The biggest barrier to digital transformation isn’t technology – it’s people. Here’s how we’re tackling the resistance to change, one habit at a time.
When we create a new solution – whether it’s an entirely new product or just an added feature – there’s always a balancing act between the technology itself and the people who will be using it.
We’re not building new cars or space rockets; we’re often rethinking processes and looking at how that can unlock further value either through efficiencies and improved quality which then opens up new areas of insight, function and value . And yet, even with these more incremental changes, we’re asking people to shift their habits. Whether it’s moving from paper to digital, capturing new types of data, or simply adjusting their workflows, changing habits is never easy.

The Challenge of Adoption

In any change, we encounter various levels of resistance. According to the adoption cycle, we see:
• Early adopters – those eager to try anything new
• Wait-and-see users – people who prefer to let things settle before adopting
• Resistors – people who won’t change until there’s no other option.
Our approach has shown that gradual, gentle encouragement leads to better adoption. By easing people into new ways of working, they’re less likely to feel that everything is changing all at once. So when we design new processes, we often begin by mirroring what users currently do on paper. That way, the process itself doesn’t change drastically – only the medium.

Building Efficiency Over Time

Starting with familiar processes allows us to introduce efficiency improvements incrementally. For instance, capturing more data or digitising workflows offers huge benefits – but if users have never done that before, they may not see the value upfront. Often, people are focused on their day-to-day responsibilities, not on how new processes might make things better in the long run.

We understand that unless a change makes someone’s job easier or delivers obvious value, they may not feel motivated to adopt it. That’s why showing tangible benefits early on is essential to winning them over.

Overcoming Historical Resistance

In many industries, particularly larger, slower-moving ones, previous changes haven’t always been well-executed. This has led to a certain level of cynicism, as people expect new solutions to be as flawed as past ones. And that’s fair; these memories shape their attitude toward any new rollout.
Our goal is to break this cycle of mistrust by showing that improvements are thoughtful, well-designed, and responsive to their needs. When there are issues – and there often are – we make it a point to fix them quickly. We also bring in domain experts from the field to help guide our process, ensuring that our solutions are practical and grounded in real-world experience.