User Resistance
User resistance is a possible barrier to the successful implementation of NetSuite within a company. Many organizations fear user resistance as it could lead to the failure of the newly adopted information technology. NetSuite is designed in a manner that makes it user-friendly and interactive. The software’s User Interface (UI) is easy to use and understand since it allows the users to focus on job-specific workflow training. Thus, NetSuite reduces time wasted on navigating through unintuitive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The system is equipped with several features that are beneficial to users. The slim and anchored navigational header enables prompt access to tools. NetSuite’s dashboard penalization makes it easy for the users to tailor their unique needs with the dashboard. Although NetSuite has enormous user advantages, it is still subjected to user resistance. Various reasons may exacerbate user resistance against NetSuite’s installation and products.
Causes of User Resistance Against NetSuite
ERP systems are perceived as complex systems, and there is always implementation failure if the implementation process does not consider user needs. The major cause of user resistance against NetSuite could be fear of failure. Many organizations have unsuccessfully implemented ERP systems such as NetSuite. Thus, the users could have developed a phobia of system failure. The fear of failure is detrimental to NetSuite’s implementation since the users could have lost interest in any other ERP system making user training difficult. Since the employees are often concerned about their jobs, they would resist any system that would have them lose their jobs (Damawan & Azizah, 2020). Therefore, fear of losing the jobs among the employees could lead to NetSuite’s implementation resistance. Failure to meet user requirements and non-involvement in decision-making could also cause user resistance.
The employees want to see the newly implemented system is meeting their needs and that the management involves them in decision making during the system adoption. Most of the employees have unique needs that an ERP system must meet to easily accept its implementation (Gounder et al., 2021). While some users want a system that would help them finish their projects on time, some want a system that would be attractive to work with. NetSuite software has tried to integrate various features that would meet the user’s unique needs. While user resistance could be possible during NetSuite’s implementation, a firm could mitigate the barriers.
Overcoming User Resistance Against NetSuite implementation
Overcoming resistance against NetSuite’s implementation would involve several measures taken by the firm to change the employees’ attitudes. Making the business case for change would greatly influence the employees to understand the benefits of NetSuite. The firm should perform an informative and thorough market and current state analysis. The analysis would help the organization identify the improvement areas with the organization and how NetSuite would help improve. The managers and business leaders should share the identified information with their employees to make them feel part of the problem identification and solution.
Furthermore, implementation communication should be thorough and transparent. Transparent communication enables the building of trust among the company’s employees and employers, therefore positively embracing a business change (Yue et al., 2021). The communication with the firm embracing the NetSuite system should be expeditious and effective. Expeditious communication promotes effective responses from the employees. Communication can be made through emails, text messages, and calls. Therefore, changing employees’ attitudes by building trust could help an organization effectively implement NetSuite.
Moreover, proper training and a well-managed implementation pace are significant in overcoming user resistance against NetSuite implementation. Training helps the employees understand the ERP system’s functioning and identify features that could help them effectively interact with the system (Willyarto et al., 2021). The trainers should consider and give feedback to every employee’s concern during the training. Furthermore, the firms should have a well-planned system implementation process. The planning would help the firms avoid challenges associated with quick and disorganized implementation, including user resistance. Therefore, user resistance against NetSuite implementation is avoidable through proper training and an organized system implantation process.
NetSuite Support and User Training
NetSuite software requires continuous user training to ensure an accurate and effective output with the frequently updated software. NetSuite has developed various educational packages that empower users with the knowledge and skills needed for increased productivity and optimized solutions. NetSuite educational services are provided by well-trained professionals who understand the system’s potential challenges and various means of overcoming those challenges (Oracle NetSuite n.d.). Seeking support from educational advisors offers a company an opportunity to reduce implementation risk, improve employee adoption, and maximize productivity. The educational service can be accessed in three ways: learning cloud support, tailored training events pack, and NetSuite certification.
Learning Cloud Support (LCS) allows the users to promptly and efficiently gain access to continuous learning. LCS, a subscription-based service, provides 24-hour training support that allows the users to access NetSuite e-learning courses, instructors’ guidance, materials, and hands-on exercises (Oracle NetSuite n.d.). Conversely, the Tailored Training Events Pack provides custom learning and specialized training for various firms. The service includes live professional training sessions conducted in conformity with a company’s unique needs and NetSuite configuration. NetSuite has developed a certified community that offers insightful and learning strategies. The users, through NetSuite Certification, meet with NetSuite products’ experts who have worked with various NetSuite clients. Therefore, NetSuite’s educational services have enabled flexibility, global reach, and curriculum investment among the firms embracing NetSuite’s ERP system.
NetSuite User Adoption
Transferring from an old system to a new system that is potentially efficient and more comprehensive requires an adoption strategy. Therefore, User Adoption strategies are significant even before an organization starts designing an ERP system change (Alsharari, 2020). NetSuite offers consultation services for the User Adoption strategy and includes five tenets: alignment, communication, training, support, and measurement. Alignment allows companies to ensure that their objectives, needs, and the company as a whole are in a position to embrace the change initiative. Strong and effective communication is encouraged to ensure awareness and mitigate the detriments of surprise changes. Furthermore, the communication should be designed to reach all the company’s employees to ensure teamwork and trust in the system implementation. Training, support, and measurement help the users develop a positive attitude towards the change.
Training could involve inviting NetSuite’s experts and making all NetSuite’s resources available for the users. The users can access NetSuite’s premium services that include certification and live training sessions (Oracle NetSuite n.d.). The creation of a support plan promotes employee proficiency and routine system training. System proficiency allows the users to minimize possible output errors and overcome potential NetSuite challenges. An effective User Adoption Strategy includes user motivation. The users can be motivated by incentives for achieving predetermined goals. Therefore, training, support, communication, alignment, and user motivation are effective for NetSuite User Adoption.
References
Alsharari, N. M. (2020). Institutional change of cloud ERP implementation in the public sector: A transformation of strategy. International Journal of Disruptive Innovation in Government. Web.
Damawan, A. H., & Azizah, S. (2020). Resistance to change: Causes and Strategies as an Organizational Challenge. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 395, 49-53. Web.
Goundar, S., Gounder, R., Kumar, A., Chand, L., Singh, R., Whiteside, O., & Ali, I. (2021). ERP Implementation Challenges and Critical Success Factors. Enterprise Systems and Technological Convergence: Research and Practice, 45.
Oracle NetSuite. (n.d.). NetSuite Training & Education. Web.
Yue, C. A., Men, L. R., & Ferguson, M. A. (2021). Examining the effects of internal communication and emotional culture on employees’ organizational identification. International Journal of Business Communication, 58(2), 169-195. Web.
Willyarto, M. N., Yunus, U., Wahyuningtyas, B. P., Sumbogo, T. A., & Anderson, J. J. (2021, August). The Employees Survey of Enterprise Resources Planning System. In 2021 International Conference on Information Management and Technology (ICIMTech) (Vol. 1, pp. 72-76). IEEE. Web.