There are few things more frustrating for a CIO than watching the shiny new CRM software he or she spent months saving for and weeks implementing go unused across their office. Sluggish and inconsistent adoption is no new phenomenon, however. At this point every tech team needs to have a few smart strategies for conquering complacency and getting employees to see the value of new systems. Luckily, this Herculean task has become far easier in the era of cloud CRM software.

Careful customization

Sometimes adoption apathy comes down to workers simply resisting change and fearing the anticipated hassle of learning new technology. More frequently, however, their hesitance is rooted in several very valid concerns.

According to Destination CRM, many employees have been burned before by software seemingly designed for more for managers than end-users. That can leave them staring at a garbled mess of dashboards and data sets and even doing double work as a result of poorly integrated legacy processes.

Cloud CRM software helps companies flatten adoption barriers by retaining the flexibility to serve everyone's needs. Instead of imposing a one-size-fits-all solution, more companies are actually starting to involve front-line workers in the procurement and implementation processes. According to the news source, this early engagement will be instrumental in securing buy-in down the road. Adoption rates will naturally shoot up if employees feel that they had a hand in molding the software to suit their needs. 

Finally, cloud CRM software is also more conducive to the faster updating and deeper customization that companies need to respond to the employee demands and market realities likely lingering over the horizon.

The mobile advantage

If all else fails, there is still one back-pocket strategy that CIOs can use to turn skeptical colleagues into cloud CRM converts. Don't worry, there's no black magic necessary. All managers have to do is ride the momentum of something today's employees have unequivocal support for: the almighty smartphone.

Cloud and mobility have become a real power couple in the IT world, supporting and promoting each other's functionality and popularity. The result has been an offer that most business professionals are finding hard to refuse: anytime, anywhere access to essential information.

Sales staff will certainly appreciate the on-the-go insights pushed to their smartphones via cloud CRM software, but there is also an underrated benefit to this approach. According to CRM Buyer, the clean, concise interface offered by mobile apps effectively makes the greater software suite much more approachable. Whereas desktop data sprawl could sap support from the user base, fast and easy mobile interaction could help capture their vote.