You probably already know the situation: you’ve found a great solution that can improve your company’s productivity significantly. The only problem? You have to convince your management to agree. Managers can sometimes be a bit hesitant when it comes to change, and that’s completely understandable. They worry about risk, cost and the impact on day-to-day operations. But with the right approach and a well-thought-out plan, you can address these concerns and convince your management of the benefits of your solution. In this case: a software integration.
It can feel like convincing your cat to take a bath; it’s not easy, but definitely achievable. Let’s take a look at how you go about doing it.
Why managers are hesitant to change
Managers and change? That’s not a match made in heaven in most cases. Here are a few reasons why:
- Risk aversion: People are naturally risk-averse and resistant to change, especially if that change involves risk. Therefore, you will have to come up with good arguments why an integration is really the right choice. It is up to you to provide accurate information to address concerns about risk and the unknown.
- Costs: The fear of incurring costs for something that may not work is always great. There are also the fears of hidden costs and budget overruns.
- Time and effort: Implementing new software takes time and manpower, something managers often do not have a surplus of.
- Past decisions: Sometimes managers may still have a fear of past decisions that have gone wrong, or at least not quite according to plan.
So to convince a manager that an integration is actual progress, and above all a good investment, you will have to eliminate these fears.
Benefits of a software integration
Let’s take a look at the various ways to win over your management for that much-needed software integration. Your management will eventually want to hear what benefits such an integration will bring. These benefits come in two types, namely concrete, measurable benefits, and the less concrete benefits.
Concrete benefits
Nothing appeals to a manager more than solid numbers. Be sure to clarify how the integration will benefit the organization financially. This will largely address potential concerns about risk and cost.
- Cost efficiency: Explain how the integration will result in cost savings. For example, less manual work means less risk of errors and fewer man hours for the same or even better results.
- ROI: Even though an integration is a substantial investment, demonstrate how the investment pays off. A good integration can lead to faster processes, better analytics and therefore more and better work in less time. The hard numbers showing that the investment will pay off are hard to ignore.
Less tangible benefits
In addition to the financial benefits, there are also less tangible but equally important benefits. These benefits are somewhat less quantifiable, but still have a clear impact on your business. So, here it’s also important to come up with good arguments to convince your manager.
- Customer satisfaction: Integrations can lead to an improved customer experience. Because you are working with accurate data that is synchronized in real time you can help customers even better, and the fact that you don’t have to do any manual work means you are faster as well. For your customers, this means faster response times and more personalized interactions.
- Satisfied employees: It could be that not only you, but many more colleagues are experiencing problems with the current way of going about things. So make it clear that the new integration will allow your colleagues to do a better job and make their tasks lighter. Satisfied employees mean motivated employees.
For a comprehensive overview of why software integrations are indispensable today, you can read our other blog.
Concrete ways to convince your management
Now that you know why an integration is important, let’s look at concrete steps to win over your management.
1. Name pain points
Start by identifying current pain points in the organization. Are there inefficient processes that take up a lot of time? Are there customer complaints that keep coming back? By clearly naming these points and linking them to the benefits of integration, you create a strong foundation for your argument.
2. Create urgency
Timing is everything. Make it clear why the integration is needed now. Perhaps there are problems in the current workflow that are growing or the company is growing rapidly so the current systems are no longer adequate. Urgency helps emphasize the need for the integration. Every day you wait longer means you miss opportunities in terms of the productivity that an Integration offers.
3. Risk reduction
This can be looked at in two ways. Use numbers to show that it is not as big of a risk as it may seem to make this investment. Present a clear plan for implementation. This plan should include the timeline, resources needed, and expected results. By showing a detailed plan, you remove much of the uncertainty.
Not only are the risks of the plan itself worth naming, but so are the risks of not integrating your software. This includes all the risks you might face by keeping data in separate systems and entering it manually. For example, you can argue that integration provides improved data security and less chance of human error through automated processes.
4. Use case studies
Show that an integration really works. Use case studies from other businesses that have implemented a similar integration and show their positive results. A real-life example helps visualize such a project, which probably seems very complicated at first sight.
5. Get support from your colleagues
Find colleagues within the company who support the integration, have them briefly describe what problems they are experiencing and why they think an integration will solve this problem. If you are the only one who endorses the problem and the need, it will be less convincing than if you have a number of supporters.
In short, convincing your management to implement a software integration can be challenging, but with the right approach, it certainly is possible. By identifying pain points, creating urgency, and reducing risk, you can build a strong argument.
Still not sure if you need an integration yourself, or don’t know how to determine this yourself? Then check out our checklist!
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