Despite the rapid technological advancements that have reshaped – and created – new industries over the last few decades, warehousing and manufacturing have remained largely technologically unsophisticated.

Even as most companies aren’t getting their money’s worth from existing technologies due to poor adoption, they still plan to increase their spending on automation by 25% in the coming years, according to a recent McKinsey report. That share is even larger in logistics and fulfillment, where automation is projected to make up one-third of all capital spending.

If companies spend on new technology, they deserve to make the most of its benefits.

A deployment strategy aimed at driving the successful adoption of automation starts long before anyone steps into a warehouse. Automation providers must develop a systematic playbook and partner with customers at all organizational levels before, during, and after a deployment.

Before: Systematize Your Deployment Process

Having a clear playbook for automation deployments is essential. Never fully reinvent the wheel for a new customer. An 80/20 approach to deployment means roughly 80% of the deployment should be standard. This includes processes, components, training materials and beyond; they can be used repeatedly. The standard portion helps vendors create a baseline of quality and service, making it easier to drive adoption. The remaining 20% is custom, per use-case and customer. Over time, ideally, the custom percentage will decrease as the automation company matures and executes more iterations. However, the custom component should never go all the way down to zero.

The custom portion is a great opportunity to build relationships and get buy-in from everyone, including the corporate team down to warehouse operators. Adopting any innovation comes down to truly understanding what customers need to help transform their operations, coupled with a clear understanding of the current state of affairs. The delta between new and old should be used to map user adoption carefully. Depending on their unique needs and culture, the map may be a ramp-up approach for some, and a clean switchover for others. The more painful the change process is, the less likely it is to be embraced.

After strategy, champions can be the next most influential factor in successful automation adoption. This is not a new concept; champions have been cited in change management literature from Harvard Business Review and change academics like John Kotter’s work for years. Identify individuals at each level of an organization willing and interested to be more involved — these will be your champions. Involve them in the discussion from day one, and plan to involve these champions throughout the process. Ask for feedback early and often and provide updates on the champion’s ideas if implemented. At the corporate level, champions should work with the change management and communication teams to create a change management strategy. Communicating why automation is being deployed should be done clearly, consistently and repeatably, and the message should be tailored to audiences at each level of the organization. Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them again.

During: Keep the Momentum Up

Continue the momentum of change management communications started before the deployment. Continue clear, consistent messaging during deployment, but ramp up engagement.

Automation leaders cite employee training and capability as having the largest impact on automation outcomes. The best way to combat any skills gaps is to create a system that is intuitive to use, and needs little to no training.

Automation hardware should be designed with an intuitive, partner software component that requires little to no training, but is easy to use. That is not always feasible, and the team that deploys a system may not have any say in its design. So, the second-best way to combat a skills gap is intentional and well-planned training. Opt for a train-the-trainer method for users, instead of training done by external vendors.

This is a great opportunity to use your champions, pre-deployment, as trainers on the inside. This will empower the internal workforce to take ownership of their training. Offer periodic re-training sessions in order to ensure the company stays up to date. Training will also be more personalized, trusted, and engaging from an internal, friendly face, rather than an external vendor.

After: Stay Engaged!

Adoption isn’t a finite process. Even after automation is deployed and the employees are trained, it’s crucial that vendors stay engaged and have a planned transition or whereby they hand off fully to the customer. This phase is similar to the reinforcement or sustain outcomes phase in Proci’s 3-step change management process. Metrics, evaluations and anecdotal feedback from the people who use the technology should be constant.

Using data, a vendor can adapt their approach and bring users into the fold to make them feel heard, and embrace change. Ensure the change-management and communications plan does not stop after installing the system.

This is also a good time to revisit the deployment strategy and playbook with updates from lessons learned. Likewise, tap champions at all organizational levels to review plans for a handoff. Their engagement will be critical long after the vendor teams have left the building.

Even though the industry is slow to change, that doesn’t mean an automation team should be. Show customers their feedback is valued, and incorporate it into your products and practices early and often. Listen to unique pain points and understand how the deployment team can create real value. Don’t forget to also communicate the changes made, and thank them for the feedback.

Steph Clements is senior director of customer experience and GTM at Mytra.