The primary advantage of building custom software is that it addresses a unique challenge. It's not often that a pre-made build fulfills our every need.
However, building that software requires a lot of communication and follow-up with end users. Organizations spend a lot of money making custom software, but it doesn't mean much if it goes unused. Therefore, end user adoption is vital for any product to succeed in the long run.
Here are some of the best practices for building an end user adoption strategy.
What Is End User Adoption?
End user adoption refers to whether or not the people who are expected to benefit from the custom software actually use it. If a business isn't using a piece of software, it won't get any support. They may also find that it isn't meeting their needs. Software that doesn't get support ends up dead in the water.
As such, it's important to measure end user adoption and increase it through best practices.
How To Measure End User Adoption
Companies measure the adoption rate to determine whether or not something is providing value.
The formula for calculating our software's adoption rate is to divide the total number of users by the number of new users. It should always be calculated over a set time period.
Avoid measuring just the overall adoption and confusing adoption with engagement. Instead, developers need to know what features people are using and which they aren't.
Best Practices For End User Adoption
Every new app has had to struggle to get its first group of users. All of the biggest consumer apps have taken the time to reach out to their users both offline and online.
When dealing with internal users, we instead need to focus on retention.
Any end user adoption strategy should first form a cross-functional project team. The needs across our different departments will vary. We can collaborate between the different areas for better communication with our end users by forming a team.
Companies incorporating new software should develop a communication plan to create awareness of the new solution. Therefore, they need to target internal users, supervisors, and system administrators.
Keep users updated on the app's development, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Their input is essential for tailoring content to their needs, and they'll feel like they've contributed to the end product.
Furthermore, don't overcomplicate things. Custom software should be easy to maneuver for the end user. Therefore, it shouldn't require much training, although we can add more complex features in the future.
Most importantly, cultivate trust to boost our end user adoption rates. Be open to their suggestions, even if it means deviating from the original design.
Improve Our End Results
Custom app development comes with its own set of challenges. Improving end user adoption is only one aspect of the process. So why not get some help to ease the trouble?
The Support Group can help with any of your FileMaker and custom app development needs. We also develop apps that help businesses enhance the customer experience.
Our experts are located in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Contact us to learn more and schedule an initial consultation.
