Using a New Software for the First Time? - You'll Likely Have One or All of These Reactions

People get to know software in different ways, at different speeds. You’re likely to find yourself as one of these “new to software” reactions.

1. Oh no (s$#t), not another piece of software I have to use/learn.

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Sometimes it’s the product that's overly complicated. Sometimes it’s just the PEBCAK that has nothing to do with the software. Your bad experience with other software years ago makes you hesitant to changes. You just want them to leave you alone with the way you do your job as you have been.

Well, fear of the unknown is a rational survival instinct. It's how you channel your fears that determines your destiny. In this case, the most practical advice is to take your time to explore what the software could bring to you and your team. Give the creator of the tools the benefit of the doubt – he or she probably had a good reason for most of the choices that were made.

Also remember, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you’re in trouble! Most software vendors nowadays have a Customer Success department, just to solve your problems while using their products. If you have any trouble using Mastt, call or email Customer Success. They can give you advice on what could have gone wrong and what’s the best way to fix your problem.  

*PEBCAK, for those who just heard it for the first time, stands for "problem exists between chair and keyboard" 😉.

2. Great this has to be better than what we use currently.

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Your current solution is so terrible that you’d rather not use them. Or, even worse, you are doing everything manually at the moment. You’re fine with anything as long as it can get you out of this pain. Absolutely anything.  

3. Finally something that is going to get me off spreadsheets.

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“Something clicked” when you met each other. You can’t imagine life from now without it. This is just what you need. Congratulations! You’ve found The One.

At Mastt this reaction is what we have seen the most. Often our customers are project owners or client-side project managers who had lived in Excel hell for years before they found Mastt. For managers used to dealing with thousands of project spreadsheets and tabs, it’s a revelation to instead have all project health information, finances, risks, etc in one centralised view. Check out our solutions at Mastt to see how we can help you and your project team improve speed and productivity.

4. Just another day at the office!

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You’ve used enough software to understand that it’s not necessary to learn every feature that a software solution offers. You’ve also seen enough failures or crashes to understand there’s no perfect solution for every business problem. The only thing you can do is getting the ball rolling, and time will tell if the software is the right fit for you and your team.

We know change isn’t easy, but it is inevitable, especially when it comes to productivity. No matter how you decide to tackle software in your organisation, remember to always keep learning. When you throw yourself into new technology with an open mind, no matter what the result will be, you will have a better understanding of both what current technologies can offer, and what your business really needs.  

Here’s Doug from Mastt wishing you all the best using new software.