Trying to champion a new resource management tool in your business? Building buy-in is often the hardest step. Dive into our advice on how to make the process easier.
Securing buy-in for resource management software is no easy feat.
Between the growing size of buying committees making purchasing decisions and the C-suite becoming more risk-averse, there are tons of challenges you need to wade through.
Capterra’s buyer behavior survey confirms the top three barriers to getting buy-in for new software are:
Additionally, TrustRadius 2023 B2B Buying Disconnect Report found that 27% of buyers now have more decision-makers involved in the buying process.
87% also say they’re only investing in mission-critical products if they guarantee ROI.
Sounds familiar?
Odds are you’re facing all these or at least a few of these challenges.
Naturally, this makes it tough to get buy-in for resource management software.
With this guide, though, we aim to arm you with a tactical game plan to convince stakeholders to get the new resource management tool you’ve been eyeing.
Ready to say goodbye to Excel-powered resource planning? Here’s your blueprint:
Begin with getting clarity on:
The idea is to find out the business’s pain points so you can explain how the resource management tool can solve these concerns.
For example, identify the challenges that arise from using spreadsheets for resource management. A handful of challenges that you can easily spot include:
Not only do these challenges lead to time waste, they can also even prevent you from making confident, data-backed decisions.
Identifying these concerns takes you one step closer to getting buy-in for resource management software by helping you make the case for how a centralized system can improve business processes.
Instead of working in a silo (a leading resource management challenge), build your relationship with executives to learn their business objectives.
Clarity on these objectives gives you the third pillar you need to build a strong foundation for getting buy-in for resource management software.
In that, you can connect the ‘why’ behind investing in resource management with business objectives. The information, in turn, will come in handy in the next steps to build a tailored case for the software.
For example, if a business aims to build its skills pool, start by digging out the challenges your company is facing in the department.
Then, bridge the gap between the C-suite’s desired objective and the prevailing struggles using investment in resource management software as the solution.
To build an even stronger case for getting an integrated resource management system, unearth data that supports your business case.
Finding and using data to back a challenge or forecast risk is a powerful way to build support for the investment.
Often, this data is right under your nose — for example, in your project management tool. Other times, you can unearth it using a specific team or department’s help.
And if you can’t find any data at all, consider making educated guesses. For instance, if resource utilization is a challenge you’re highlighting, break down how work demand compares with work hours available. Say, in a 40-hour work week, you can point out that 10% goes to administrative work, 10% goes to reporting, and the like.
At this point, you’ll have all the internal data you need to explain the ‘need’ for the resource management platform.
The next step is to connect this internal information with the resource planning software to make a solid elevator pitch explaining the need for investment.
To this end, your business case should cover the software's:
Addressing each of these factors lets you tackle objections that the buying committee (people involved in the decision-making process) has. Covering these also helps you fully explain the value of the resource management software.
Stakeholder mapping involves laying out all the people involved in making the buying decision.
This step is increasingly becoming important since more folks are now involved in making the purchase decision. By knowing who they are, you can do a better job of convincing them.
Most of all, knowing what their pain points and objectives are helps you make a tailored business case for each person.
For example, when making the case for resource management software to the CFO, focus on the ROI since that is what matters to them.
Executives today also prioritize buying software that enables time-saving. In fact, 50% of buyers prioritize purchases that increase automation. An additional 15% want to buy platforms that help compensate for headcount loss.
Use these insights to confirm your executive team is also looking to make these investments. Then outline how getting resource management software will help achieve these priorities.
This is another vital step to convince stakeholders.
But instead of trying to get just about anyone onboard, take a strategic approach to build internal support.
In our guide on building buy-in for resource management, we highlighted how you can do this by working with one team that repeatedly speaks up about a challenge they are having — say, a team expressing concern about resource shortages and being overworked.
Collaborate with the specific team, telling them you intend to help them. But to do so, you’ll need them to gather data to make the case for resource management software.
In working together on gathering data, you can get employees who experience the challenge to back you. And by getting them to share the severity of their struggle with stakeholders, you can better illustrate the need to solve the problem urgently.
Create a list of the best software you can invest in. In this buyer’s guide, we lay out all that you need for an ideal resource management solution. Here’s a quick snapshot of what to look for:
Related: The 10+ Best Resource Management Tools for 2024
Side by side, gather material on the resource management software you’ve shortlisted. This includes:
This content will assist you in explaining more about the software you want to get an investment green light on. More importantly, passing on the curated information to self-sufficient stakeholders will help you help them make the buying decision.
Whether you provide stakeholders with a demo yourself, or if work with the software’s customer success team to present demonstrations to your buying committee, make sure it is customized to appeal to the people who will be watching.
Personalize the demo to showcase specific use cases that are likely to be of particular interest to them.
Equally important here is to talk stakeholders through the ease of using the product. At the same time, explain how they should be thinking in terms of ROI.
Understanding why change management is important when introducing a new resource planning software isn’t enough. You’ll need a thorough implementation plan as well to overcome stakeholders’ hesitations around how you’ll roll out the resource planning software.
New Runn users don’t have to worry about this since our team enables as well as fully handles implementation for companies, depending on the package you select.
For example, we have a package that lets you self-manage onboarding where we give you access to our technical documentation and support team.
Alternatively, you can opt for fully supported implementation where you get a dedicated onboarding team and your own project and customer success managers who guide you through the spreadsheets to software implementation process from start to finish.
Remember: upfront research and a solid partnership with your ideal resource management software’s team can help you get buy-in in no time.
Have questions about what this process looks like? Book a custom demo with us and we'll be happy to take your questions!
