The case for increased adoption resources

[MikeMacD]

All, My organization is new to thinking about User Adoption in addition to technical training.  I am putting together the case for 'change' to increase our resources around User Adoption of new O365 technologies and looking for any data around the business case.  Clearly, when users utilize tools it increases ROI on those tools and also (hopefully) increases productivity.  But does anyone have any good statistics on what type of return companies are realizing as they drive user adoption?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi @MikeMacD

See this course from Microsoft - Microsoft Service Adoption Specialist

https://www.edx.org/course/microsoft-service-adoption-specialist-2

This is a course that is designed for service and user adoption. The course is free (only the very costs) but I remember the course covering a lot on the business value of user adoption and if memory serves stats were included

This should also help

https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE3cNVB

Best, Chris

[#3]

@MikeMacD  A word to the wise.  Don't call it "change" resources or "training" or anything like that.  This work is about delivering business objectives.  So the folks I see that are successful in getting resources tie it to a specific intiative. Some examples:

Modernizing Customer Services:  Teams implementation to increase satisfaction ranking for customer service including updating line employees on best practices, policies and technology to support CS delivery.  

Improve Product Delivery Velocity:  Upgrade systems and skills to speed products to market.  Again includes upgrades to employee skills sets including procedures and supporting technology.

Improve Employee Retention & Morale:  Improve retention & acquisition rates for company talent by implemented a 360 degree program for improvement.  Includes updating mobile technology, communication methods and productivity tools

I'm sure you get the point here. Lead with business results, solve an executives pain. Start small if you can with pilot projects to get results and then ask for more help.   This is the tried and true way that I see works around the world.  

[#4]

@MikeMacD Defintely follow EVERYTHING Karuana has to say in regards to adoption! In addition to that, here is some great info from Prosci about the case for change. I am certified through Prosci as a Change Management Practitioner and tend to follow alot of what they've introduced as well as what's been made available through their collaboration with Microsoft. Here is a great post on the case for change- https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/business-case-for-change-management   Take a look around the Prosci site to see if they can provide you more information that may support your case. 

Change Management is definitely more than layering on some resources to drive training and communications, it is about how to support the goals of the business and help everyone to be more successful. This can be seen in executive and management coaching to support the change, to reinforcement options, mitigation planning, data analysis, and the tried and true communications and training.  Organizations are more complex today and new approaches are definitely needed. I get to have these conversations regularly and understand that it can be difficult to steer the ship when they are so used to IT just pushing everything out, but there are definite benefits such as speed to adoption and impact on ROI for current work, in addition to creating a new level of trust with the end users that can speed adoption the next time you are working to roll something out.