Stop Picking the "IT Guy" to Lead Your Field Crews

Most SAP rollouts fail because they recruit the person who loves gadgets. You know the one, he has the newest phone and builds his own computers.

But when he stands in front of a veteran technician who has been doing this job for thirty years, his enthusiasm backfires. When he says the app is "easy," that veteran doesn't feel encouraged. He feels insulted. He hears, "It's easy for someone who isn't like you."

If you actually want people to use the software, you need a different kind of leader. You need someone who understands the mud and the pressure.

A Quiet Conversation in the Breakroom

The Project Lead: "I am putting Dave from IT on the Super User list. He knows the system inside out."

The Field Supervisor: "Dave? The guys haven't seen Dave in the field in years. If he shows up at a job site to 'help,' my crew will suddenly find a reason to be out of cell range all day."

The Project Lead: "Then who do they trust?"

The Field Supervisor: "Sarah. She has been a lead tech for over a decade. Honestly, she hates new technology. But she hates wasting time even more. If Sarah tells the crew that this app actually saves them twenty minutes of paperwork at the end of a shift, they’ll listen. They’ll download it because she says it works for them."

This is the BRIDGE Lesson. Your Super Users are the only thing standing between a software "requirement" and the reality of the job.

Training People to Lead

We don't just teach Super Users where to tap on a screen. We give them the tools to handle the human side of a massive change.

Phase 1: Finding the Truth (Baseline) Before anyone opens a tablet, your Super Users spend a week looking at the "hacks" and paper workarounds the crew uses today. They learn how the work actually gets done—not how the manual says it should.

Phase 2: Changing the Story (Reframe) We stop talking about "completing work orders." That sounds like a chore for the office. Instead, we talk about "Asset History." This is about the legacy of the equipment. We teach Super Users to show their peers that the app is a tool for professional pride, not a digital leash.

Phase 3: The 2:00 AM Playbook (Interpret) Nobody wants a 200-page manual. Our Super Users help build a "5-Minute Field Guide." It covers the stuff that actually matters; like what to do when the app freezes during a storm at 2:00 AM. It’s about solving problems, not following a script.

Phase 4: The Art of Support (Grow) A Super User isn't a help desk. They are a mentor. We teach them how to coach without being condescending. Instead of taking the tablet out of someone's hand and doing it for them, they learn to stand back and say, "Show me where it's hanging you up."

Why this matters

By the time you go live, your Super Users have skin in the game. They helped build the guides. They understand the "why." They can handle the pushback in the truck because they have been there.

They aren't just experts; they are the advocates your team needs to feel empowered instead of overwhelmed.

Is your program focused on clicks or the people behind them?

At IHCP Global, we build the internal advisors who turn your best field staff into your best change agents.