Forum Discussion
AnnaChu
Microsoft
MicrosoftWhere Does End-User Adoption Start?
This April, we're putting the focus on conversations in the Driving Adoption community. We kick off the discussion with insights from Microsoft research we conducted on IT Pros.
Where Does End...
Great topic!
Too many organisations fail to fully understand where they and their employees are at when they decide to move to Office 365 in terms of how they work. The first point in pre deployment is so important. But from experience it is often overlooked. Too often it is seen as a project with a start and end date. That's why the post deployment elements usually end too quickly. The training sessions are over, the training materials produced and gathering dust and so on. But adoption doesn't stop. It's ongoing. So organisations need to plan and cost for that over an extended period of time.
Migration is also not treated as a major change management exercise. It changes significantly how people work. What tools they currently use and have to learn to use. They are expected to change their habits just because you have given them a new set of tools. That's hard to do.
As all organisations are different and depending on size it gets more and more difficult, it's important to understand how people work and what tools they use and indeed what their work day habits are. You could do this by surveys, focus groups/meetings. Then this will give you a picture of what Office 365 can bring or problems it can solve. Focus on the problems it can solve first. Show people how the tools and ways of working can solve those problems. Office 365 can't be all things to everyone. You have to focus on the little battles, the quick wins, the simpler problems. Get those right and you will be on your way.
After deployment you can assess whether those problems have been 'fixed' for people. If not you have to go back and see what went wrong. If they have then move to the next set of problems.
As Office 365 continues to change and offer new features you have to aware of any problems that can be fixed but also problems that may arise from a change or new feature (bug!!). That is where the ongoing adoption process comes in. It's why Office 365 adoption and migration is not a project, it's a journey with bumpy roads....
Some really good points made by all in this thread.
I also want to reiterate the point that a few of you made: adoption is an ongoing process. It doesn't stop after an event like deployment. If you don't nurture the commitment to the platform and to your people, the initiatives will wither way. No doubt.
A while back I was compelled to write an article from my own experiences around SharePoint specific adoption activities. Would love some feedback on it:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/timeline-your-sharepoint-adoption-activities-asif-rehmani
I think everyone is in an agreement that Adoption never stops and that is an on going process.
But it is intersting that the title of this post is "When Does End-User Adoption Start?"
In the technology and services industry we typically see cases arrise that have a "Need" that we immediately try to fill with "new technology" before we understand the User-Base completely.
A User Base is typically composed of Primary, Secondary and Tiertiary Users. That if done incorrectly become to "non-specfic". How many times doe we hear "oh my user base is between 18-65, they are male and female, and they are tech savvy and not tech savvy..." The key take away is that this example User-Base is too grey to understand what "Adoption" even looks like to know if has started.
A good way of understanding your User-Bases are to build somehwhat granular or more accurate micro Personas, these help to identify what expectations are set for Adoption. As soon as you know what to look for, it helps to understand the driving motivations that "kick-start" Adoption, and to identify it when its happening.
This is how good Adoption "Starts"
:)