Most of our customers have had a fantastic experience implementing quality improvement software. Their teams are excited, energized, and actively working on improvement projects across all categories. But once in a while, we hear from organizations that have had a bigger struggle. We’ve identified some self-defeating mistakes that are common in these cases. The result is a “not-to-do” list.

Lacking Executive Support and Engagement

While at work, people generally do what they are asked to, but they are also very observant and recognize which initiatives have legs and which are just the special of the day. If you attempt to implement a platform for supporting quality improvement without strong executive support, employees are far more likely to check only the required boxes than to actively engage.

On the other hand, if it is clear that the solution will be used for executive-level decision making, people are far more likely to get on board. Leaders should be involved in the rollout and should be personally involved in recognizing the people, departments, and teams that are contributing to positive change.

Choosing an Ill-Fitting Solution

Many software products claim to work for quality improvement, but they were never designed for that purpose. If you try to stick a round peg into a square hole, you can expect push back, disengagement, and low adoption.

Instead, look for software that was built with quality improvement in mind. It should make it easy for employees to report opportunities for improvement. It should include workflow that ensures each opportunity is evaluated and that projects are actively managed. The ability to visualize quality improvement work and customize views for each roll is also essential. There’s no need to settle for generic project management tools.

Rolling Out Software Without Context

Software is an essential part of your quality improvement work, but it’s not the only element. It must be used in context with a culture of positive change. Successful software implementations happen when people understand the vision and mission of the organization and how it relates to their work. Every employee should feel both obligated and empowered to recognize and act on opportunities for improvement. Without that mindset, change is unlikely with or without software support.

Playing the Blame Game

We like to think of the implementation process as a quality improvement project. In the same way that you would look for root causes of a process failure, if your quality improvement software rollout is not going well, it pays to look for the real reason. Are there barriers to engagement? Do people understand the purpose of the solution? Are there competing priorities? Chances are that when you dig into the problem, you’ll find that it is not something that can simply be blamed on employees.

Failing to Recognize Desired Behaviors

For most employees, quality improvement is something that requires discretionary effort. It’s something that is not strictly required by their job description. The best way to get people to go the extra mile in this regard is to consistently and publicly recognize the efforts of those who do. This reinforces the idea that quality improvement is a value of the organization and that those who engage in it are likely to gain status. We think this is so important that we’ve built improvement broadcasting into our solution.

Skimping on Training

Any solution you consider should be intuitive and easy to use. Your team probably won’t need a ton of “click here, then submit” type training. But as we mentioned earlier, context is critical, and people do need training on how the solution will be used. Employees should have adequate instruction on how to connect the dots between the software and any quality improvement techniques they use. For example, how does the solution support a PDSA cycle? What are the best practices for using the solution during a rapid improvement event?

Ideally, employees would also have training and support for any personal configuration that makes the tool more relevant for their day to day work.

Implementing quality improvement software is a smart decision. If you avoid these common mistakes, your team will be empowered to make a significant difference in no time. If you’ve got questions, we’re here to help.