Without a plan, history will repeat it itself (especially if you have had failed adoption of new technology in the past).
The scope of your plan will vary but could involve any or all of the following elements:
- The Vision and desired business scenarios that you will use to prioritise the solutions.
- Key dates and specific deadlines.
- Details of the roles and the corresponding level of effort required to deliver the plan.
- How you integrate change management to help stakeholders adapt and adopt.
- Will you roll out your new tech tool to all users at once? Or will it make more sense to onboard specific groups individually?
- What types of training will you need? How will you account for different learning styles?
- Will you recognise users who make a good effort with your new system? Also, you will need to consider the adoption cycle.
- With the correct planning you can then set SMART goals which were discussed in the first adoption tip; ‘Start with the goals and then plan backwards’.
The aim should be to start small and demonstrate quick value before tackling the bigger, more challenging solutions.
Generally, we advise that our clients start with departments you know are most likely to adopt and succeed with the software. Ideally try to select people who are visible and carry influence inside the organisation. By investing into making these early adopters successful, they become your case studies and natural champions.
In summary, the plan is a general road-map for the who, what, where, why and how. Remember: keep it flexible, listen to feedback and don’t be afraid to alter course based on the feedback.
If your organisation is currently struggling with adopting new technology, listen into our recorded webinar regarding Driving Office 365 Adoption. In this session myself and Barry Wakelin (Operations Director) uncovered ways in which you can successfully introduce, integrate and continually develop your Office 365 platform.