User adoption of new technology solutions like PLM is a key driver of the ultimate return on these significant corporate investments. Yet enterprise learning and adoption programs, so essential to solution success, are typically subject to budget cuts as cost overruns in earlier phases of the project drive a frantic search for later stage savings.
The unfortunate reality is that the supposed savings disappear quickly as business units absorb substantial new costs in delayed user adoption, reduced productivity gains, and increased management frustration. In the end, the true cost of adoption exceeds even the original budget for the program.
A large automotive manufacturer provides a perfect example of the phantom savings from budget cuts in learning and adoption. As shown in the video case study below, the company tried to save money with a scaled back learning and adoption effort toward the end of a major PLM implementation. Instead, the company suffered through an extended adoption process, reduced productivity, and extreme user dissatisfaction with the new solution.
It’s an important cautionary tale for business and IT leaders embarking on any major change initiative: If you don’t invest sufficiently and appropriately in user and organizational adoption, you’ll pay more in the end.
What’s your experience with user adoption programs? We’d love to hear in the comments.
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