptly, either by upgrading infrastructure or adjusting system configurations, to avoid a drop in staff morale or increased resistance to the system.

Offer plenty of training and support

Staff may be unfamiliar with the technology and new processes. Tailored training, based on staff roles, is essential to ensure smooth adoption. A ‘help desk’ can also provide ongoing support for any issues that arise.

For example:

• The training programme could offer specific sessions for technical staff and a general overview for administrative staff who will use the digital records but not handle the scanning process.
• A 'help desk' could provide immediate support to staff who encounter technical issues, such as difficulties accessing or processing digital documents.

Keep the momentum going

To maintain long-term success, organisations must prevent staff from reverting to old habits. This includes monitoring behaviours like printing digital images or keeping paper copies out of distrust. Ensure continuous support to maintain the integrity of the digitisation process.

For example:

• Some organisations found that staff began printing digital records as a ‘safety net’ because they didn’t trust the digital system. The organisation addressed this by offering additional reassurance and providing clear guidelines on how to verify the integrity of digital records.