AUGIWorld Magazine - November/December 2008 - (Page 7) lenges in switching to computers, printers, and networks and getting the software to run. But people are the greatest obstacle to adopting new technology. People are also the greatest asset to adopting new technology. Does this sound paradoxical? Even well-known advocates and evangelists will tell you they hate change. Autodesk’s Lynn Allen is a good friend. She’s also the first to admit that by the time she finally feels comfortable and confident with the latest release of an Autodesk product, it’s time to immerse herself in the next release. 2.5% Innovators Early Adopters 13.5% Early Majority 34% Late Majority 34% Laggards 16% People: asset and obstacle The life cycle adoption model When you look back at the problems concerning CAD adoption, we had huge hurdles to overcome. Sometimes we referred to these challenges as chasms, and for good reason. Making the transition from board drafting to CAD was a leap. This process is known as the technology adoption life cycle and is well documented in the book Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore. However, the original technology adoption life cycle is a sociological model, developed at Iowa State College in 1957. Its purpose was to track farmers’ purchase patterns of hybrid seed corn versus traditional seed. Everett Rogers broadened the use of this model in his book Diffusion of Innovations. The technology adoption life cycle model describes the adoption or acceptance of a new product or innovation by characteristics of defined adopter groups. The model indicates that the first group of people to use a new product are known as “innovators,” followed by “early adopters.” Next are the early and late majority. The last group to eventually adopt a product are called “laggards.” Since those early days, we’ve become better at recognizing that the real issue that prevents us from adopting new technology is not the technology! Instead, it’s the people. Let’s take a look at the “early adopters” and the “laggards” to better understand their role in this conundrum. How do you make the case for yourself and your company to move away from 2D AutoCAD and into the next big thing? First, find your advocates. Find those within your organization who look at 3D, BIM, and digital prototyping as a career benefit. These people should also be self-motivated. They will read, conduct research, and take their own personal time to learn and use the new technology. Invest in these people because they will become your first-phase adopters. No move is possible without people who want to move. Begin with these people! Overnight success Get them trained and using the new technology immediately Don’t let anybody tell you that moving from 2D to 3D is going to be easy. It isn’t. It’s a major shift in the way you work, your processes, and your entire design paradigm. For those who want to make the leap across the chasm, you’ll find it takes months and sometimes a year or more until a complete and successful transition is made. Look how long we held onto our T-squares! When DVDs came upon the scene, did all the VHS tapes disappear overnight? Of course not. Technology adoption is a slow, methodical process that requires evaluation at each step. You are not alone (and you’re not the first) There is nothing worse than going to training and then waiting four more weeks for software installation. Get the software installed first. The self-motivated people will go through the tutorials and search online for tips and techniques in forums and blogs. Train these folks and insist that any provided training is process-based training. This means the training is NOT out of a book. It is not traditional classroom teaching, nor is it a standard software training class. It is custom training based on the product and projects that your team designs. This makes the training real and immediately relevant, because those undergoing the training can apply the methods directly to your current design process. Leaders and early adopters Leave the nay-saying laggards for last Are you an early adopter? Look at all the new technology around us. We don’t have VHS anymore; instead, we have DVDs, although even these are on their way out. We don’t have 8-track tapes, cassettes, or CDs any more. Instead, we have MP3 players. All technology follows an adoption life cycle. Today we look to 3D CAD, BIM, collaboration, and digital prototyping. Are you preparing for the next big thing? Nov/Dec 2008 Nothing will spoil your migration to a new product more that the nay-sayers. You know who these people are. They are the same people who said the drafting board would outlast CAD. Today they are the ones who say that they can do it faster in AutoCAD and that the new technology “will never work.” Always build your case with the early adopters. Your advocates and first adopters will provide the testimony to dismiss the nay-sayers. Fortunately, today we have greater resources to review and investigate and can learn from case studies, blogs, and communities to connect with those that have succeeded—to share, network, and learn from each other. These virtual and real communities of learning are the best resources as they are made up of real people who are at different stages of the adoption cycle. Use these people to identify the problems and pitfalls of implementation. You are not the first person or company to make a major shift to adopt new technology. I hope this has given you insight into the process of technology adoption. Find your early adopters and give them every opportunity to grow. Avoid the laggards and participate in communities to build a resource network. We didn’t move from board drafting to CAD overnight. Making your next technology move will be the same, but, I hope, far less painful. Matt Murphy is the Content Manager for AUGI CAD Camps in North America. He teaches AutoCAD productivity and “training the trainer” seminars at Autodesk University, AUGI CAD Camps and private companies. He can be reached at matt.murphy@ ACADventures.com 7
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