Everything you need to know about CRM user adoption: from Head of Projects, Ross Page
Implementing a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can be a lengthy and complex process, with failure rates of up to 70%. In our experience at enable.services, poor user adoption is one of the most common factors driving these failures.
At our recent SugarCRM Workshop Day, our Head of Projects, Ross Page, discussed this very topic in full, and the following are the key takeaways from his session.
What is user adoption?
At its simplest, user adoption is the process of getting all of your users regularly using the CRM system. Not just logging in once in a while, but genuinely using it as part of their everyday work.
Depending on where you are in your CRM journey, the challenges and priorities around adoption will look a little different, but the end goal remains the same.
Why is user adoption so important?
Your CRM sits at the centre of your business. It’s the platform where data lives and connects out to everything else: ERP, finance, marketing, and more. If it’s not used properly, processes become inefficient, data quality suffers, and reporting becomes unreliable.
Good adoption leads to:
- More efficient processes
- Better team communication
- Data-driven decision making
How do you measure user adoption?
There are lots of ways to measure adoption, and many of these principles apply to any software platform, not just CRM.
Some common indicators include:
- Login frequency
- Licence usage
- Data quality
- Feature usage
- User engagement and curiosity
Is user adoption a one-size-fits-all process?
Before we outline our key tips for driving user adoption, it’s first important that you bear in mind that this cannot be a one-size-fits-all process. Within your user base, you will have different user profiles with varying technical knowledge and proficiency, and so your strategy will need to account for those who may need extra hand-holding in the form of training and drop-in sessions.
How Do You Improve User Adoption?
In our experience, there are five main factors that make the biggest difference when it comes to user adoption. When done well and done together, they have a huge impact on driving the adoption of your CRM among users.
1. Effective training
Training is the number one most important factor in driving user adoption. Ensuring that users receive ongoing training that directly relates to their role helps reinforce good habits and gives users confidence not only to use the CRM but also in the system itself.
2. Early user involvement
CRM tends to be bought by managers, for managers, and they often don’t take into account the people who will actually be using the system. Involving users at the testing and development stage of your CRM project ensures that features are built to work for them and not against them.
3. Super users
These are users who will know the CRM inside and out and can champion the system as well as assist other users when they have queries. Involving them from the very beginning of the project gives them a greater sense of ownership and contributes to the CRM’s overall success.
The number of super users you need will depend on the size and structure of your organisation. Smaller teams may only require one or two, while larger organisations, with multiple departments, should aim to have at least one super user in each team.
4. Usage monitoring
The goal of monitoring should be to make sure the data being input is coherent and to understand where extra support is needed – it’s not about policing your users.
This data allows you to be proactive. Instead of waiting for problems to escalate, you can offer targeted training, drop-in sessions, or one-to-one support to help people get back on track.
5. Feedback and change management
A clear change management process allows users to suggest improvements and request new features. Not every request will be implemented, but being heard matters.
If changes are approved, involve the user who suggested them as early as possible. Let them test the feature, validate it, and become the advocate for it.
User adoption is a journey
User adoption is not a one-time event. Over time, your system will evolve, and what you deploy today won’t be what you’re using in one, three, or five years’ time. This means that adoption strategies need to be ongoing throughout the lifecycle of your CRM.
At enable.services, we understand that implementing a new CRM can be a challenging task. It is so much more than just choosing a platform, which is why, as a CRM partner, we are there to help you.
