Are you struggling to bring change in your warehouse? Here's an easy way to implement any change

Change management and innovation go hand in hand. It is comparatively easy to innovate, however getting the entire organization to adopt that change is trickier, even though we all know that change is the only thing that is constant. In an area like supply chain, where conformity is favored over individuality, changing things gets even more challenging.

There are many reasons for it, including:

Nobody likes a change in the status quo.
People are territorial, and nobody wants to lose their territory.
Organizational inertia makes it much easier to do things the same old way.
Embracing the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.
People in general are risk averse. Nobody wants to risk what they have and where they have gotten.

So the critical task is not just innovating, but also fostering that innovation in a way that gains adoption. Without buy-in, it’s simply too easy to abandon a truly great and innovative idea.

I’ve experienced it in our business. For example, one customer, with the data center general manager acting as champion, bought and installed our product. A sudden management shift brought in a new DC GM and the product remained unused…and the potential for innovation was lost despite huge potential upside.

Another customer, on the other hand, installed the product and loved it. They asked us for more features, and they tweaked their infrastructure to get the most out of the solution.

Their feedback has helped us improve our product. And their enthusiasm was heartening too, as they told us how much better their work went. In the early days, adoption was a struggle, but the leadership asked us to do additional training and share tips and tricks. Eventually, everyone got on board. Older workers liked the improved ergonomics, and the ability to maximize the font size. Younger folks liked using familiar technology. Without the extra work, though, adoption might not have happened.

Any innovation needs tweaking and final touches to make sure the user experience is 100% easy and smooth. That work can be done only by working closely with the end users, listening to their feedback and incorporating their suggestions.

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