Transformation by Adoption
Recently, while conducting a PLM workshop for a client, I came across some of the interesting facts of the PLM implementation. For their ongoing PLM implementation, Product design team had defined KPI's much early in the life cycle to measure, track and manage the whole process. Little did anyone know that those KPIs were just defined and not revisited when phase 1 got over, thus leaving a big gap in conceptualization and realization. Phase 2 implementation started, finished and went live, as well, with over 1000 users. And one fine day when one of the functionalities failed, came the headlines. Users have been complaining, from sometime, that the PLM system did not deliver the required functions and features. It was a shock than surprise, as these were the same users who had gin the business requirements in the first place, and had completed system trainings. I did my level of investigation and learnt that users were not always employing functions and features, as designed and which made me realize that it was a system adoption issue.
Organizations often forget that training constitutes 40-50% of the adoption process.
However, training is only one component of the Terminal Behavior Capability Development process, which also includes pre-course knowledge transfer, post-implementation skill development, remediation, and maintenance. Users need on-going support and guidance after the initial go-live training period.
To ensure successful system adoption, organizations need to:
· Develop an Adoption Strategy
· Provide necessary skills and tools for adoption
· Assign a trusted Subject Matter Expert group for end-users to consult with
· Define the support structure for end-users. Establish two-way communication between the project team and end-users
· Clearly define Rewards and Consequences
· Set Clear Expectations. Focus on the end-user and business context to drive widespread adoption. Understand what functions and features end-users currently use to complete their day-to-day tasks
The Bottom Line: A well-defined adoption plan, with clear expectations and a thorough provision of critical tools and skills, generates a high probability of system adoption.
As for my client, described above, I did set up focus groups to give system tips, process guidance and help users understand how the functions and features behave. Once these focus group discussions got going, users felt that the PLM system delivered the required functions and features.
