[Part 1] The key factors of adoption: choosing the right actors

To encourage adoption, you need to ensure that your users understand the benefits of the solutions to adopt what you offer. People naturally resist change, they need to know the benefits of using these tools. To successfully adopt Office 365, it is essential to focus on four success factors: actors, objectives, awareness and training. In this article, we will focus on the actors to consider in your adoption project.

Which actors will make my adoption project a success?

The first rule of successful adoption of Office 365 is to create a dynamic team of the right people who can lead and make changes in others. A successful adoption strategy begins with a team of committed people representing a sample of your organization. The key roles you need to focus on are executive sponsors, successful owners and champions.

Involve the members of the management team

Executives are key leaders in the organization and their participation is essential to encourage employee adoption. They have the greatest influence on the company’s culture and can actively communicate the value and benefits of new technology and a new way of working throughout the company. They can also provide a crucial understanding of the company’s key objectives and common challenges.

The members of the management team must:

• Assist the project team in identifying and prioritizing the scenarios that should be used.
• Play a role in communicating how the organization plans to use Office 365 to achieve its objectives
• Actively participate and use Office 365’s capabilities to promote end-user adoption and reinforce desired behaviors.

Select people who can track success

It is important to choose people who will monitor adoption success within your company to ensure that the objectives set for Office 365 are met. They have a responsibility to ensure that people use the service and to benefit from it.

These people will have to:

• Ensure that employees use Office 365 and get added value from it
• Ensure that the management team and change champions are involved
• Ensure that communications and training are successfully implemented.

Empowering champions for change

Champions of change must:

• Evangelize Office 365 and its value within teams
• Help their team members understand the benefits they receive
• Promote the tools through informal communication channels
• Help welcome new users, provide advice and share best practices
• Provide a report to the project team on user engagement and adoption

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