Elly Yates-Roberts |
This article was originally published in the Autumn 2019 issue of The Record. Subscribe for FREE here to get the next issues delivered directly to your inbox.
When we’re helping our customers through their digital transformation journeys, something that we stress to them is that, to maximise their investment and ensure that everyone is onboarded correctly, they should address their user adoption from the start. After all, it’s pointless to spend time and money on the latest Microsoft cloud technologies if their users don’t know how to use their new software and apps correctly – or worse, shun them in favour of legacy technologies that they’re already familiar with. It’s therefore important to remember that technical readiness and user readiness go hand in hand.
In our experience adoption has traditionally been an afterthought, with users expected to learn as they go. However, this approach can lead to disengaged and frustrated staff who are not exposed to all the advantages of the new apps and software that they are being forced to use, which is why it’s essential to build in a user adoption strategy alongside a business change strategy. It’s something that needs careful planning and change management, and I cannot stress enough that users should be included from the very beginning to ensure their buy in. Communicate early and then keep communicating!
A variety of pre- and post-implementation activities should be considered, such as sharing the reasons behind any changes and how they might be positively affected, plus governance, procedures and training courses. You can also monitor and review usage statistics with the tools in Microsoft 365, which will help you identify which users might need additional assistance.
Of course, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to user adoption, but it doesn’t have to be a headache for your organisation that you have to bear on your own. In addition to pre-project consultancy, our customers often ask us to write communication plans for users if they don’t have the technical resource, as well as engage us for training and floorwalking to make sure all users are prepared for the digital transformation journey ahead. We’re also launching Transparity TAP; a Training and Adoption Portal that allows users to learn more about the Microsoft technologies that will assist them in their day-to-day roles.
Leanne Eady is delivery and adoption manager at Transparity