• Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Special Offers
Business Intelligence Info
  • Business Intelligence
    • BI News and Info
    • Big Data
    • Mobile and Cloud
    • Self-Service BI
  • CRM
    • CRM News and Info
    • InfusionSoft
    • Microsoft Dynamics CRM
    • NetSuite
    • OnContact
    • Salesforce
    • Workbooks
  • Data Mining
    • Pentaho
    • Sisense
    • Tableau
    • TIBCO Spotfire
  • Data Warehousing
    • DWH News and Info
    • IBM DB2
    • Microsoft SQL Server
    • Oracle
    • Teradata
  • Predictive Analytics
    • FICO
    • KNIME
    • Mathematica
    • Matlab
    • Minitab
    • RapidMiner
    • Revolution
    • SAP
    • SAS/SPSS
  • Humor

Driving User Adoption

November 7, 2019   CRM News and Info

Back in the day, I was a late addition to a $ 40 million ERP implementation project team. To me, this was pretty exciting stuff, as it was my first EPR implementation and they were mere weeks away from go-live at their first of many manufacturing plants across the country. The team had spotted a gap in their deployment plan, so they brought me in to support the go-live and facilitate the shipping and receiving functions of the plant. I was told the entire department had been well trained, that the new scanning technology was in place and that the expectation was for smooth sailing for the cutover to the new ERP system. And I believed them.

When the new system went live, the warehouse team looked to me for direction and instruction. Sure, they had been trained on simple tasks like creating and editing records and basic EPR platform functions, but had not been taught many other core shipping and receiving functions that they would need to perform daily. Very quickly, the production schedule came barreling in like a steam engine, with dozens of trailers to be loaded, exponentially more to be unloaded and new shipments scheduled for as far as the eye could see.  I had naively walked into a buzz-saw of a deployment, but learned a valuable lesson that helped shape Empellor CRM’s methodology and Dynamics CRM implementation support all these years later.

Train to a Best Practice Process

I learned that for users of new technology to be successful and effective in their jobs, they need to be well trained on clearly defined processes, ideally built upon best practices. Each user should be required to pass tests demonstrating they understand the processes and are able to execute them effectively.

While this process may seem simple, you might be surprised at just how elusive documented core processes and best practices can be for some companies, particularly those that have experienced operational hurdles like rapid growth, changes in management or other work flow challenges.

Buy-In Starts at the Top

Every CRM implementation must have an executive sponsor, preferably the CEO or owner, as well as including key stakeholders from all departments.  Building consensus at this level for the vision and strategy for the implementation establishes the foundation for all future communications from this group.

xcommunicating meeting 300x206.jpg.pagespeed.ic.lieUn u5HG Driving User AdoptionThe communications (note that this is plural indicating a series of messages) should articulate the benefits to the business but must also include the benefits to the users.

Be as candid as possible about the current problems the implementation is targeting to resolve.

Achieving User Buy-In

Beyond defined processes and proper training, a successful implementation of CRM truly requires users to buy into using the new system. Without user buy-in, the technology is mostly useless, so it’s critical that the CRM makes it easy to perform tasks, solve problems and provide quick, easy access to critical information.

Acknowledge that while change is often uncomfortable and requires an adjustment period, there will be enough training and additional support provided during this period to make the cutover as painless as possible.  Lastly, make it clear to the users that they have a voice and their feedback and suggestions will be valued.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Keep in mind though that even the best implementations often experience pockets of resistance – and that it is up to senior management to address the issue. Some clients tie compensation plans or a reward structure to the use of the system, while others simply mandate process adherence.

You have to decide on what approach works best for your business operations and culture, but I strongly recommend taking a proactive approach rather than waiting to see how adoption flushes out on its own.

Train Early and Oftenadobestock 175929215 300x200 Driving User Adoption

Another critical component of user adoption and engagement is comprehensive, ongoing training in best practices using Dynamics CRM. Some team members will be overwhelmed at the onset of the new processes and anxious of using the new technology, regardless of how much training they have received. Pushback is just human nature for some.

Utilize a training portal structured by job role. Training portals make it easy for the users to undergo initial training and also to review training whenever needed. The training content must be comprehensive covering basic operations as well as advanced and infrequently performed operations. If possible, utilize both video step-by-step guides as well as downloadable guides they can keep on their desk for easy reference.

Utilize Your Power Users

We recommend that you create a designated team of power users early in the process and be sure to include users from every department in the company. Invite them to all key meetings and provide them as much training as possible.

Post go-live, this team serves as the frontline support in each department. Additionally, they should personally contact each user of the new system to get their feedback, as well as give them the opportunity to ask questions, receive personal attention, and possibly schedule additional follow-up training.

This initial contact should occur rather quickly after go-live – ideally within three to five days -and then should be repeated around 30 days post go-live.  The initial contact will help users achieve a level of comfort in using the new CRM, while the follow up helps to avoid any major roadblocks and keeps the momentum of the deployment moving forward.

Establish A Feedback Loop

A formal feedback mechanism is also important when establishing long-term implementation success and full user adoption. Feedback and the free exchange of enhancement ideas allows issues to surface in real time – and can then be vetted, prioritized and addressed for future releases.

There is great value in giving users a legitimate voice and the ability to contribute to improving the processes and technology they use to perform their jobs. Another great opportunity for feedback is regularly scheduled user meetings, training sessions or webinars that includes discussion time where users can give their perspective on how processes and the CRM can be improved.

For more details about bolstering your employees and driving user adoption during your CRM implementation, call Empellor CRM at 303-482-2909 or visit our website. 

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365

Adoption, Driving, User
  • Recent Posts

    • The Neanderthals
    • What the swarm of new Azure announcements mean
    • Importance of Integrating SharePoint and Dynamics 365 in an SMB
    • InfoWars Surrenders
    • Invest Your Time in the Right Skills to Become a Data Scientist in 2021
  • Categories

  • Archives

    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
© 2021 Business Intelligence Info
Power BI Training | G Com Solutions Limited