Who Should Be Your Software Super User?

It’s no secret that a software super user is crucial when it comes to any kind of ERP or CRM implementation or integration project. However, with all the emphasis placed on the role, are you sure you know how to pick the right person for the job?

It’s important to know who your superstar will be well before you get started on any of the big project tasks, such as selection, process modeling, conference room pilots and end user procedures. That’s because they’ll need to be involved in each stage, so that they know the inner workings of both the business and the new enterprise system. How do you pick a super user that will truly wear the cape for your new enterprise software? We have a few tips to help you get started. 

Look Outside Your IT Team

Your ERP or CRM software super user will need to have several different values and personality traits if they are to succeed in this project-critical role. They’ll serve as a trouble-shooter and a point of contact for the rest of the organization. Additionally, they’ll act as relief for an IT team that will be overwhelmed with the nitty-gritty customizations and error testing required to go live.

It might be first instinct to just look among your IT team for your software super user, but as mentioned, they’ll have other, more specific and intricate jobs to do. Especially if the enterprise software project that your business is about to undergo is significant or complex, your IT team will be working too closely on the structure and customizations of the software to be able to expand and simplify for an everyday user or employees who are having trouble grasping how to operate a process in the software. Furthermore, being a stellar software super user requires more than just application know-how. They’ll need to be both a great listener and a solid educator to guide employee training and adoption. The ideal super user has the patience and communication skills to get everybody on board with the new software solution. 

Identify Those Excited for New Software

At the beginning of the ERP or CRM project, ask for volunteers for the role. Someone showing the initiative to take on the job will clearly have the wherewithal to take on the significant mantle of software super user. When asking for volunteers, be sure to fully outline the workload of the position to potential recruits—you don’t want someone to sign up and back out only when they realize it might be too much work.

If it’s hard to find a volunteer ready to step up (and ideal to fit the role), it’s often easier to identify those excited for the new piece of software. Perhaps they were an employee advocating for the need for more advanced technology and lamenting inefficiency in business processes beforehand. Those that understand the need for ERP or CRM in a modern enterprise will be readiest to bring the rest of the organization around to the cause.

Find Someone Eager to Learn

Because the software super user will be present during all the run-up and pre-implementation processes, they won’t need to have vast pre-existing experience with the platform that you’re running—they’ll get familiar enough. Instead, you’ll want to focus your super user search on someone who will actively work with the new software daily, not someone who may only need to log some data in the system biweekly. The people most involved with the system will, understandably, be those with the most knowledge of it and the most invested in its performance.

They will also have figured heavily into the business process modeling part of your project and understand how everyone else within the company is going to interact with the software. Once you’ve identified that ideal user—a blend of software excitement, computer know-how and patience when it comes to receiving and giving knowledge—your software super user will be well on their way to helping your project end in success! 

Wrap Up

A successful CRM or ERP project hinges on having the right people in the right roles on your project team. However, we understand that several manufacturers and distributors are already spread thin. That’s why a consulting firm is essential for filling any gaps and thoroughly executing implementations and integrations. 

If you’re about to undergo a project and need help, contact one of the experts at Datix today! We’re an Epicor Gold Partner with over 20 years of experience with ERP. We also specialize in CRM, eCommerce, BI, disaster recovery, cloud hosting and integrations, making us a one-stop shop for software solutions. From start to finish, our certified consultants will guide you throughout your software journey to help you maximize ROI. 

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