The project was successful, but no one is using the product

It is important to remember that even the most successful implementation project will be considered successful only if users adopt the product. Here are our 5 tips to get the client’s team to start using the new product:

1. Invite end users to be part of the project

Sometimes, the client’s team participating in the discovery meetings consists of professional and technical staff rather than end users. There is logic to this; the people who understand the business decisions should lead the project, even if they are not the team using the product daily. In such cases, end users will join the project in its final stages, when exposure to the new product begins. For example, at Salesforce Marketing Cloud Intelligence, the dashboard is built towards the end of the project and presents insights and business decisions based on the business processes characterized at the beginning of the project. Therefore, end-user feedback will not lead to significant changes in logic. So, it is important to invite end users to meetings during the discovery phase and perhaps throughout the project to get their input and align them with the project’s success.

2. An internal client conference where the new product will be presented

It is recommended to hold an internal conference during the project’s development, where the product will be presented to teams and the motivation for its use will be explained, even if it is still in development stages. The purpose of the conferences is to motivate the employees to use the new product, present future and new business insights, and demonstrate future efficiency in daily work.

3. Leading group of early adopter end users

Every product, no matter what type, ultimately aims to optimize work and benefit from technological innovation. The new product may replace an old product or create automation for laborious manual work, either way, it represents an upgrade or replacement of old work routines. Although this may seem like great news to the team at first glance, it is very difficult in practice to switch to new systems, especially if the team has been working with the same old system for many years. The same goes for manual work (e.g., cross-referencing Excel files), which is done by a skilled team member, so it may be difficult to trust automation to do the same work. Therefore, it is advisable that key personnel, for whom the product is intended to help optimize their work, be early adopters of the new system.

4. Create scheduled reports from the system

In products where scheduled reports can be generated and sent to teams, it is advisable to use this feature as early as possible, as it allows for immediate business insights without entering the new system. It facilitates the transition from old systems to new ones. Additionally, the reports may cause teams to want additional reports, such as specific reports for presentations, and monthly/quarterly/yearly reports for managers. Similarly, creating triggers and alerts can help in assimilating the new system among the team, especially when it comes to alerts that did not exist before, and can help with the day-to-day work.

5. Training for teams

Training teams on the new system should not be underestimated. The training should include motivation for choosing the new product and an explanation of its advantages. It is advisable that the training be accompanied by written explanations and documentation and a promise of support during the initial period of using the new product. Similar to the tip about holding a company conference during product development, the training should also include explanations about future developments so that there is something to look forward to and maybe even drive ideas for further developments from the teams themselves.