Adoption is the latest in a long line of buzzwords and many of you probably have it on your “corporate lingo” bingo cards. And you may have gotten a foundational point of view of adoption from my colleague Loyd Hawkins in his “Content Is King” blog.
But let’s discuss another aspect of adoption and get to why it should be more than just a buzzword to your organization.
Whatever software solution you are implementing, no matter the industry, one of the measures indicating success that remains the same is ROI.
What are getting from installing your solution? Not just “saved time through clicks” but the resolution of issues that specifically impact your users from day to day, like having to answer fewer questions due to enhanced access to reporting or being able to source more commodities because you’re spending less time pouring through emails to find your RFQ responses.
None of this value happens, there is no positive ROI, if no one is using the software. Thus, the importance of adoption.
Allow me to take the time to plug two heroes of adoption value – change management and communication.
Whether big, medium, or small change, you will not see improvement if you continue to do things the same way. Therefore, change management and communication must be an integral part of your implementation program.
Don’t forget the training part of this as well, as discussed by my colleague Rich Potts in his blog, “Training for Outcomes”.
Let users know what’s coming.
Let them know the elements of the upcoming change that will increase the company’s ability to be competitive. Let them know how it will help them do their jobs better, faster. Let them know how they will be supported after the software goes live. Let everyone know how you will measure success as you use the system.
Ensuring users understand the playbook and end goal for the new software increases familiarity and therefore increases usage. Don’t get me wrong – support from the high levels are one ingredient to a successful adoption stew – but we all know that one ingredient alone makes for a bland dish, right?
We all know that communication gaps in the procurement function are highlighted as an issue by C-suite executives. A recent report from Economist Impact sponsored by SAP Ariba addressed these and other procurement-focused challenges to the C-suite, such as “gaps in procurement’s visibility into stakeholder risks and priorities”, according to Baber Farooq, senior vice president for Market Strategy Procurement Solutions at SAP. You can eliminate these perceptions before they become a larger problem by focusing on communication wherever possible.
Let’s talk about your company’s self-awareness. Sounds strange, I know.
Do you know the change agility of your organization? Are they raring to go when tools are available, or does it take a while for people to warm up to a new process? If ramp up time is a factor, make sure you account for that in your adoption statistics. There will be some sort of curve the company will follow until you’re speeding along the efficiency highway. Counting on immediate adoption will have a negative effect on morale and adoption. Set your team up to win in this transformation with realistic adoption targets.
What’s a great go to document to know how well you’re doing along the software implementation journey? The business case.
You would be surprised how many companies launch into a major software change without documenting the whats, wheres, whens and whys of a software purchase. You don’t have to “wing it” to come up with relevant KPIs for this project if you’ve done that before the project starts. Indicators may change, and sometimes they should, but a business case at least provides the initial strategy upon which that adoption can be built. And throughout the project you can turn back to the business case to make sure you’re on track.
And after go-live, let’s hear it for ongoing communication that rewards those who have taken the plunge to support the company’s future goals by using the software. Give those that are successful with it an opportunity to show others that it can be done. These can be the best folks to convert your doubters in the crowd.
Ultimately, you are the experts in the operation of your organization. An advisable strategy to see faster time to value would be to engage PREMIKATI to handle the people, processes, and technology of your SAP Ariba transformation. This leaves you more time to strategically evaluate, plan, and act on your corporation’s ability to take full advantage of your technology upgrade. Or you can engage the change management experts at PREMIKATI to take your ROI even further. Getting assistance to speed up your adoption ROI is winning strategy, no matter the goal!
