I received a lot of positive feedback on user adoption being the key to successful CRM and I wanted to follow that up with some specific ideas that I (and others) was able to come up with…Everybody loves top 10 lists, so here it goes…

Pre-G0-Live

1.  User adoption does not start at go-live.  You need to make sure that user adoption is heavily addressed throughout the design and planning stages of the project.  Make sure to get end-users heavily involved – this not only benefits the end product but also gives them a sense of ownership and significantly improves their buy-in.

2.  Make sure it works.  Although this should be obvious, it needs to technically work not just from a performance perspective, but also in the same manner and process that they expect it to work.  Focus on this over the extra bells and whistles.  Nothing will stop people from using the system faster than it running slow.

3.  Accessibility is more important than ever.  Make sure you have reviewed all the scenarios that the end-users use to access and utilize the system.  For instance, perhaps they visit factories where WIFI is sporadic at best.  They will need offline capabilities.  If they are making frequent visits to clients and want more iPad type access, then make sure that the system displays well and works fast on tablet platforms.

4.  Focus on business value.  Make sure that the solution you are creating is explained in terms of business value to each of the various groups using the system.  The response should be personalized to each group.

5.  Ask “Why” not “How”.  Always follow up a decision with “why would users want to do this?” or “why would they input this data?” instead of how they will input.  As I stated in my earlier posting the technical aspects are the easy part.

Post Go-Live

6.  Once the system is being used do not hesitate to reward the internal champions.  This is important to show the other users that these people are using the system and benefiting.

7.  Leverage the carrot AND the stick.  Make sure to have processes that reward the people for using the system, but potentially hurt the people who do not use the system.  For instance, new leads can be assigned to the people who have the highest follow-up rate.  Old leads can be removed from people who do not show activity after a specific time frame.

8.  People need to see immediate benefit from CRM for themselves – not for the management or for the company.  Make sure that you are leveraging items like email templates, marketing campaigns and worklists that can benefit individuals and groups as a time saver and lead generator. If people see a direct benefit, they will use the system.

9.  Leverage the power of analytics.  As people put more and more data in the system, make sure they are leveraging the benefit of that data to make smarter, faster decisions.  One of the largest benefits to a CRM system is the ability to see each tactical activity and get a better understand each process and success (or lack thereof). Better business intelligence (BI) allows for better decisions on a timelier basis.

10.  Training does not end-at go-live.  Consider “tips and tricks” and refresher training to make sure that everyone feels comfortable using the application on an on-going basis.  Remember the crawl-walk-run concept when it comes to training.  Show them small pieces at a time so it is more easily digestible.