As companies endeavor to be more agile and responsive to a quickly changing environment, alternative approaches to up-skilling are being developed to complement – or in some cases even to replace – traditional methods of training. The tools vary in the breadth of functionality offered but one thing they all aim to accomplish is faster learning to fuel faster productivity. The latest option, referred to as a digital adoption platform or DAP, shows special promise.   

A digital adoption platform is a strong choice to enhance the performance support area of the change management effort of any technology implementation across industries or functions. Choose and implement wisely to accelerate the speed of adoption of your next system implementation. To continue reading about DAP, download the free eBook and read a few key takeaways below:

Digital Adoption Platform eBook

Digital Adoption Platform Takeaways

1. A DAP can be incredibly helpful as performance support for new implementations. 
2. For enhancements in an application that already has the DAP rolled out, it can be leveraged as another vehicle for communicating to end users and highlighting new features in the system. 
3. Don’t toss out your blended learning approaches just yet. Rather, be open to how you can leverage a DAP to enhance your training program. 
4. A DAP doesn’t cover the other components of a comprehensive organizational change management approach, such as stakeholder engagement and leadership alignment, leveraging in-person communications, and the like – it’s not a replacement for OCM. Yet. 
5. DAPs are only applicable to systems-based implementations. Their strength is in assisting the users to execute their tasks in the system while not taking them outside their workflow. For changes that don’t directly involve stakeholders needing to learn a new electronic system, the benefits aren’t as obvious. For example, in a scenario where a significant change in strategic direction was the focus of the change and not a system implementation, a DAP would be hard-pressed to inform the stakeholders, explain the impacts to them, and explore the different ways they can be part of the new future state.   
6. Be careful of using your DAP to publicize or promote information not in scope of the tasks at hand. Popping up a window about “New HR system coming soon” while a user is trying to create a Purchase Order in their ERP system is likely to annoy end users and be perceived as intrusive and irrelevant. Again, involve your experts in user experience design when developing components of your DAP. 

If you’re looking to supplement your implementation initiatives, contact Clarkston to see if a DAP would be a good fit for your organization. 

Contributions from Eileen George