Maintenance and psychology: how to involve your technicians in the digital transformation

Many companies invest in powerful software, but struggle to achieve real adoption of CMMS by their technicians. Result: declining ROI, incomplete data, resistance to change.

In this article, we explore the psychological aspect of digital transformation in maintenance and propose concrete actions to involve your field teams.

1. Understanding the psychological brakes on adoption

First and foremost, we need to recognize that resistance to change is normal. The main brakes we observe in CMMS projects:

• Fear of loss of autonomy: some technicians fear increased control over their activity.
• Intrenched habits: paper, Excel or telephone are familiar, quick to use.
• Lack of confidence in the tool: if the first user experience is frustrating, adoption drops.
• Fear of error: fear of entering data incorrectly and being "held accountable".

A change management project in maintenance must therefore reassure, simplify and value the user.

2. Put technicians at the center of the project

A CMMS project must not be thought up solely by management or IT.

To encourage buy-in:

• Involve internal champions right from the choice of solution. Pilot technicians can test and validate the solution before deployment.
• Gather their needs: what screens, what data, what alerts?
• Communicate the concrete benefits for them: time savings, reduced paperwork, access to field histories.

The user-centric approach is one of the biggest success factors in CMMS adoption.

3. Take care of onboarding and training

Onboarding is often overlooked. Yet this is the moment when technicians decide whether the tool will simplify their lives... or not.

• Short, practical training sessions: avoid hour-long PowerPoint presentations.
• Field sessions: show how to create an intervention from a smartphone, close a ticket with a few clicks.
• Accessible support: live chat, video tutorials, step-by-step sheets integrated into the tool.

Good onboarding reduces errors, increases trust and accelerates adoption.

4. Introduce gamification and feedback loops

To anchor new habits, take inspiration from game mechanics:

• Badges or scores: for example, number of interventions closed on time.
• Rankings (non-punitive): which motivate teams to be responsive.
• Positive feedback: congratulating users who use the tool in an exemplary way.

Feedback loops are essential: displaying in the CMMS the gains achieved through digitization (reduced intervention time, increased equipment availability).

5. Measure and adjust continuously

Change management is not a one-off event. We need to measure:

• CMMS usage rates (interventions created, checklists completed).
• Data quality (rate of mandatory fields completed).
• Technician satisfaction via internal mini-surveys.
• This data enables us to adjust the strategy: simplifying screens, adding targeted training, improving ergonomics.

6. Case study: how Yuman facilitates adoption

At Yuman, we've seen dozens of teams switch from paper to CMMS.

Our approach:

• Ultra-simple interface: designed for mobile first.
• Guided onboarding: 10 days of support for your teams.
• Continuous updates: UX improvements based on feedback from the field.
• Reactive support: integrated chat to resolve problems live.
• Result: a high adoption rate, and successful frictionless digitization.

Conclusion

The success of a digitization project depends not only on the technology, but above all on the commitment of the technicians.

By understanding their brakes, involving them from the outset and creating an environment where the use of CMMS is valued, you maximize your chances of success.

Change management in maintenance is a strategic investment: it guarantees a rapid return on investment and satisfied teams.

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