How to Apply User Adoption in the Flow of Work
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What is User Adoption?
User Adoption is the process in which users achieve their goals by using a product, system or SaaS solution. Simply put, it means getting employees, customers and/or suppliers to use the technology a company has purchased or developed to enable critical business processes within the organisation or within the market.
To add; user adoption is the willingness and the ability of the target audience to use these solutions as designed.
There has been a significant rise in the implementation of new software and technology within businesses, and this has given a major boost for companies to generate new and innovative means to adopt these processes and systems. This is where Digital Adoption fits in.
We have determined that User Adoption is the process in which new users are on-boarded in order to use a certain product, service or new technology or software to its full capability. The end goal is to help the user reach theirs.
Adoption = Value/Effort
This means that the amount of effort that is invested in adopting a new business process or system, will then increase the value of the outcome. It can be easier said than done, however. Certain factors that may arise during this process that can deter the user from retaining the necessary information required to complete the onboarding process.
What is Digital User Adoption?
Digital User Adoption, or Software Adoption, refers to the various tools and assets that a business can leverage off on in order to maximise their business processes. This helps implement strategies to maximise user productivity, engagement and certain software systems. These solutions are tailored to suit the needs of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementations and business portals to any digital initiatives within an organisation.
Not only is Digital Adoption initiated within any organisation, but it also combines the whole ecosystem of employees, customers, and suppliers who use the technology. This helps to maximise the value of technology investments and business process solutions.
It is vital that all employees in an organisation adopt the technology and are able to digitally transform to gain all the benefits of the technological investment, so that they get all the benefits of the investment. Users will therefore gain the ability to use the necessary digital tools needed to their full extent, in order to increase capability development and compliance optimisation.
A philosophy that holds true: “If people understand their role in the business process and have the skills necessary to perform the tasks required, they will perform in a way that contributes to the performance of the whole organisation.”
Why is Digital Adoption Important?
Digital transformation is a necessary strategic objective for many organisations today. It is the journey a company takes to implement digital solutions to enable key business functions within an organization.
It is the process of upgrading certain technology and processes to maximise software capabilities within the organisation.
Digital User Adoption solutions for organisations who are rolling out a digital transformation program is key. Without employee buy-in, the maximum value of the technology purchased won’t be gained and it will be hard to achieve consistent workflows.
Driving and measuring digital adoption platforms successfully is done by giving enterprise end-users the right skills, information and knowledge on their digital transformation journey.
This involves equipping them with a wide range of performance support toolkits, blended learning management platforms and self-directed and facilitated interventions.
These are tailor suited to your specific business and technology requirements.
Developing the right team with the necessary skills, qualifications and experience to deliver these blended solutions is important.
According to McKinsey, data-driven organizations are 23 more times likely to acquire customers. The organisations that use their data to gain useful insights and a deeper understanding of how to find and retain new customers and keep their current ones happy.
This is only possible if all team members use the tools and skills they have been equipped with efficiently and correctly. Failure to do so could result in problems such as compromised data integrity, unhappy customers and frustrated employees.
‘Digital Dexterity’ is a term often used in an organisation to describe the ability of users to use digital tools, performance support methods and delivering of information. It is our goal to make organisations ‘digitally dexterous’ in order to embrace both existing and emerging technologies.
The inability of organisations to provide learning management platforms and digital adoption solutions can have a negative impact on the organisation as a whole, and the overall ROI of business practices. This is why it is necessary for businesses to onboard users effectively.
Read more about the best ways to increase digital adoption within your business.
Why Technology Implementations Fail:
Although the use of technological systems and processes is now greater than ever, they can be trickier to implement in the workplace than one would expect. There are a few specific reasons why this can happen:
- There are no defined outcomes. Defining outcomes enables consistent process & system optimisation. KPI dashboards need to be put in place, along with process and system solutions. This ensures that the organisation’s needs are met before, during and long after the project has been completed.
- Finding the right internal or external stakeholder to drive a technology project at your organisation can be tough. Having the right stakeholder with a hands-on approach makes the transition at your company a lot easier.
- Project plans and timelines are unclear or not defined. A clear understanding and goals for the project must be clearly defined through the entire onboarding process.
- There is a gap in communication between the solution provider and the employees. Communicating effectively between all stakeholders will prevent miscommunication and potential difficulties further along in the process.
- User feedback is lacking due to various factors. If the solutions that are provided within the organisation do not meet the needs of the user, they will not adopt it.
Many projects fail due to a failure of meeting expectations, results, deadlines, or budgets.
Finding the right team that will drive the above-mentioned methods at speed and scale, is a crucial component of success, and in turn, generating a strong ROI for your business. (Source)
Today’s leading businesses are looking to technology to develop digital dexterity and drive digital transformation. This can only happen successfully if there is effective user adoption and an efficient onboarding plan. This gives employees the skills and confidence they need to help your business reach its full potential.
Strategies to Increase User Adoption:
- Communicate for buy-in and engagement
- Integrate technology deployment with change management
- Involve workers. Ask employees what they need as well as what challenges they are facing with the current technology.
- Choose the right tools that enable users to learn in the flow of work and create an effective user experience.
- Make adoption easy and effortless in order for higher retention rates
If all of the above-mentioned factors are taken into consideration, and the process is seamless and effective, the user adoption experience is heightened and the organisation will benefit a great deal.
Ways in Which User Adoption can be Increased
The benefits of efficient user adoption means a reduced time to create and deploy training content, and a significant reduction in information discovery time for users within an organisation. It is the ability of the employees to quickly process the information that is learned. It also creates a unified experience for users across applications and helps minimise resistance to change.
This transformation journey prepares everyone within the organisation so that they are ready and confident to tackle the necessary changes.
This can be achieved through:
- Change management strategy and implementation at speed and scale
- Communication collateral and portals
- Process education and embedment
- System training and education
- Customised job aids and eLearning materials
- In-application support (learning in the flow of work, topic to be discussed)
- Training and induction portals
- LMS and LXP platform implementation, hosting, and support
Solutions that benefit the following stakeholders within organisations:
- End-users
- Support staff
- Business managers
- Business process owners
- Customers
- Suppliers
This is achieved through three core solutions.
- User Adoption
- Capability Development
- Process & System Compliance and Optimisation
Final Thoughts
Ever-changing learner behaviour, exposure to vast amounts of information, and new ways of learning means that it is more important than ever to find ways of adapting to these changes.
With the right training and management techniques, this is entirely possible.
Finding the right partner to assist with the onboarding of new technologies, processes, and systems is equally important.
If users are given new ways of learning in the flow of work, they are more able to retain and apply the skills needed to deliver on the business processes they are part of more rapidly and require significantly less support to perform their tasks. They are then more likely to accept their new roles and responsibilities and become high performing individuals.
This journey to digital transformation prepares and supports all users to adopt the necessary skills they need to develop and achieve the strategic objectives of the whole organisation. This leads to a strong ROI, and a productive, effective and efficient working environment.