Keith Macedo knew he had a problem. As the new Information Technology Director at the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, he watched department heads politely nod through his presentations about digital content management, then quietly return to their filing cabinets and paper forms. Sound familiar?
Since implementing Laserfiche in 2016, Fayetteville has achieved something remarkable: near universal adoption across every city department. But here’s what nobody tells you about government technology adoption. The secret wasn’t in the software features or the ROI calculations. It was in the two years Macedo spent having coffee with the animal control team.
Secret to 100% Laserfiche Adoption
The Challenge: Getting government departments to embrace digital content management when they’re comfortable with paper processes
The Solution: Fayetteville achieved city-wide Laserfiche adoption by prioritizing people over technology, turning two-year skeptics into innovation champions.
The Human Factor in Government Technology Adoption
Government agencies operate differently from private sector organizations. Budget cycles move slowly. Decision-making involves multiple stakeholders. Most importantly, public servants who have perfected their workflows over decades need compelling reasons to change.
Macedo recognized this reality immediately. Rather than leading with technology features or Laserfiche capabilities, he focused on understanding each department’s unique challenges. This approach, while requiring patience, laid the groundwork for sustainable adoption that many Laserfiche partners overlook in their implementation strategies.
“Imagine you’re a new employee,” Macedo explains. “You probably have new ideas, and we’d love to hear about them. Building relationships with departments and key staff members from day one sets the stage before you even mention implementing new technology.”
Breaking Down Resistance Through Patience
One of Fayetteville’s most telling success stories involves its animal control department. For nearly two years, they resisted digitizing a critical form. As a Laserfiche solution provider would confirm, this timeline isn’t unusual in government settings where change happens incrementally.
Instead of forcing adoption through mandates, Macedo’s team maintained regular communication. They asked questions. They listened to concerns. They demonstrated value without pressure. When animal control finally implemented the digital form, something remarkable happened: the same department that had resisted for two years began generating ideas for additional Laserfiche applications.
This pattern repeated across departments. Initial skepticism gave way to curiosity, then enthusiasm, as employees discovered how intelligent content management actually made their jobs easier rather than adding complexity.
Creating Structured Touchpoints for Success
Fayetteville’s approach includes systematic relationship-building that any government entity can replicate:
Day One Connections: Every new city employee receives a personal introduction to IT services. This establishes IT as a resource rather than an enforcement arm, creating openness to future technology initiatives.
Regular Check-ins: Macedo personally calls departments throughout the year, asking simple questions: “How are you doing? What challenges are you facing? How can we help?” These conversations surface opportunities for Laserfiche support before problems become critical.
Annual Technology Reviews: Each department participates in structured reviews examining what worked, what didn’t, and what’s needed going forward. This formal process ensures no department feels forgotten while identifying opportunities for expanded Laserfiche training and implementation.
Practical Steps for Your Organization
Whether you’re working with established Laserfiche customer support teams or implementing independently, these strategies accelerate adoption:
Start With Problems, Not Products: Document each department’s pain points before proposing solutions. Records managers struggling with retrieval times respond differently from city clerks overwhelmed by meeting minute requirements. Tailor your approach accordingly.
Identify Champions Early: In every department, someone sees the potential of technology. These individuals become invaluable allies who can translate benefits into department-specific language that their colleagues understand.
Demonstrate Quick Wins: Begin with simple, high-impact implementations. A streamlined purchase order process or digitized permit application shows immediate value without overwhelming users.
Invest in Ongoing Education: Initial Laserfiche training represents just the beginning. Regular refreshers, advanced sessions, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities maintain momentum while uncovering new use cases.
Celebrate Successes Publicly: When departments achieve efficiency gains or process improvements, share these victories across the organization. Success stories from peers carry more weight than vendor testimonials.
The Compound Effect of Trust
Fayetteville’s experience demonstrates that successful government technology adoption depends less on features than on trust. Departments that initially required two years of convincing now actively seek ways to expand their Laserfiche usage. They’ve moved from reluctant participants to innovation drivers.
This shift occurs because employees feel heard and supported rather than forced into change. They understand IT exists to solve their problems, not create new ones. Most importantly, they trust that their feedback shapes implementation rather than being ignored.
For organizations evaluating Laserfiche capabilities or seeking to expand existing deployments, Fayetteville’s model offers a proven roadmap. Building relationships before pushing technology might initially extend timelines, but it creates sustainable adoption that continues to grow long after implementation ends.