Following up on my post that outlines the benefits of SharePoint 2013, I received some reader feedback on change enablement so I thought that it would be appropriate to address that topic in the context of SharePoint 2013.
Change enablement, a capability that maximizes user adoption for people, teams and organizations, is critical to a successful SharePoint 2013 deployment. As a result, businesses considering the deployment of SharePoint 2013 can realize many business benefits by its inclusion. In particular, they can:
- Increase project ROI and project success
- Mitigate project risk
- Maximize user adoption
For instance, McKinsey and Company (“Change Enablement that Pays,” McKinsey Quarterly), stated that an effective change enablement program in place increases the project’s ROI. On average, with a poor change enablement program, every dollar spent on the project loses $.65. With an excellent change enablement program, every dollar spent on the project gains $.43.
Recent customer interviews by Accenture shows that unprepared customers face costly barriers to success. Here are some staggering statistics:
- $10 million in additional program costs because the business stopped the process and system implementation due to the lack of understanding of the value and ownership/buy-in, delaying the program for six month;
- 80% increase in resources for a post go live support to compensate for lack of adequate go live preparation and skilled resources within the business;
- 20 – 30% rework rates on normal daily tasks due to insufficiently skilled employees;
- 4 million in additional cost spent on re-creating training materials since initial training was poor;
- 300% increase in helpdesk call volume after go live due to poor enablement requiring additional employees for ticket handling.
- (Note: The examples above were based on customer interviews Accenture conducted at large process & system integration programs. They illustrate the pitfalls some projects can experience without appropriate attention to change enablement.)
Change enablement capability supports collaboration and SharePoint projects by developing rapid adoption to quickly get employees onboard, building quick wins to increase project momentum and project success, and helping our customers achieve their business goals by leveraging SharePoint.
Companies can achieve these objectives by utilizing change enablement “best practices” for SharePoint 2013 projects: Start small and grow with the culture; provide training generously; communicate, communicate, communicate; determine the content migration strategy; offer robust user support; provide incentives and rewards; and seek end-user feedback.
Avanade has proven experience in change enablement. We’ve deployed SharePoint for over 1,000 customers and have helped them navigate this common business issue. We understand that in order to create the most effective SharePoint 2013 environment requires a few things. First off, start with a great design. It’s all about defining a customer user experience that will map to business goals, internal processes and user needs. Then, think about true change enablement. You’ll want to understand how to transition people, teams and the business to a desired future state that maximizes user adoption. Next, focus on collaboration and building an enduring SharePoint 2013 platform that grows with your customers’ business.
If you’re in the process of deploying SharePoint 2013, change enablement is a must! Ensure that this capability is involved as early as possible in the process.
